Paul Thomas Anderson Analysis

Paul Thomas Anderson Version of The Apartment Paul Thomas Anderson is a film director with a very unique style. One important part of his style is his characters. Anderson’s characters are always complex, and are typically very troubled, with strained familial relationships. But, beyond that, his characters are always unique and interesting. He is very particular about choosing an actors to play one of his characters. But, he is able to constantly land top tier actors in his films in large part due to his memorable characters. His films are typically complex and depressing at points, however, interestingly enough, the endings to Anderson’s films are typically happy and unambiguous. A major part of Anderson’s formal style is the use of camera …show more content…
One thing that is very apparent about his technical style is that he loves camera movement. One very common camera movement for Anderson is the tracking shot. In Magnolia, there is a great tracking shot that follows several characters in the studio of the game show called “What Do Kids Know.” This shot is very frantic, and it depicts the intensity that all the people involved in the game show are feeling. Similarly, in Punch Drunk Love there is a tracking shot of Barry dealing with the chaos in his office. This shot also does a great job demonstrating Barry’s anxiety in dealing with all the chaos. So, many times, Anderson uses tracking shots to demonstrate a character’s stress. That is why he would use a tracking shot in the scene when Fran running is running through the street, into the apartment building, up the stairs, and to Baxter’s door. The tracking shot of her running would perfectly demonstrate her stress in this …show more content…
The songs he chooses to include in his films always fit so perfectly. In Punch Drunk Love, the song “He Needs Me” that plays as Berry journeys to meet Lena in Hawaii. This song fits so well because because it literally explains why Berry is doing all this, that is because he needs Lena. Another example of Anderson’s perfect song choice comes at the very last scene in Magnolia that has been mentioned previously in this paper. As the camera pushes in on Claudia, the song “Save Me” plays loudly in the background. This is so fitting because the characters of Jim and Claudia are really saving one another, as they are both in desperate need of a partner in life. In fact, Anderson would include that very same song, “Save Me,” into The Apartment. This song would fit very well behind the tacking shot of Fran running to Baxter’s apartment. This song would serve as an explanation for her actions. Like Jim and Claudia from Magnolia, Baxter and Fran are saving one another in through their romance many regards in The