Last month, I mentioned a new film journal that analyzes famous film scenes through the lens of architecture. It seems that this is a big year for space studies in films, because now, an entrepreneuring blogger at the British Film Institute has created a video essay diagramming some of Paul Thomas Anderson’s trademark tracking shots.
Kevin B. Lee makes a very compelling case that, by analyzing how Anderson uses long takes, you can develop an appreciation for how he gradually created a signature style. While his work in Boogie Nights owes a debt to Martin Scorsese, his later shots in There Will Be Blood are much closer to the slower, conservative style that Anderson is renowned for.
The video essay is terrific, but for the full experience, see the movies for yourself.
Hard Eight – HU DVD 5549
Boogie Nights – HU DVD 8
Magnolia – HU DVD 1458
Punch-Drunk Love – HU DVD 677
There Will Be Blood – HU DVD 4196