As members of the radical revolutionary group, the French 75, Pat Calhoun and Perfidia Beverly Hills are no strangers to danger. Raiding immigrant detention centers, robbing banks, and planting bombs is all in a day’s work. But after Col. Steven J. Lockjaw develops a fetishistic fascination with Perfidia during a French 75 raid he begins relentlessly pursuing the group, ultimately capturing Perfidia and forcing Pat and his newborn daughter into hiding. Sixteen years later, Pat—now living under the alias Bob Ferguson—has put his revolutionary days behind him to focus on raising his daughter, Willa. Unfortunately the past catches up with him as Lockjaw returns, intent on capturing Willa with a full battalion of United States immigration officers at his disposal. One Battle After Another is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti.
One Battle After Another is Paul Thomas Anderson’s tenth feature film, and it also represents the largest canvas he’s yet worked on. With a reported budget over $130 million, Anderson has crafted an epic about what it takes to fight against oppression and the way that struggle becomes a relay race that spans generations. Yet even given its weighty subject matter, the film still manages to feel breezy and fun, never for a moment overstaying its welcome even with a 160-minute run time.
To find out what went into crafting this film—from its large-scale set pieces to the unusual film format—Camera Operator reached out to Paul Thomas Anderson’s longtime collaborator, camera and Steadicam operator Colin Anderson, SOC, as well as 1st AC Sergius Nafa.
