“Fighting One After Another” Trailer
A trailer has been released for Paul Thomas Anderson’s action thriller, “A Battle,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, brought to us by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Timing is everything, particularly for Anderson’s latest work, which comes after a troubling stretch of political violence on the left in the U.S. It’s, well, an interesting backdrop that complicates its reception.
Picture a film centered on World War II that somehow champions the Nazis. That’s a bit of what you might get here.
This film is based on the 1990s novel “Vineland.” Adapting a Thomas Pynchon book is akin to the challenge of translating James Joyce’s “Ulysses” into, say, Chinese. You might get it done, but all the subtlety could slip through the cracks.
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What’s noticeably absent is any nuance regarding the grim necessity of violence, including against innocents, to topple Anderson’s peculiar, paranoid depiction of the U.S. government.
At the outset, DiCaprio’s character, Bob Ferguson, otherwise known as Rocketman, is embroiled in a tumultuous romance with Puffdia Beverly Hills, played by Teyana Taylor. Amidst exploding immigration detention centers, they somehow find moments to conceive a daughter.
Things take a dark turn when Faiphidia, in the midst of a bank heist, kills an unarmed guard, while her partner shouts about Black Power. The aftermath leaves their tiny family in disarray, leading them to flee to Cuba with Bob and their daughter, Willa.
The remainder of the film features Sean Penn’s racially charged and sexually peculiar military group, which appears to possess considerable political influence as they go after fathers and daughters.
Democrats seem eager to revive the radicalism and violence reminiscent of the 1960s
It’s unclear who this racist faction is. Heck, it’s even murky whether the U.S. as we know it still exists. What we do know is that apart from DiCaprio, most white male characters come off as outright villains.
Rock Joe and his racist crew? They represent nothing but evil. There’s no redemptive quality to them. They embody certain versions of the U.S. government, allowing Rockjaw to carry out his violent, illegal agenda unchecked.
Then there’s Anderson’s odd choice to mess with the timeline. In the book, the main character is a 1960s radical, but this adaptation takes place now, with the action beginning around 2010 as a violent political campaign dubbed the French 75 unfolds. The idea that Obama’s first term saw a surging wave of racist fascism seems just… ridiculous.
If we’re to buy into this film, we have to accept that America is in a fascist grip today. That’s dangerous and frankly, a misguided interpretation.
Celebrating a murderer poses its own risks. Coincidentally, Assa Shakur, a controversial figure from the far left, was released in the same week the film premiered in Cuba. It’s strange that the Chicago Teachers Union chose to honor the “life and legacy” of such a divisive figure. It suggests that, to some, it’s acceptable to rationalize violence against law enforcement if it fits an agenda.
The name Mumia Abu-Jamal is often synonymous with this narrative, having gained fame during his time on death row back in the 1980s in Philadelphia.
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Conversely, if you stroll through some old Irish pubs in Northeast Philly or visit the Italian Market, you might encounter faded photographs of law enforcement, including one of Officer Daniel Faulkner—a name likely unfamiliar beyond those intimate circles.
As I exited the screening after a grueling three hours of U.S. indictment, I found myself lighting a cigarette, pondering how individuals like DiCaprio and Anderson can maintain their sense of self if America truly embodies the chaos depicted in the film.
Can all those Emmy-winning actors genuinely cry “f–Ice!”? Perhaps naive youngsters could reconcile their luxurious lives with the same government that, in the film’s view, perpetuates societal horrors.
Anderson doesn’t make “brave” choices in showcasing violence to rectify apparent historical grievances; rather, he crafts a film encouraging similar actions while basking in the benefits of capitalism.
The film left me feeling quite angry, yet it also evoked thoughts about the Trump administration’s approach to antifa—a very real domestic concern. It’s almost amusing to think of this project as a post-incarceration viewing experience for all involved.
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