'The Master' Film Analysis

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master”follows Freddy Quell, a character so isolated and so erratic that the viewer cannot help but to keep their eyes glued to the screen. The film forces you to follow him on his post-war journey that leads him to “The Cause” a movement led by Lancaster Dodd. Dodd is the polar opposite of Freddy. He is calm, still, his voice is soothing, his expressions are inviting, yet he and Freddy share similar qualities. They both seem to be hiding some sort of internal fear and Freddy brings out the animalistic qualities of human nature that Dodd is constantly preaching against. Though Dodd says he feels as if he and Freddy have met before. In a past life maybe, as Dodd’s organization believes these sorts of things exist, which is clearly based on Scientology. It is possible that due to the two men’s few similar qualities and their large fascination with each other, that Freddy could be the living persona of everything Dodd tries to keep locked inside of him that Freddy is able to bring out. Fear, rejection, haunting memories, trauma. All of these are hinted at with the rejection by the media and people outside of The Cause present throughout the film. These traits all live inside Freddy as he and Dodd both enjoy bringing out these “memories” in sessions. It’s possible they are aiming to confront them in some way as a form of therapy. They both need each other, and Freddy feels devotion to Dodd, as Dodd feels care for Freddy because the two are possibly the same spirit. This film is often regarded as PTA’s best work. While I don’t quite agree, it without a doubt has his two best performances he’s ever directed with Joaquin Phoenix and the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman both delivering career-best performances.