One Battle After Another Has A Thrilling Car Chase, And I Was Surprised to Learn It ‘Went Through A Lot Of Different Versions’

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Many consider One Battle After Another to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s most action-filled film. The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is packed with exciting scenes, and a particularly memorable one is a car chase featuring DiCaprio’s character, Bob Ferguson, newcomer Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson, and John Hoogenakker as a white supremacist. I was captivated by this chase, so I was surprised to hear from several crew members that it went through many revisions before it was finalized.

What One Battle After Another’s Editor Told Me About The Car Chase

I recently spoke with editor Andy Jurgesnsen and cinematographer Michael Bauman about their experiences filming the car chase, which required very different skill sets from each of them. Jurgesnsen explained that his work involved assembling the sequence with director Paul Thomas Anderson during editing, and he emphasized how crucial sound design was to making the chase effective. He shared with me:

I remember the editing process being really involved – it went through so many drafts! We started with a much longer cut and slowly refined it. Honestly, the sound design was a lifesaver. Since there’s hardly any dialogue, I really relied on it to create the emotional arc. I had to pick shots that matched the rhythm of the sound, building up and releasing tension. Each car needed its own distinct sound personality, too. We worked hard to create a dynamic sequence with highs and lows – if it had been at full intensity the whole time, it just wouldn’t have had the same impact, you know?

Willa narrowly escaped a dangerous fate thanks to Avanti, the bounty hunter assigned to take her to a far-right militia, who had a change of heart and ultimately helped her. But her freedom was short-lived; Tim, who had already killed what he believed to be Willa’s father, Lockjaw, began pursuing her with the intent to kill. Luckily, Willa’s real father, Bob, unexpectedly found himself driving behind Tim. Andy Jurgesnsen described how all of these events culminated in the final version of One Battle After Another.

We built the sound design to follow the emotional arc of the scene. It starts rising with her hope, then dips when she loses sight of Tim, becoming quiet except for the sounds of the road. When she sees him again in the mirror, the music and sound swell, growing increasingly intense and loud until she exits the car and, ultimately, the crash.

The car chase was incredibly tense, especially with the dramatic ups and downs of the desert landscape. Jurgesnsen explained how the sound design heightened the suspense. The chase culminated in Tim crashing into Willa’s car after she realized he was following her. She then cleverly hid her car around a bend and waited to confront him with a gun. Now, let’s talk about how the scene was actually filmed…

What One Battle After Another’s Cinematographer Told Me About The Car Chase

I asked Michael Bauman, who worked behind the scenes on One Battle After Another, about any direction Paul Thomas Anderson gave him regarding the car chase sequence, particularly why they used a shaky camera. Here’s what he said:

You’ve touched on the main idea behind the intentionally unsteady camera work. Paul always emphasized that the footage shouldn’t look polished; it needed to feel energetic and fast-paced. That sequence really succeeds because of the camera shake and the use of wide-angle lenses positioned close to the action, which gives a heightened sense of speed.

I agree, and the fast pace of the scene made Tim’s car crash particularly shocking. Bauman also praised the sound design in that moment, and noted the beautiful sunlight illuminating the actors during filming.

One of the best parts was the sound – the different car engines really let you know which vehicle was passing by. The director, Paul, wanted a gritty, unpolished feel, so we deliberately let the sun shine directly into the actors’ faces. He even had us work around camera shadows during turns, rather than hiding them. That raw energy was key throughout the whole movie, but it really stood out in that particular scene.

There were different ideas for the car chase in One Battle After Another, but most viewers agree the final version was excellent. It perfectly set up what is arguably the movie’s most joyful scene: Bob and Willa reuniting and driving away after the crash and Tim’s death. After everything they’d endured in just a few days, the characters truly deserved that happy ending.

You can watch One Battle After Another if you have an HBO Max subscription, or you can buy or rent it online. The film recently won four Golden Globes and was nominated for five more. We’ll find out this week if it’s also been nominated for an Academy Award, with the 98th awards ceremony scheduled to air on March 15th, 2026.

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2026-01-21 04:39