Picture this: a hidden cabal of affluent white supremacists wielding immense influence over America's highest circles, all while greeting each other with a twisted 'Hail, St. Nick!' It's the stuff of wild imagination, yet it's at the heart of Paul Thomas Anderson's gripping action thriller, One Battle After Another. But here's where it gets controversial – this isn't just over-the-top satire; it's a clever nod to the paranoid, politically charged world of novelist Thomas Pynchon, making you wonder if such shadowy forces are closer to reality than we'd like to admit. Dive in as we explore how Anderson weaves Pynchon's obsessions into a modern tale of radicals on the run, and why this film might just change how you view hidden powers in society.
Right in the middle of the movie's second act, we meet Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn, a menacing military figure who's finally getting his big break: an interview with the elusive Christmas Adventurers Club. This secretive organization of rich, racist elites holds sway over the nation's elite, and Lockjaw's biggest dread is that they'll uncover his long-ago fling with Perfidia Beverly Hills, a fierce Black radical feminist from the French 75 group. If these names sound utterly ridiculous, that's the point – they're deliberately absurd, poking fun at extreme ideologies while hinting at deeper, darker truths. And this is the part most people miss: these quirky details are Easter eggs sprinkled throughout Anderson's script, directly echoing the themes that define Thomas Pynchon's writing. Pynchon, one of the 20th century's most celebrated yet enigmatic authors – often hailed as a genius but rarely fully grasped by casual readers – crafts stories filled with conspiracy, absurdity, and the relentless pull of history on the present. Anderson brings these ideas to life in One Battle After Another, blending them with a fresh family drama and contemporary political turmoil.
Now, you might not have heard about Pynchon's influence in the film's trailers or posters, but it's woven into every layer. From the overarching ideas of paranoia and hidden manipulators to subtle script details – like Leonardo DiCaprio's laid-back revolutionary sharing the moniker 'Rocketman' with a character from Pynchon's masterpiece Gravity's Rainbow – the connections are unmistakable. Think creeping dread, plots fueled by shadowy elites, and the past crashing into the now; these are the signatures of Pynchon's novels, from his early works like V. and The Crying of Lot 49 to his epic Gravity's Rainbow, and even his later detective tales Inherent Vice and Bleeding Edge. For beginners dipping into Pynchon, imagine a writer who mixes wild humor with serious menace, questioning how ordinary people navigate massive, oppressive systems – like governments or corporations that seem to control everything from behind the scenes.
And if you blink during the credits, you might spot that One Battle After Another is a loose take on – or 'inspired by' – Pynchon's 1990 novel Vineland. This book, not always considered his most essential but still a gem of weird, rich storytelling, follows a father-daughter relationship through flashbacks and a meandering plot. It dives into the aftermath of 1960s radicalism in the Reagan-era 1980s, exploring themes like generational wounds, counterculture clashes, and the blend of comedy with threat. Pynchon, famously labeled 'unreadable' by the Pulitzer committee in 1973 (leading to no prize for Gravity's Rainbow), actually wrote Vineland as a more approachable read – breezy and concise at just 385 pages. It captures his hallmark paranoia, political upheaval, and the struggle to thrive amid vast, controlling forces, making it a perfect springboard for Anderson's vision.
This isn't Anderson's first Pynchon rodeo; he tackled Inherent Vice in 2014, staying remarkably faithful to the book's complex, twisty narrative. Kudos for that, but it left some viewers scratching their heads – especially with a narrator who telepathically links to Joaquin Phoenix's hazy detective. For his second go, Anderson took a smarter approach: he cherry-picked the resonant elements from Pynchon's body of work and adapted them to today's world, with the author's approval. As Anderson shared in a chat with Steven Spielberg post-screening, 'Realistically, for me, Vineland was going to be hard to adapt. Instead, I stole the parts that really resonated with me and started putting all these ideas together. With [Pynchon's] blessing.'
One key trick Anderson borrows is the idea of invisible hands steering America – think government spies, elite groups, or mega-corporations manipulating events throughout history. One Battle After Another embraces this fully, mirroring Pynchon's style where powerful white men in racist secret societies lurk in plain sight, shrouded in ridiculousness. Anderson even captures the overwhelming density of Pynchon's prose – that stylistic excess the Pulitzer judges disliked – but turns it into something effective and, frankly, hilarious. The Christmas Adventurers' dialogues imply they've shaped global events, leaving us with a sense that there's always more beneath the surface: the inner workings of society, the true drivers of history, and who's really calling the shots.
The film hints at a dystopian America without spelling it out – for instance, Lockjaw gets a fake medal named after Confederate general Bedford Forrest, the KKK's first leader, for busting up the French 75 radicals. Characters appear mysteriously, only to vanish or get cut short, like Pynchon's own fleeting figures, adding to the enigma. By fusing these motifs, absurd jokes, and timely themes into One Battle After Another – which smashed box office records for Anderson – he proves Pynchon's ideas aren't outdated; they're eerily prescient. In our polarized times of widespread spying and rising authoritarianism, those 'fantastical' fears feel all too real. And Anderson doesn't just borrow from Vineland; he refracts it through a modern prism, preserving Pynchon's absurdity, remorse, and wit while holding onto his hopeful spirit.
But here's the real kicker: Is this film a harmless satire, or does it dangerously flirt with conspiracy theories that could fuel division? And this is the part most people miss – by highlighting elite cabals, is Anderson subtly endorsing or critiquing the idea that history is controlled by hidden forces? What do you think: Does One Battle After Another make Pynchon's paranoia more believable, or does it risk trivializing real-world extremism? Share your thoughts in the comments – do you agree that these themes are more relevant than ever, or disagree that Anderson's take adds fresh insight? Let's discuss!
