Jane Campion on the brilliance of Paul Thomas Anderson: “One of our greatest filmmakers”
Since the very beginning of his trailblazing career, Paul Thomas Anderson has proven time and again that he is among the most talented filmmakers in the industry. Through works like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood, Anderson has inspired countless artists around the world – both aspiring and established. The latter category includes several prominent directors, including the acclaimed New Zealand auteur Jane Campion.
The visionary behind iconic gems like The Piano, Campion has made invaluable contributions to the world of cinema with cinematic masterpieces that have deeply resonated with audiences everywhere. After a hiatus that lasted more than a decade, she returned with The Power of the Dog, which managed to win some of the most prestigious accolades in the industry, such as a staggering 12 nominations at the Academy Awards.
During a conversation with A.Frame, Campion opened up about the cinematic influences that have always inspired her to work on her craft. Citing the likes of Terrence Malick and John Huston, her list includes classics that all film students should study. Among them, Anderson’s projects stand out as Campion’s all-time favourites, which is why she utilised the opportunity to talk about the American director’s brilliance.
While expanding on his unique approach to cinema, Campion began: “Paul Thomas Anderson is one of our greatest filmmakers today, and all his films are a source of inspiration for me. I am his best audience; I simply appreciate everything in his films and, in particular, the texture of his world, the feeling of reality, and the photography of his characters that is qualitatively different, somehow more tender and curious than everyone else’s.”
The filmmaker added: “They are loved and held by the film, as much a portrait as a story. I like the way that Paul’s films play loose with narrative, sometimes following tight causal patterns, then breaking away to more tangential expressions, seemingly in service of discovering some more elusive quality than the straightforward closure of narrative. This can give a sense of poor completion, but positively, it overrides the narrative to keep the film open even as it is over.”
Choosing from Anderson’s illustrious filmography, Campion singled out his 2012 work The Master as the movie she loves the most. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of the most fascinating creative partnerships of the decade, The Master is a haunting study of the strengths and weaknesses that plague the human psyche. While both the actors have featured in countless famous masterpieces, there’s something special about Anderson’s vision.
Watch the trailer below.
