Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle” met some of the best accolades of the year. However, the distinction described in the variety review as “a fascinating vision of America for a police state” is more than just the joy of crowds and critics.
According to star Leonardo DiCaprio, who lives a prejudiced former revolutionary life from the grid, the film reflects the increasingly polarized nature of society today.
“It puts a mirror in society and talks about the fact that our culture is divisive and so many polarities,” he told the BBC, adding that he didn’t think of “fighting one fight after another,” but it acted as an “interesting undercurrent about extremism” and “it was political without feeling like medicine.”
Also starring Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infinity, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor, the film is a satirical, black comic hit. The story is set in the United States where immigrants are rounded up, placed in detention centers and a group of ragtag guerrillas become fascist police states that try to disrupt the authoritarian regime.
For DiCaprio, who marks his first collaboration with Anderson, it also “find the humanity of all the central people” despite the significant differences. “It’s the people of the film and the people of the characters, I mean, I’m the flawed hero – you can relate to their struggles with them, and that’s not an easy thing.”
This has followed in the footsteps of Anderson’s previous film, “Licolis Pizza,” and in the footsteps of “Phantom Thread,” which was nominated for “Phantom Thread,” which was nominated for “Phantom Thread,” which was nominated for “Phantom Thread,” in 2022, with “Phantom Thread.”
Of his directors, DiCaprio said Anderson “did a lot of films, and in this he really went for it.”
