Oscar winner Paul Thomas Anderson on how ‘One Battle After Another’ represents our current moment

It was Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another that came away as the big winner during Sunday night’s 98th Academy Awards.

The movie earned six Oscars including best picture. Anderson won his first-ever Academy Awards at the ceremony, and backstage after those wins, he was asked how One Battle After Another represents this year and the current time period we are living in.

“Our film obviously has a certain amount of parallels to what’s happening in the news every day. So, it obviously reflects what’s happening in the world,” Anderson said.

The director then reflected on how One Battle After Another offers some hope for where our real world could be headed.

“In terms of where it’s going, I don’t know. But I know that the end of our movie is our hero, Willa, heading off to continue to fight against evil forces,” Anderson said. “And, I think, like I said in my speech, bring at least common sense and decency back into fashion.”

Anderson also addressed some of the criticism his film has faced over its portrayal of Teyana Taylor’s character, Perfidia Beverly Hills. The writer and director explained that Perfidia has to be who she is so that the film’s hero, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti, can right the mistakes of her parents.

“The point of it is to set up the story of Willa. The next generation. What happens when your parents, who are damaged, have handed quite a difficult history to you? How do you manage that? That’s our story. And our story is in Chase and her evolution,” Anderson said.