The unsettling moods of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films are established through expressive cinematography. Shot primarily on large format, highly color sensitive 65mm film, The Master (2012) tells the story of unstable World War II veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) who drifts from place to place before falling in with the Cause, led by the charismatic Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). This sequence starts with Quell being chased off a farm after poisoning another migrant worker with his moonshine and ends with his stumbling across Dodd’s yacht. The surreal passage is conveyed without words by cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr.
Discussion Questions
After watching this clip from The Master, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
1. A radical change in setting occurs between two scenes shot primarily in darkness. How is the greater image area allowed by 65mm utilized to convey the impact of the transition between settings though different values of light?
2. The filmmakers did not use a digital intermediate in the postproduction process to adjust color values and other aspects of the image, taking care to capture depth and clarity in shooting and then faithfully render the photochemical process onscreen. Describe the expressionist use of color in this scene. How does the quality of the image convey Quell’s subjective experience?