One Battle After Another: ICE killings have made film ‘devastatingly’ timely, says producer

In filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, resistance is framed as survival.

While there’s no direct reference to ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement), authority is shown as unpredictable, militarised and with the power to destabilise entire neighbourhoods.

Since the film came out at the end of last September, those aspects have come to feel incredibly timely.

“Devastatingly so,” according to its producer, Sara Murphy, after the killing by federal agents in Minneapolis of protesters Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

“I don’t think we could have anticipated just how close to home it would be,” Murphy says, “as a sort of reflection of the situation around race and immigration in the US.”

“It’s hitting an audience in their core,” Murphy adds.

“I think is reflective of the world that we’re living in today, but I think, hopefully, it is also an optimistic take on how we can continue to fight for the things that are important to us and find peace in community.

“I hope the takeaway is one of optimism.”

As well as being nominated for 13 Oscars, Anderson’s film is the one to beat at the BAFTAs. It leads the field with 14 nominations, including best director for Thomas Anderson and best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.

While the original book the film is based on, Vineland, referenced the Nixon era, Thomas Anderson’s film remains ambiguous but certainly feels contemporary.

It follows a fractured group of activists as they navigate an America shaped by surveillance and escalating state power, culminating in DiCaprio’s character’s race to find his missing daughter.

‘An unpredictable ride’

Speaking after the BAFTA nominations were announced, Murphy explains: “We’ve been really overwhelmed, honoured and obviously proud of the film and how it’s been received by audiences and critics.

“The script is a loose adaptation of the book, there are the revolutionary aspects….and then I think Paul as an artist has absorbed and observed the world that we’re living in…it’s become closer to home and to our current realities.”

Murphy says she hopes the film’s success encourages more studios to invest in “risky” projects like it.

“Original films are not usually done at this level…I think it feels like a big, good-time movie,” she says. “I hope that, first and foremost, people are enjoying themselves, it’s an unpredictable ride full of incredible performances.”

Could this be the year Thomas Anderson finally wins an Academy Award for his direction? The filmmaker has been both Oscar and BAFTA-nominated before but never won.

While There Will Be Blood (2007), Phantom Thread (2017) and Licorice Pizza (2021) certainly generated a lot of awards buzz, this year he appears to be the frontrunner.

As Murphy puts it: “Paul is an incredible writer and director. I feel like his films are constantly challenging and surprising. I’m excited for him and all the awards the recognition. He deserves it all.”

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