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The Master streaming

2012 Movie Drama, History Ages 17+
By: Paul Thomas Anderson With: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Ambyr Childers, Laura Dern, Amy Adams

Following his discharge from the US Navy after WWII, Freddie Quell is having difficulties adjusting to non-military life partly due to his war experiences in the tropics. He has a violent temper. He is obsessed with sex, which is partly why he can't and won't commit to his teenaged girlfriend, Doris Solstad. And he is an alcoholic, drinking primarily concoctions he creates himself with dangerous ingredients. It is these factors in combination that lead to him being fired from one job after another, from department store portrait photographer to cabbage picker. Wandering one night in 1950 while drunk, he stumbles upon a yacht being used by Lancaster and Peggy Dodd, the yacht aboard which their daughter Elizabeth will get married. Feeling a connection to the stranger, Lancaster invites Freddie to stay aboard to work. In addition to that work, Lancaster indoctrinates him into his cult, named the Cause, which purports to do things as varied as cure serious maladies and create world peace. Peggy, Elizabeth and Elizabeth's husband Clark all subscribe to and support Lancaster's teachings. The only one of the Dodd family that doesn't is Lancaster and Peggy's son, Val Dodd, who believes his father is just making things up as he goes along. Because of being lost psychologically, Freddie is easy prey, he who is looking for something or someone to guide him to a higher plane. But as Freddie travels with the Dodd family as they spout the gospel, he and the Dodds may become at odds with each other if Freddie cannot or does not find from them and the Cause what he needs in life to survive emotionally.

Filmium rating
71%

Festival Achievements

Visions du Réel 2014
Selections:
Grand Angle
Rotterdam International Film Festival 2013
Selections:
Spectrum

Mood

Dark
Intense
Melancholic
Psychological
Serious
Traumatized

Cast & Crew

Paul Thomas Anderson
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Amy Adams
Rami Malek
Laura Dern
Joaquin Phoenix
Jesse Plemons
Ambyr Childers

Budget

Art House
Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

65Mm Film
70Mm Projection
Film Stock
High-Resolution
Panavision

Film Movements

Art House
Independent Film

Narrative Structure

Episodic
Nonlinear

Pace

Contemplative
Deliberate
Meditative
Slow Pace
Slow-Paced

Runtime

Long Runtime

Soundtrack

Jonny Greenwood Score
Orchestral
Period Music

Style

Cinematic
Poetic
Realistic
Spectacular
Surrealism

Time-Period

1940S-1950S
Post-World War Ii

Central Conflict

Cult Influence
Search For Identity
Trauma Recovery

Characters

Cult Leader
Dancer
Navy Veteran
Psychological Seeker

Ending

Ambiguous
Bittersweet
Final Separation

Historical Context

Cold War Era
Post-World War Ii

Key Plot Points

Arrest And Jail
Disappearance In Desert
Freddie'S Trauma
Processing Exercises

Plot

Cult Dynamics
Cult Leader
Post-War America
Post-War Struggle
Psychological Conflict
Veteran'S Journey

Setting

California
California Farm
East Coast
England
Post-War America
Salt Flats
San Francisco

Shooting Location

Arizona
California
England
New York

Theme

Belief Systems
Cult Influence
Identity
Identity Search
Post-War Trauma
Trauma And Healing

Genre

Art House
Character Study
Psychological Drama

Audiences

Adults
Art House Audience
Art House Audiences
Film Enthusiasts

Titles

The Master

Awards

Silver Lion
Volpi Cup

Box Office Success

Art House Box Office

Critical Reception

High Ratings
Positive Reviews
Praise For Performances

Festivals

Venice Film Festival

Popularity

Critically Acclaimed
Cult Following

Ratings

Metacritic 86
Rotten Tomatoes 85%

Reception

Award-Winning
Critical Acclaim
Festival Success
Oscar Nominations
Venice Film Festival

Production Countries

United States

Release Year

2012
mowizz ID: 46ae2d30-5d14-47f1-8c4a-d1b538d79c52
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