Paul Thomas Anderson in 3 Music Videos

The Musical Side of Directing

Steve Bisgrove/REX/Shutterstock

In the 1990s, Paul Thomas Anderson arrived on the scene as a wunderkind. His second film “Boogie Nights” put him amongst a shortlist of decade-defining auteurs, while his epic follow-up “Magnolia” proved he was a visionary ensemble director. You might know him for other films like “Punch-Drunk Love,” “There Will Be Blood,” or “Phantom Thread.”

He’s primarily known for feature films, but he’s also done plenty of music videos. He doesn’t make movies every year, giving him time to work with a number of artists.

His rocky relationship with Fiona Apple generated more than a few awesome videos. Despite their sometimes-turbulent partnership, they can be seen enjoying each other’s company in the “Magnolia” behind-the-scenes documentary “That Moment.” Perhaps their best professional work together was the video for Apple’s cover of “Across the Universe.”

The artist appears in black and white, sitting in a diner that’s being overrun by rioters. Her calm demeanor in the midst of chaos seems particularly poignant now. Not only is her melancholic cover great, the video feels open to interpretation. I choose to look at it as some mix between dissociative states, social upheaval, and the numbing feeling of modern life. Take any of those ideas or leave them. The cinematography is particularly compelling, with one standout moment being when the singer spins around with the camera.

In the last decade, Anderson is maybe best known for working with Haim. Among a slew of entertaining videos, the finest might be the studio-based work “Valentine.” It includes three back-to-back performances of the band with inspired camera moves and intense musicality. It’s also a highlight of Danielle Haim’s endless talents. Throughout the video, she sings while playing keys, drums, and guitar. Her sisters fill out the production with other instruments and backup vocals. The video highlights include a sibling-inspired drum part and Danielle’s drum/singing combo on the second track “Something to Tell You.” Even though she’s the lead singer, she’s also a worthy drummer in her own right. Anderson and his team know when to stay away and when to move the camera, providing proper coverage of the work.

The filmmaker also has an ongoing working relationship with Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead. Starting with “There Will Be Blood,” Greenwood began contributing both pre-written and new scoring for Anderson’s catalog. This led to some work with the composer’s other side projects. Anderson worked with Radiohead for an inspired and hypnotic video for “Daydreaming.”

In the video, Thom Yorke walks around. That’s it. He strolls down tunnels, through doorways, and private dwellings. The video looks to be one that required many locations for an effective visual look. It’s otherwise simple in its execution. Yorke looks to be in the midst of a dream, not knowing exactly where he is or where he’s going. He just keeps going. The beginning and ending aren’t quite as important as the feeling of being in the moment. The viewing experience might be slightly less profound than that, but it still feels like an engaging work to me. It’s remarkably abstract for a director that’s typically grounded in much of his other work (certain scenes in “Magnolia” aside).

While I still prefer his work as a traditional filmmaker, Anderson’s music video work allows him to experiment. He doesn’t work with everybody, making each new video and collaboration seem like a surprise. Some of the artists I almost wish he didn’t work with or would’ve done something different with. I also wish we could’ve gotten at least one more movie from him in the last twenty-five odd years. More than anything, I’d love for him to reunite with Fiona Apple somehow. It seems impossible, but I feel like they could craft another amazing video together.

For now, I’ll keep day dreaming.

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