Paul Thomas Anderson showed audiences what he could do with his celebrated 1997 film Boogie Nights, which administered many extended takes, but he outdid himself in his epic 1999 movie Magnolia both as a cohesive work and in his mastery of the long take. He has spoken at length about his use of Steadicams and cranes and the effect these technical devices have and how that aligns with the impression he’s trying to make on the audience, and his awareness of the power of these devices shines through in his work.
This shot from Magnolia takes us through a television studio, introducing us to characters, themes, foreshadowing events, announcing itself as a movie being made with confidence and precision. It borrows from the likes of Touch of Evil, Goodfellas, and The Player in all these areas. If his tracking shot in Boogie Nights was about introducing characters, this one is primarily concerned with introducing aesthetic, space, and the cultural environment of the game show studio. But it also subtly shows us the way the many narratives of the movie are interconnected, which is one of its most impressive qualities.
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Published: Oct 28, 2013 03:37 pm