Under the Spotlight: Daniel Day-Lewis’ terrific performance in ‘Phantom Thread’
Following an uncredited role in Sunday Bloody Sunday, aged 14, Daniel-Day Lewis dedicated himself to acting, attending the National Youth Theatre and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before officially beginning his career in the 1980s. The actor’s early credits include cult favourites such as My Beautiful Laundrette and A Room With A View, which quickly cemented him as one of the most prominent actors of his generation.
Now, of course, Day-Lewis has become known for his intense dedication to his career, often utilising method acting techniques to get himself into the correct mindset for a role. Over the following decades, the actor has secured parts in high-profile productions, such as The Age of Innocence, Gangs of New York, Lincoln, and There Will Be Blood. The latter, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, saw Day-Lewis give a terrifyingly good performance, so much so that the director recruited him for his 2017 drama, Phantom Thread.
The exquisite period drama, set in 1950s London, not only turned out to be Day-Lewis’ final role before retirement but also one of his greatest. The actor portrays Reynolds Woodcock, an uptight haute-couture dress designer reeling from the death of his mother. Woodcock is obsessive and often petulant, never straying from his strict routine. However, his whole life changes when he visits a quaint restaurant and meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), a kind foreign waitress.
The two begin a relationship, and quickly, Alma becomes his muse, involving herself in Woodcock’s design process. Yet, Woodcock’s domineering personality threatens the dissolution of their relationship, with Alma initially appearing quiet and awkward – essentially harmless. But Alma isn’t as passive as we are led to believe, and soon, their relationship is tested as their personalities clash amid business tensions in the House of Woodcock.
The film charts Alma’s journey towards control and Woodcock’s complete loss of it – something he relies on to function. The death of his mother haunts every aspect of his life – something he is unable to control, and that terrifies him. In Alma, he finds a figure that will care for him like his mother did. Their twisted relationship culminates in her continuously poisoning him, weakening her lover so she can assume complete control over him. Anderson’s bizarre love story is one of the highlights of his career, partly down to Krieps and Day-Lewis’ incredibly studied performances.
Day-Lewis channels years of experience into his final role, equally embodying his character’s sophistication and anxiety, resulting in a charming yet terrifying figure. One of Day-Lewis’ standout scenes comes during one of several breakfast arrangements. For Woodcock, breakfast is the most critical part of the day, setting him up for whatever lies ahead. Anderson heightens the sound design to emphasise the noise of Alma scrapping butter across toast and pouring tea, much to the annoyance of Woodcock, who acts like a spoilt child in response.
Instead of exploding in a rage of disgust, Day-Lewis maintains a level of slowly wavering composure that is arguably much more unnerving. Through passive-aggressive statements, he states: “It’s a distraction. It’s very distracting. It’s hard to ignore.” His anger rises as he says, “It’s as if you just rode a horse across the room,” before taking an impassioned bite of his pastry and walking out of the room. Day-Lewis allows his face and subtle movements of his arms to speak for him, and through this one scene, he manages to sum up his character’s entire personality.
However, later in the film, once he acquiesces to Alma’s toxic ways, Day-Lewis transforms into a weak and dependent shell of his former self. It’s magnificent to watch him give in to her control, shedding his need for power and allowing his desire to be taken care of to dominate. At one point during his illness, Woodcock hallucinates his mother, asking her, “Are you always here?” before explaining, “I hear your voice say my name when I dream. […] I just miss you, it’s as simple as that.” At this moment, Woodcock is at his most vulnerable. With tears in his eyes, Day-Lewis gives a masterful performance that communicates the insurmountable grief his character has been carrying.
Day-Lewis couldn’t have picked a better character to play as his final role, demonstrating his talent for conveying both intensity and weakness. Phantom Thread is one of the greatest films of the past decade, brought to life by the cast’s measured performances, with Day-Lewis proving himself to be one of the most essential actors of the past few decades.
