“Do you know what freedom is?” asks Sensei Sergio (Benicio del Toro). “No fear,” he says, quoting civil rights activist Nina Simone.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film embodies this aphorism. A fast-paced, nearly three-hour-long sprawling odyssey of an action film, “One Battle After Another” is staunchly pointed in its portrayal of the United States — both contemporary and in the near future — as a scarily recognizable ethno-fascist regime.
The movie opens with the French 75, a militant, radical revolutionary group at the pinnacle of its might, freeing immigrants from a deplorable detention center and steadfastly announcing a revolution. Heading the group is the fearless Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), trailed by her bombmaking lover Ghetto Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio). Their insurgency is rivaled only by their lust — and the terrifying Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), whose encounter with Perfidia teems with volatile tension — sets up the film’s primary action, which picks up 16 years later.
Gone are the days of Ghetto’s intrepid vigilantism; now, under the pseudonym Bob Ferguson, he is resigned to a reclusive life of stoned haziness off the grid with his and Perfidia’s daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). However, Colonel Lockjaw wields incommensurable power, and he hasn’t yet forgotten about Perfidia or the relict French 75. Infatuated with the white supremacist Christmas Adventurers Club, who praise St. Nicholas and tout ethnic cleansing, Colonel Lockjaw sends his troops after Willa, whose mere existence threatens his stature due to suspicions of him being her father.
Bob is then thrust back into the revolution, a blundering and forgetful shell of the hotshot he once was, carried only by the respect the French 75 name commands. As his and Willa’s exhilarating journeys unfold, Anderson lays bare the horrific state of U.S. politics and the hope that thrives in the shadows, where generations of revolutionaries keep the fight for what’s right alive.
Some all-around incredible performances perfectly complement the politically charged and well-executed plot. Though Taylor is present only during the first half-hour, her presence is truly explosive. Perfidia’s revolutionary zeal lives in Willa, portrayed by a phenomenal Infiniti, who announces herself as an instant star and force to be reckoned with. Penn infuses Colonel Lockjaw with a taut and terrifying gravitas, truly hammering in the inhumane evil of his character. On the flip-side, DiCaprio excellently delivers Bob’s stoned stupor and his bumbling, but ultimately wholesome, attempt to rescue his daughter.
Though the grim reality the film presents is depressing, “One Battle After Another” is chock-full of humorous moments that depict just how out of touch Bob became in his decade-and-a-half-long smoke sesh. Bob’s foolishness is balanced by Sensei Sergio’s clarity and level-headedness. Even as Lockjaw’s agents close in on Sergio’s Underground Railroad-esque migrant rescue operation, he keeps his cool composure, and the two men’s unlikely friendship provides a number of comedic respites.
Of course, the peace and calm can’t last long in a revolution action movie, and speechless breath-holding quickly takes the place of laughs as fights and car chases ensue. One car chase scene in particular establishes itself as one of the best shots of the year — the camera bounces along rolling hills as the cars disappear and reappear before your eyes. Every second feels like forever and you cling to the edge of your seat, the tension growing frantic and palpable throughout the whole theater.
With Anderson’s directorial prowess joined by Michael Bauman’s excellent cinematography, “One Battle After Another” is not only a compelling and incredibly important story, but also a visual feast. Incredible aerial shots mixed with bouncing and jostling handheld sequences deliver a final product that showcases the ugliness of the United States that Bob is fighting and the beauty of that resistance.
“One Battle After Another” solidifies Anderson’s place as an auteur at the peak of his craft. Teeming with palpable rage, hope, humor and anxiety, the film perfectly captures the confusion and the fear that seem inherent to life today. Yet, it is also a fearless rallying cry full of hope that today’s youth — you and I — will take a stand.
