Paul Thomas Anderson’s enduring career has been marked by critical success and frequent collaboration with the likes of John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall and Philip Seymour Hoffman. But in the mid-’90s, he was just another film student and aspiring director. What began as a short film turned into a full-length feature, Anderson’s 1996 directorial debut, Hard Eight. The film set the tone for his signature narrative style, focusing on compellingly flawed characters and narrative themes of family grief, intimate relationships and redemption.
Sydney (Hall) serves as Hard Eight’s main protagonist. He’s a veteran of the casino scene who’s resigned himself to a quiet life in the Vegas area. The story kicks off when Sydney stumbles across John (Reilly), a down-on-his-luck stray bumming a cigarette outside a diner. Sydney, seemingly out of the good of his heart, offers to take John under his wing, teaching him to work the casino system, scraping by on comps and a suave attitude. After John appears to be set up with a good gig, the story picks back up in Reno two years later, with the pair looking like a real father/son duo. John has now befriended Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), a shady casino security worker, and Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a people-pleasing cocktail waitress. Sydney is protective of John and Clementine as if they’re his own children – and for good reason, as it all soon comes crashing down for the impulsive pair.
After being introduced by Sydney, John and Clementine begin seeing each other and elope soon after. But things turn sour on the first day of their marriage – Clementine, who has been working as a part-time prostitute around the casino, returns to her old occupation as a way to sabotage her newfound commitment. And when a client refuses to pay her, she seeks retribution, enlisting the help of her new husband. John’s approach to the situation is (justifiably) rash, attacking the man and holding him hostage until Clementine is paid. With the situation now spiraling out of control, John calls in Syd to bail them out. And despite his outrage at what’s unraveling before him, Syd calmly sorts things out and has John and Clementine skip town until the dust is settled. But just when the matter appears to be taken care of, Jimmy comes back into the picture, blackmailing Syd after learning of his unsavory past as a mobster in Atlantic City, a past that included his killing John’s dad. Syd seems to comply with Jimmy’s demand for payment, until he kills him to settle the matter for good.
Like many of PTA’s films, Hard Eight is a character-driven drama. Its leads come with baggage, questionable moral compasses and bad impulse control. Without the father figure Syd deprived him of, John lacks direction and a positive role model — he’s easily impressionable and prone to ill-judged behavior. Clementine also appears adrift in life and seeks approval from everyone she meets. Syd, on the other hand, always seems to know what’s right. And yet, he may be the worst person out of the bunch – an old school gangster trying to atone for his sins before he gets too old. There are no real good guys in Hard Eight – instead, PTA likes to show the good and the bad in people, and, more importantly, the reasons for those qualities.
The characters’ actions and failures in Hard Eight underscore the message that the stereotypical Vegas “big shot” persona is a facade. Each character, for one reason or another, tries to portray themselves as better or harder than they really are. John and Clementine seek reinforcement from father figures and want to live up to expectations. Others, like Jimmy, try to wield power over others. Whatever the personality, this hunger to be seen as something else and the impulse that lashes out when this need isn’t met, is the tragic flaw in our characters. Even the stoic Syd is provoked in a standout encounter with a tourist, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. This three-minute scene might be the strongest in the film, with Hoffman delivering an enthralling and believable performance as an obnoxious gambler who antagonizes Syd at the craps table. Hoffman’s bravado and crassness provoke Syd to bet two grand on the hard eight, against his better judgment. This moment encapsulates the film’s broader theme: Even the coolest heads can yield to sudden gusts of caprice.
In addition to his idiosyncratic affection for character studies, Anderson’s depiction of the casino world is refreshingly unique. The film delves deeper than the bright lights and buzzing slot machines, revealing a melancholic environment that persists long after the tourists have left. Whiskey, cigarettes and the exploitation of basic human impulses are the norm, leading to a degradation of life’s sanctity, embodied by Jimmy’s character. Anderson’s use of wide, steady tracking shots that follow the characters makes us feel as if we are right alongside them, immersing us in a setting that is both old-school cool and a bleak underworld.
Like many of PTA’s films, Hard Eight is a slow burn with a few explosive scenes sprinkled in. As PTA’s first film, Hard Eight doesn’t feel like a precursor or prelude — it’s more of a mission statement. His next two films, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, explore similar themes of familial issues and the conflicts between greed, ego and genuine fulfillment. As Anderson’s career evolved, he veered away from these character-driven pieces into films like There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread, which are more narrative-based. But it isn’t quite so simple, as his most recent Licorice Pizza, returned to character study. Anderson’s films consistently feature complicated personalities who drive the stories forward through morally questionable behavior. Hard Eight may not have characters as punchy as some of those in his other films, but they are just as complex.
Despite being Anderson’s first major film, Hard Eight already feels like the work of a seasoned director. The story, setting, and direction all feel like the product of a distinct aesthetic, drawing the audience into a narrative filled with complex, flawed characters full of dashed hopes, curdled dreams and conflicted ambitions worth taking the time to understand.
The post Oeuvre: Paul Thomas Anderson: Hard Eight appeared first on Spectrum Culture.