Lancaster Dodd In The Master
Perhaps the final great performance of Hoffman’s illustrious career is his mesmerizing turn as the leader of a devout cult in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, a film that both describes his character and his clout as one of American cinema’s most esteemed contemporary actors. Dodd is, as he tells erratic drunk Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), “a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher… above all, I am a man. A hopelessly inquisitive man – just like you.” The cult leader is both revolted and riveted by his new friend, who is looking for his own salvation. Mighty and merciless, Hoffman arrests the viewer with a multi-faceted performance.
This is not a mere lambasting of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who inspired the character to some extent, but a flawed, fully-dimensional man with two very different sides. He is mixed up between faith and lust. As a spiritual leader, Dodd is a comforting presence to others, hoping to tame the negative influences of one’s life and send their soul back to a state of perfection. However, he has difficulty taming his own lust for power and the drink, as he becomes Quell’s close friend. He may be a compelling, commanding leader, but Dodd has a repressed rage that can consume him.
Hoffman has rarely been so commanding in any form. In one of the film’s most arresting moments, he confronts a man skeptical of his cause’s mission. Slowly, as the man breaks into Dodd, Hoffman starts to disintegrate, revealing layers of rage and disillusionment until his demure façade is gone and a growling preacher remains. It is bitter, terrifying, exceptional acting and one of the actor’s finest scenes. Filled with discipline as well as desperation, Hoffman’s portrayal as Dodd takes the audience on a journey with as much range and colour as the actor himself.
