It was a big night, and an even bigger statement, for Paul Thomas Anderson at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, where his latest film One Battle After Another walked away with the coveted Best Film trophy. The win marked a career milestone for Anderson, who clinched BAFTA’s top honour for the first time after years of multiple nominations.
An action thriller written and directed by Anderson, One Battle After Another dominated this year’s BAFTA race with 14 nominations and has already emerged as a strong Oscar contender with 13 nods ahead of the Academy Awards. The film also won Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, sealing its status as the night’s standout.
Accepting the Best Film award, Anderson delivered a characteristically candid and crowd-pleasing speech that quickly became one of the ceremony’s most talked-about moments. Addressing ongoing debates about the state of modern cinema, he said bluntly, “Anybody that says movies aren’t any good anymore should piss right off,” drawing loud cheers and laughter from the audience.
He went on to thank collaborators and the BAFTA jury before adding, with a grin, “I want to say thank you, and I know that there’s a bar somewhere. I think we should all go there. It’s been a long evening, but we have so much to celebrate.”
In a reflective turn, Anderson paid tribute to legendary musician Nina Simone, admitting that her words inspired the film. “We stole in our film,” he said, before quoting her line: “I know what freedom is, it’s no fear.” He urged fellow filmmakers to create boldly and without hesitation. “So let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea. See ya at the bar!” he concluded, earning another round of applause.
Speaking backstage, Anderson expanded on the film’s themes and its timely title. Reflecting on social change, he said, “We always do need change. We just need to conduct a revolution, hopefully without violence, and do it properly. Unfortunately, the title makes sense. It does start to feel like one battle after another these days.”
Loosely inspired by Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, One Battle After Another boasts an ensemble cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti.
One Battle After Another is currently running in theatres in India.
