20 Greatest Movie Moments Of The 2010s
4. The Master: Processing
The Master isn't always the easiest movie to watch but it is an extremely impressive and clever drama film that ranks among the best films from Paul Thomas Anderson and it's fair to say we can all agree that this scene is one of the decade's best.
In this sequence, Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a leader of a religious movement known as 'The Cause' interviews new convert Freddie Quill (Joaquin Phoenix) and asks him many probing psychological questions; Quill has to answer many of these without blinking or they'll restart the interview.
This is a simple set-up, but through the amazing performances of Joaquin Phoenix and the sorely-missed Phillip Seymour Hoffman, the claustrophobic cinematography and the hauntingly powerful dialogue, this scene represents complete cinematic perfection.
It's a genius, disturbing and psychologically complex bit of writing that illuminates two fantastic characters in a truly unforgettable manner and, much like Freddie Quill, you'll probably forget to blink while watching it. This might just be the finest scene Paul Thomas Anderson has ever done.