Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed The Master which was released in 2012 starring Joaquin Phoenis, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. It was made for an estimated budget of $32 million, and garnered three Academy Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Hoffman), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Adams) and Best Performance by and Actor in a Leading Role (Phoenix).
In terms of character analysis, Anderson's film is an exploration of the volatile camaraderie between Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix). Their dynamic is seen through the lens of the Cause, Dodd's philosophy created for healing past trauma.
From a technical standpoint almost all of the film was shot on 65mm film stock in order to be shown in 70mm projection in theatres. The cinematographer was Mihai Malaimare Jr. The film would face setbacks in the development stages that would later be overcome. Jeremy Renner was initially set to play Freddy Quell, but when production shut down and restarted the next year, Phoenix found himself in the role.
