Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543164
24 C I N E M O N T A G E F E A T U R E By Peter Tonguette I n both subject matter and style, "One Battle After Another" is a film out of time and very much of its time. On the one hand, writer-director Paul Th o m a s A n d e rs o n's w i d e ly a cc l a i m e d feature film, released by Warner Bros. in Oc- tober, is the very definition of a throwback. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a long-haired, amiable, long-retired radical whose past participation in the revolution- ary group the French 75 has led him to adopt an underground lifestyle. Peaceably raising his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), Bob is jolted from his laidback lifestyle when newly confronted with an old nemesis, the RADICAL THINKING HOW THE POST TEAM ARMED UP FOR 'ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER' bigoted, ruthless Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Seeking to worm his way into a white-supremacist secret society with the incongruous name of the Christmas Adven- turers Club, Lockjaw makes a fresh stab at detaining Bob and Willa to conceal from his minders evidence of his earlier relationship with Willa's mother, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). Using bits and pieces scavenged from Thomas Pynchon's novel of hippie-era radicalism, 1990's "Vineland," Anderson fashions a fulsome evocation of an earlier era's lively yet combustible ethos. Even the form of the film is proudly, defiantly antiquated: "One Battle After Another" was photographed on 35mm film, using a blend of VistaVision and Super 35 formats, and finished photochemically. VistaVision and 70mm prints were made available to select theaters during its run. On the other hand, the film is no nostal- gia piece — far from it. Anderson deposits these senescent radicals into present-day America with its attendant sins, including institutional racism and the government targeting of immigrant communities. And though the film utilized many analogue elements, picture editor Andy Jurgensen and his team marshaled their years of expe- rience and expertise to make old technology work for new audiences. For all of these reasons and more, "One Battle After Another" is one of the major post-production achievements of 2025. CineMontage caught up with Jurgensen, associate editor Jay Trautman, assistant film editor Andrew Blustain, and post-pro- duction supervisor Erica Frauman to talk about their work on this memorable edito- rial accomplishment. CineMontage: Andy, you started with Paul Thomas Anderson as the first assistant editor on "Inherent Vice" (2014), progressed to associate editor on "Phantom Thread" (2017), and was named picture editor on "Licorice Pizza" (2021). You have also edited a number of his music videos and other projects. Why do you think you and Paul are simpatico? Andy Jurgensen. Andrew Blustain.