4. Freddie Quell (The Master)
At the end of 2012, Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master was released after many budgetary problems. There was also a level of controversy concerning the film as Scientology organisations caused some considerable uproar as Seymour Hoffman's character is said to be loosely based on its founder L. Ron Hubbard. However despite having a small amount of distaste thrown its way the movie was a great success and proved itself to be, which I personally never doubted, another jewel in Anderson's sparkling career as a film-maker. Its said to be inspired by the life of John Steinbeck, the aforementioned inspiration taken from Hubbard and unused ideas from the original drafts of There Will Be Blood and also stories that Anderson heard from a friend of his life in the Navy during the war. Even knowing the inspiration sparks a great deal of intrigue, especially if you're already a fan of Anderson. And its this fascinating and unusual mix of inspirations, teamed up with the sparkling acting and attention to detail concerning the characters, that means the movie was far from a disappointment. On paper Freddie Quell is nothing more than a womanising, alcoholic world war two veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, wandering from job to job and making his own life a lot harder than it needs to be with violence and hints of sociopathy. However, as the movie develops it's clear that there's more to the character than simply what we assume of him. Cast aside by all jobs we see him involved in due to, again, behaviour that seems to only develop our dislike for the protagonist as he proved himself to be more and more of a sociopath it would seem perhaps we don't have a hero at all. However he soon develops into an anti-hero as we learn more of his past and the reason he is the way he is. Upon meeting Lancaster Dodd he starts to recall his past and the dedication and almost sycophantic behaviour bestowed upon Dodd brings about the desperation of Quell. This leads the audience from feeling intimidated and finding the character perhaps unlikeable, to pitying him. Anderson's ability to place depth to a character we may judge on a day-to-day basis is something that was also beautifully executed with There Will Be Blood showing the full extent of greed and torment involved in the search for oil. But this was something that was also translated into The Master showing the desperation of a generation shaped by violence and left to put their own lives back together without guidance. Freddie may be from a different generation, but the empathy we feel seems to be something translated throughout time when a war veteran's character is developed. Especially when done so stunningly, matched with enviable cinematography and a sparkling cast.