This morning, when we got our first look at the film's teaser poster, I lamented that it's been five years since Anderson's last movie, There Will Be Blood, an absence during which now fewer than three Transformers movies got made. Seeing this trailer – our best idea of The Master so far – it feels like the wait will be entirely worth it. The film was shot by cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., and the trailer is visually rapturous, but it's going to look even better in a theater; this was not just shot on film, but on 65mm film.
Visuals aside, the characters and the tone are riveting. The filmmakers have distanced themselves from the notion that The Master is inspired to any extent by L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology, the religion he founded, but the similarities are certainly in evidence here. Basically, the 1950s-set story follows Freddie Sutton, a troubled Naval conscript who served in World War II but has difficulty reintegrating himself into society. He strikes up a relationship with Lancaster Dodd, a charismatic intellectual who makes Freddie his right-hand man while the religion of his invention takes off.
The trailer debuted at Yahoo! Movies this afternoon and joins two previous teaser trailers, which you can view by clicking here and here.
A nearly unrecognizable Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddie Sutton, while Lancaster and his wife Mary Sue are played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. All three appear to be doing magnificent work, and they're even joined by erstwhile Landry Clarke (from Friday Night Lights) Jesse Plemons, who portrays Lancaster's son, Val. Plemons has the big line in this trailer, revealing that his father is making it up as he does along.
As was the case on There Will Be Blood, Anderson is once again collaborating with Radiohead member Jonny Greenwood on the score.
The Master arrives in limited release on October 12th. Just be there.
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