Year: 2016
Author: George Toles
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
My first exposure to Paul Thomas Anderson was on late night television, when I was probably far too young to be watching. Boogie Nights (1997) made my young mind awe-struck at what the Cinema could behold, as before then the most sex I had seen was Kate Winslet's tits in Titanic & I had seen very little in the way of violence. It wouldn't be until 2010 when I saw my next PTA There Will Be Blood as part of an essay assignment by my film prof Michael W. Boyce. Since then I have become a great admirer of the Director, as is George Toles, author of a fascinating book about the man.
Chair of Film Studies at the University of Manitoba, George Toles remarks about the work of Paul Thomas Anderson through a psychoanalytic lens. It discusses almost all of his work, with the exception of Inherent Vice (2014)
George Toles hits on a few key notes that one would expect to find in a book about the dissection of film; diving into editing, framing, pacing and performance. The real core of his work is character and feelings however. A great deal of attention is paid towards Anderson's troubled characters and his desire to get to the root of their disharmony, whether the troubles be Freudian or otherwise. One wonders if Toles consulted with a psychologist as he wrote the book, as the author seems to have a strong understanding of the psychoanalytical.
Tole's main view that Anderson's films are primarily about an absent mother and a loss of maternal impulse can seem like a direct affront to critics that view his pictures as about the loss of an absent father. The writer has me intrigued; I really want to re-watch those pictures with his criticism in mind. Having heard a staggering amount of dissections of There Will Be Blood's Daniel Plainview, Toles' interpretation of the man feels refreshingly new; his diligent research and keen eye brings forth insights that less experienced viewers would easily miss.
Personally, considering I've seen Boogie Nights more than 20 times, I am a bit disappointed that he doesn't spend a ridiculous amount of time on the character of Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) from Boogie Nights. Judging from the shot-by-shot analysis in this book, I know Toles could write hundreds upon hundreds of pages just on that character if he wanted. Overall George Toles' Paul Thomas Anderson is a worthwhile read, even if you aren't as familiar with the work of PTA.
Note: I haven't written a book review in about three years, so I apologize if I have some ring rust. Enjoy this attempt!
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