America's Unending Conflict, A Record of Chaos: "One Battle After Another"

 When watching a film, one sometimes encounters a work where the immense presence of the director is felt beyond the screen. The actor's performance, the camera's movement, the flow of the story—every element intertwines so intricately that you instinctively know it's not the work of an ordinary filmmaker. "One Battle After Another" was precisely such a film. The familiar yet weighty directorial power led me to check the director's name, and as expected, it was Paul Thomas Anderson. His filmography, which has sharply delved into the complex inner worlds and relationships of humans in past works like Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia, hinted at the profound depth of this movie.

To be honest, while I had missed his recent works, I was certain throughout the film that this was a piece that couldn't be treated lightly—a result deeply imbued with the director's philosophy and contemplation. Frankly, it's highly likely that the production company, much like myself, invested a hefty sum based on the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio. I also went to the theater with no prior information about the film, drawn solely by the news of his casting. The somewhat long title might sound unfamiliar at first. "One Battle After Another" is a literal translation, but it's a layered phrase that implies not just the characters' struggles within the film, but also the unending social conflicts and divisions of modern America.

The film's narrative centers on a fictional terrorist group, inspired by a real radical leftist organization active in the 1960s United States. From the moment the movie begins, the presence of Sean Penn on screen is overwhelming, instantly captivating the audience and maximizing immersion. Personally, I believe Sean Penn is an actor who is somewhat underrated despite his exceptional acting skills. No matter the role, he injects a taut tension into the screen, delivering performances that feel "raw" and uncalculated, miraculously becoming the character itself.

Sean Penn's character, Steven Lockjaw, is the central antagonist, yet he is too complex and contradictory to be labeled a simple villain. He is a man who pursues a terrorist group while simultaneously seeming to harbor a strange fascination and admiration for its leader, Poupée De La Fey Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor). Poupée, who leads the terrorist group named "French 75," is a charismatic leader who acts on the front lines. In their first encounter during an operation to rescue undocumented immigrants from Mexico, she makes an overtly sexual demand of Steven without a hint of hesitation, appearing to relish the situation in a shocking display.

This dangerous and alluring leader, Poupée, has a lover and collaborator: Bob Ferguson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a bomb-making expert who seems to have joined the organization not out of any firm ideology or belief, but because he is deeply captivated by Poupée as a person. However, their relationship meets a tragic end with the birth of their child. Poupée rejects a life of motherhood and plunges into even more extreme and violent terrorist activities, ultimately leading to the group's collapse. After everything falls apart, Bob Ferguson, with the help of the organization's remnants, gets a new identity and goes deep into hiding with his young daughter, disappearing from the world's sight.

Sixteen long years pass. Bob Ferguson lives with his daughter, who has grown up under the name Willa Ferguson (played by Chase Infiniti), completely cut off from the world. They live a reclusive life, not even using cell phones to avoid leaving any trace of their existence. The film is based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, which primarily deals with the lives and identities of immigrants. What's fascinating is that even though the movie was produced before Donald Trump was elected president, it presents a narrative that feels eerily prophetic, strangely aligning with the immigrant issues and racial conflicts currently plaguing American society.

Over the past 16 years, Colonel Steven Lockjaw, who once pursued the terrorist group, has moved into the center of even greater power. He has been co-opted by a faction steeped in blatant white supremacist ideology, acting as their loyal agent. They operate on the dangerous belief that the white race is superior, displaying extreme hostility towards people of color. They even push a radical nativism, asserting that only "pure-blooded" whites born in America are true Americans, giving the chilling impression that the only lineage they recognize is likely Anglo-Saxon.

Now at the pinnacle of power, Steven ruthlessly hunts down undocumented immigrants hiding within the U.S. In the process, he rediscovers the trail of Bob Ferguson and his daughter, whom he failed to capture in the past, and begins a relentless pursuit. His obsession feels less like the execution of a mission and more like a personal vendetta against Bob. The latter half of the film reveals the reason for this intense obsession, unveiling a shocking truth hidden within past events and delivering another twist. During this time, Willa's karate instructor, Sergio St. Carlo (played by Benicio del Toro), who secretly helps undocumented immigrants, emerges, guiding the story into a new phase.

The film lays out the complex problems facing American society today, posing the fundamental question, "What is right?" However, it never presumes to teach a lesson or delve deeply into morality by imposing a specific viewpoint. The movie consistently follows the perspective of the father, Bob, as he struggles to find his daughter, Willa. It opts to calmly present the cross-sections of American society they encounter on their respective journeys. The audience, following their path, naturally witnesses the current state of America.

Ultimately, "One Battle After Another" metaphorically portrays the current situation unfolding within the great melting pot of America through the personal struggles of its characters. The ongoing division and conflict in the United States, a nation originally built by immigrants, is inherently paradoxical. Perhaps the director intended the title to signify not just the narrative within the film, but the reality of America itself—a place where "one battle ends, another begins." On a side note, it seems Leonardo DiCaprio has reached the level of a true artist, no longer concerned with popular appeal and focused solely on expanding his acting spectrum as a performer.