This article is written by Xiao Xuan'er
Paul Thomas Anderson's (PTA)'s new film, Licorize Pizza, currently receives three Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay). In addition, it has won the "Best Screenplay Award" at the New York Film Critics Association Awards.
You can see the industry's recognition of Paul Thomas Anderson's (hereinafter referred to as PTA) plays and directing abilities.
"Licorice Pizza," PTA's ninth feature film, not only debuted two shiny new to the screen, but also earned Bradley Cooper a credit for Best Supporting Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Cooper's ten-minute cameo in PTA's new film ,Licorice Pizza is far more exciting than his two-hour performance in Gyro's new film Jade Face.
Later, we will introduce the background of these two newcomers," the "famous scenes" of cameos by Hollywood movie stars and directors in the film, and the background of the story created by PTA and the source of the charm of the characters.
Before starting, I still want to say that I hope that you will watch the movie and then look at the analysis, the following involves spoilers.
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Part 1: PTA's Self-Taught Film Path (*Students who understand can skip)
To resonate with PTA's work, we must first look back at his creative journey.
Born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, PTA grew up under the boom of Hollywood movies and television.
His father was a circler (voice actor and host), and he also worked on the set early.
The story of PTA dropping out of school after reading "two days" at NYU is talked about
He has three main points about the "god spit" of the film school:
First of all, the first lesson of the film major will always be "Battleship Potemkin"
PTA said that at that time, everyone was more interested in Martin Scorsese's films.
The teacher should talk backwards, first of all, where did Martin's film inherit from?
Instead of talking about the same thing forever.
Secondly, PTA said that at that time, he most wanted to learn how to write a script.
As a result, the first sentence of the teacher's class was, if you want to write Terminator 2, then you can go (the implication is: this is the study of serious movies).
PTA wondered, what if someone in the class wanted to write Terminator 2?
Or do I want to write Terminator 2 myself? And it turns out that Terminator 2 is super good-looking!
In the end, PTA did something that made him decide to drop out of school immediately
That is to secretly test the level of a teacher's business!
At that time, the teacher left an assignment, wrote a page of script without dialogue, and shaped the character through the performance of the character.
PTA stole a page from The Hollywood director and screenwriter David Mamet, whose unshot screenplay Heist gave to the teacher.
There happens to be a passage depicting the character of actor Danny DeVito, who smokes while driving and deliberately keeps the cigarette butt on his hand in order not to let himself fall asleep, so as to stay awake.
PTA thought this paragraph was well written, and the teacher gave him a C+ after reading it.
At that time, it confirmed his idea that the teacher was just a book-dropping bag who didn't know how to do it.
Since then, his evaluation of film school has been "a waste of money and time".
"Film school is a complete lie. Because you can find the information you want, you can find it yourself. —Paul Thomas Anderson
He said that it was fortunate that he dropped out of school in time, and the money was taken back, and there was no loss.
He used the refunded tuition fees to make a 24-minute short film, Cigarettes & Coffee.
After the film was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, a production company extended an olive branch to him, and PTA entered Hollywood.
In 1996, the first feature film "Hard Eight" was released. As a result, it proves once again that there are really not many knowledgeable people in the industry.
Hard Eight was originally called Sydney Sydney. It seems to be a crime movie about gambling and gangsters, but in fact, it tells the relationship between a pair of characters who are not father and son but are more like father and son.
The long shots in the film are enough to show PTA's talent.
As a result, the production company not only did not recognize the goods, but also fired him and refused to show the original film. (This reminds me of Hu Bo)
Luckily, Casino was invited to the Cannes Film Festival to be shortlisted for a kind of attention unit and compete for that year's Golden Camera Award. Also shortlisted for a focus unit in Cannes that year were Hou Mai's "The Story of Summer" and "Lost Irma Vep" by Maggie Cheung's ex-husband (Olivier Assayas).
Since then, PTA's film path has been out of control. Beginning with his debut film Casino, PTA's entire film has been shot on film, and like Quentin and Nolan, he is a member of the Film Club.
Most of the nine films were shot on 35mm film, with The Master shooting on 65mm film.
And "The Master", "Phantom Seamstress" and "Licorice Pizza" also printed 70mm film versions for screening in the cinema, which shows PTA's persistence and fascination with film films.
He says he learned to make movies primarily through watching movies, and he likes Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick.
PTA said that when creating "Unruly Night", he was eager to shoot the story at that time, and more imitated the master's shooting methods.
By the time he was making "Philharmonics," he had found his own style of directing.
When it comes to screenwriting, PTA has also found a theme that he has loved all his life, which is the people and things that surround him. Especially the place where he grew up, The San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
Of PTA's nine films, five take place in Los Angeles, just because of the different ages.
Set in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, 1997's Boogie Nights focuses on the story of a young nightclub waitress who became a movie star, documenting the rise and fall of pornography in the '70s and '80s and the transition from big-screen to videotape.
The 1999 Magnolia magnolia story still takes place in the San Fernando Valley, where characters are interconnected in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in life.
2002's "Private Love Disorder Punch-Drunk Love" tells the bizarre love story of a little person who is oppressed by seven older sisters all day. The story takes place not far from the San Fernando Valley (Sherman Oaks).
2007's "There Will Be Blood" tells the story of the rise of California's oil industry in the early 20th century.
2012's "The Master" tells the picture of the United States in the 50s, after World War II. The story goes from the beaches of Hawaii, to Arizona, to Ohio, and of course to the California where PTA was born, raised, and lived.
Based on the novel of Thomas Pynchon, an American postmodern writer whom PTA loves, 2014's Inherent Vice tells the story of a private investigator in Los Angeles in the '70s who explores the untold secrets of the collusion between power and money in Nixon-era America in the foreground and behind-the-scenes.
2017's Phantom Stitcher Phantom Thread is special, telling the story of a sadistic love affair of a fashion guru in London, England in the 50s.
Licorize Pizza 2021's PTA is once again back in Los Angeles' hometown of San Fernando Valley to tell the love story between a 15-year-old high school student and a 28-year-old girl in the '70s.
Part 2: PTA's Los Angeles Style Paintings
It can be said that this film is a very personal work of PTA, which has also caused some viewers to say that they cannot resonate with the film. However, please give me another 5 minutes, and the following may make you change your mind.
Like PTA said, there are so many interesting people and things around him in his movie stories, and most of the characters have realistic forms.
About how you grow up and have an affects you and how that informs who we are. —— 保罗·托马斯·安德森 Paul Thomas Anderson
The male protagonist in "Philharmonic" buys pudding to save miles inspired by true stories , (David Phillips successfully amassed more than 1 million miles of flying miles) .
The Phantom Sewer was inspired by a sick experience with busy PTA.
"Licorice Pizza" was inspired by PTA's friend Gary Goetzman. He is a producer at Tom Hanks, a child star before becoming a famous Hollywood producer, and spends his days telling PTA about Hollywood anecdotes.
Later, when Starway was frustrated, Gary started a waterbed business, and after the business was frustrated, Gary opened a pinball hall. (In 1939, pinball machines became banned in California, once regarded as a hotbed of gambling and crime, and after Pearl Harbor, the copper, aluminum, and nickel used to make pinballs became valuable materials during the war.) It wasn't until 1974 that Pinball Hall was finally lifted in Los Angeles by the California Supreme Court. ）
Gary Goetzman later became a producer with director Jonathan Demme. (In 1991, the two won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for "The Silence of the Lambs.") In 1996 Gary collaborated with Tom Hanks on "That Thing You Do!" and in 1998 co-founded the production company Playtone.
PTA says these people and things are specific to the '70s.
The movie's restaurant, Ram's Horn, and the bar Tail o'the Cock are his favorite places as a child.
As a restaurant and bar on the way to and from work for "Hollywood workers", the regular customers in the shop are movie stars, animators, voice actors (PTA's father is), famous radio DJs and so on.
In reality, he had seen the famous American stuntman Evel Knievel run to the parking lot surrounded by people to perform flying stunts, only to crash the surrounding cars into a mess, and then return to the bar to continue to get drunk.
The oil crisis of the '70s is also a lingering memory of PTA's childhood. He said he was waiting in line with his mother on the parking lot-like road to refuel, and it felt like the end of the world.
Part 3: Urban Legends of Los Angeles
PTA's growth has been accompanied by the barbaric development of the entertainment industry, political circles, film, television, and radio media, so he put his memories of people and events in the 70s into "Licorice Pizza" as a teenager.
PTA says that to build a story, you need to create characters first.
Let the characters start a dialogue, thus building character relationships.
When you have a living character, there is naturally a story, and the theme is naturally contained in the story.
Instead of thinking about a theme and then making up stories and fictional characters.
That's why after watching PTA's movies, you often forget the story, but you're bound to remember a character.
Like Tom Cruise in "Magnolia" and Joaquin in "The Master.".
Daniel Day Lewis in "The Blood Is Coming" and "The Phantom Sewns."
The two characters created by PTA in "Licorice Pizza": Gary, 15, and Alana, 28 (she always emphasizes that she is 25 years old in the film), not only have a character archetype, but also have PTA's deep appreciation and love for these two newcomers.
Gary is played by Cooper Hoffman
At just 18 years old, he starred in a film for the first time, and he was the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, the actor he had worked with most often before PTA: Philip Seymour Hoffman
In 2014, Philip Hoffmann died young at the age of 47. He is a powerful actor who can keep pace with Joaquin, and his play with Joaquin in "The Master" is definitely a classic in film history.
Beginning with PTA's Boogie Nights, Philip Hoffman has played some quirky and impressive roles in his films.
For example, the shy audience on set , Boogie Nights
Arrogant mattress retailer - "Private Love Punch Drunk Love"
A few lines can make the audience cry the end-of-life care - "Magnolia"
There is also the founder of the Mad Devil's Scientology Cult, "The Master The Master"
Philip Hoffman is an indispensable face in PTA movies, he can be extremely gentle or extremely crazy.
"Licorice Pizza" is simply the debut drama that PTA specially created for Philip Hoffman's son.
And Cooper Hoffman didn't disappoint the audience, as did his father.
Completely out of the image, he starred as a 15-year-old child star with a pimple face and a shirt that kept tucking his shirt into his white trousers when he walked.
Gary always had an inexplicable sense of confidence in trying to date an adult woman who was 13 years older than herself.
He was on stage for a while with a cold joke, offending well-known actors,
After a while, I started the business of buying and selling waterbeds,
After the oil crisis, he opened a pinball hall where Pepsi was free to drink!
The heroine Alana, who is caught up in Gary's crazy life, is based on PTA's high school art teacher.
PTA says Alana and her mother are carved out of a mold.
In PTA's son's room, there are paintings he painted with Alana's mother when he was a child (I seriously doubt PTA liked this art teacher as a child)
Alana Haim, who plays Alana in the film
In reality, he formed a band with his two sisters and was called Haim
Before acting in the film, he was a talented musician
She said that when she was a child, she always heard her mother mention that she had taught PTA to draw, and she always thought that her mother was bragging.
It wasn't until PTA found her and tailored the character for her.
It can be said that "Licorice Pizza" is full
PTA's remembrance and love for hometowns and people.
That's also why the film looks a bit private.
It's like a kid who grew up in Beijing Film Studio (Beijing Film Studio).
Tell you the story of the circle he heard when he was a child.
PTA says he can't tell which are memories and which are urban legends.
But the big boys in the film who are precocious in their teens,
He has a deep understanding of the psychology of wanting to date mature women.
PTA is the second eldest in the family and has an older sister on it.
When he was 14 or 5 years old, the girls around him were all around 18 or 9 years old – the point is that they all have cars!
So, PTA and his friends are always pestering their little sisters to drive themselves out to play.
And I want to get their attention, I don't want to be a nasty little fart.
"Licorice Pizza" is full of comedy and black humor, and the senior blackens the police, celebrities, politicians and old white men.
Playboy played by Bradley Cooper;
Old-school male star played by Sean Penn;
There's also the politician played by Ben Safdie, which will make you smile.
As a hot brother director in Hollywood, the Safdy brothers likeDazole PTA's "Philharmonic Disorder" too much, so they approached Adam Sandler to shoot "Original Diamond".
In "Licorice Pizza", Gary's setting as a 15-year-old child star + crazy entrepreneur reminds me of Barry Egan in "Otino Disorder" and Howard Ratner in "Original Diamond". It feels like if Gary goes astray on the path of speculation, he'll grow up to be one of them.
Fortunately, Gary meets Alana's "Licorice Pizza" in fact, which is based on Alana's perspective
As PTA said in the interview, how Alana copes with the pursuit of this minor who is 13 years younger than her, what she sees and feels in Gary is the focus of the film.
Here also explains why there are so many scumbags in the film.
It's simply a LA Scumbag Illustrated Book:
From the salty pig hand in the photo shop to the unreliable Jewish guy,
Big stars who like to brag, politicians who are full of lies but with sincerity as their slogan.
Alana discovers that all the men feel that the world revolves around them.
Going around, Gary is a big boy (mom, Alana) who is the biggest person in Alana's heart, and the mess he makes is always the big boy (mom, Alana) who is Alana's most concerned. At least at some point in their lives, they really ran for each other.
Although Gary has not yet changed from a child Kid to a man Man, at this time, Alana no longer needs to chase the figure of big man Bigman, but has found her own romantic love.
PTA especially likes to use lines to lay out a lot of details, and at the beginning of "Licorice Pizza" Gary Valentine told her brother,
I met a girl who was going to get married in the future. The film also ends with his introduction of Alana as Alana Valentine in the Pinball Hall.
If you ask me what Alana likes about Gary?
I think it may be true, Gary who has not yet entered society is very naïve,
But it is not as full of lies and benevolent morality as adults.
Part 4: Title and theme of Licorice Pizza
Finally, let's talk about the outrageous title "Licorice Pizza" Licorice Pizza from the 70s-80s,
A very famous record store chain in Southern California (once had 34 branches)
Because the color of the vinyl record is very similar to black licorice, and the shape and size are very similar to pizza. So people often joke that if the record sucks, it's a big deal to sell it as a licorice pizza.
PTA, who doesn't appear in the movie, says he can't say why he gave the movie its name. It just feels like licorice pizza comes to mind that particular era when licorice pizza is mentioned.
This story that takes place in Hollywood's back garden, how can there be no cinema!
The film's grand finale takes place in front of a theater, which is also one of the few landmarks still in the area, completed in 1926 and now a performing arts.
PTA says he has a lot of stories and ideas, and has been experimenting with different creations, saying it's as natural as watching TV as a kid and constantly changing channels. While preparing Licorice Pizza, he is said to be preparing a super dark story.
Some people think that PTA has flipped this time, but in fact, in "Licorice Pizza", PTA did not deliberately show off.
The first well-designed long shot in the film
Costume details of the same color between the characters
This deliberately does not shoot the object of speech, but points the camera at Alana in the mirror, allowing the audience to imagine the embarrassment of the dialogue scene and observe Alana's reaction, all of which are careful arrangements of the director.
Some people also think that "Licorice Pizza" is very un-PTA, but in fact, it is just less of the strong male characters in the previous stories. Since the beginning of The Phantom Seamstress, PTA has tried to focus on the female perspective to tell the story, but the power of the story is still not lost to the narrative of the male perspective.
For example, in "Licorice Pizza", Alana's thrilling reversing bridge section is very hardcore, which is a space-to-air dialogue with the car chase scene of mainstream Hollywood men.
There are still many people who can't understand why the ending is Happy Ending.
In fact, there is never perfect people and love in PTA movies. Characters of different eras are lonely, anxious, manic, and even a little morbid. But even so, people still try to connect with others and find solace.
When the previous generation of Hollywood big names has become legendary, PTA may be more concerned about where the hopes of the next generation lie. That's why this work full of memories was launched, and more importantly, a group of Hollywood stars and directors were willing to be green leaves, just to promote the debut of two newcomer actors.
Finally, PTA's most anticipated movie of 2021, and see how many you've swiped.
The Franco-Rite
"Calling friends and leading companions"
King Richard
The Eternals
Spider-Man: Heroes Don't Return
The Power of Dogs and Spencer
Okay, that's it for this time
Feel free to share your afterthought about the movie.
Good movies, like books, deserve to be watched repeatedly.
February 24, 2022 Little Xuan'er
(Image from the Internet, copyright belongs to the original author)