Boogie Nights

Film history is the story of films constantly building on one another. If one contemporary director knows this, it’s Paul Thomas Anderson, PTA for professional purposes. In PTA & HIS MASTERS we take a look at the unofficial filmic predecessors of Paul Thomas Anderson. We place the director – arguably one of the most important directors of his generation – next to the influences he unabashedly cites in his work. In PTA & HIS MASTERS we link BOOGIE NIGHTS to Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS.

PTA might’ve had his breakthrough with his first film HARD EIGHT, it was successor BOOGIE NIGHTS that really cemented his reputation as one of the biggest talents who started their film career in the mid-90s. BOOGIE NIGHTS is the result of PTA’s fascination with porn movies from the glory years of the 70s and their remarkable decay in the 80s. the movie follows the already iconic main character Eddie Adams (break-through role for Mark Wahlberg) and his rise and fall in the porn industry of the late 70s. after being discovered by porn director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds), the young Eddie ends up in a bacchanal of decadence with mountains of drugs, sex and Russian Roulette.

Eddie is discovered in a restaurant where he works as a busboy. Using the stage name Dirk Diggler he quickly rises to the top of the industry and is warmly taken in by his new surrogate family, played by John C. Reilly, Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman and William H. Macy. But success slowly turns into addiction, prostitution and criminality and Dirk discovers that fame is fleeting. From the beginning of his career, PTA hones his gift of capturing human cruelty with an empathetic lens. His characters have their flaws, but are never hopeless. Despite the at times melancholic story, BOOGIE NIGHTS bustles with life.

The movie nods to PTA’s influences, among whom Martin Scorsese. This starts with the introduction scene. PTA as well as his predecessor Scorsese are known for their impressive cinematic opening scenes. In PTA & HIS MASTERS we place GOODFELLAS next to BOOGIE NIGHTS. From the place name and year on the image, the freeze frame on Ray Liotta who speaks these iconic words in voice-over: “As far as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a gangster.” You know it’s going to be a wild ride!

Scorsese and PTA are great at emulating an era: from the East new York mafia world in GOODFELLAS to the disco era in San Fernando Valley in BOOGIE NIGHTS. In that last movie the neon title moves over for a long take crane shot in the opening sequence to the sound of The Best of My Love by The Emotions. The use of popular music of the era in his films is another nod to Scorsese. Using Dutch rolls and tilt down we arrive at the place name and year and via a Steadicam tracking shot, we enter a club where Jack first lays eyes on Eddie. With a close-up on Eddie’s face, we are introduced to the future star. The historical decors are set up to the last detail and carry the same importance for retro style and historical accuracy as the New Hollywood directors, like Scorsese, used. Convincingly portraying a specific American subculture is of great importance to both directors.

PTA uses the same dynamic directing style as Scorsese. From Steadicam shots tot Scorsese’s signature dolly-ins, mobile camera and tracking shots. We literally and figuratively follow in their characters footsteps. The tracking shot through Dirk Diggler’s house in BOOGIE NIGHTS is a cut and paste of the Copacabana scene from GOODFELLAS. The narrative of both films is similar as well: focusing on a young protagonist who enters a closed-off world and has to face the downside of a steep rise to the top.

PTA and Scorsese share a deep mutual respect. “Whatever (Scorsese) did for us, for me, for my generation, who grew up with (him), (he) were always The Man. I always felt like, how the fuck does he do it? How does he get the camera to move like that? As you can see there are people, left and right, trying to imitate you, trying to rip-off how you do it. None of us can get it right.” Scorsese reciprocates PTA’s admiration and called PTA’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER a phenomenal film. Thus closing the cirkle.