Andy Jurgensen discusses the managed disorder of facing one battle after another.

      One Battle After Another editor Andy Jurgensen quickly realized that editing a Paul Thomas Anderson film involves more than just assembling footage. It requires learning to adapt to another person’s rhythm, particularly as that tempo shifts from scene to scene.

      “You begin to develop a shorthand with someone,” Jurgensen says, who received his first Oscar nomination for One Battle After Another. “You tune into his sensibilities, understanding what appeals to him, the aspects he favors, and the soundscape he prefers.”

      This shorthand was vital in One Battle After Another, Anderson’s expansive dark comedy that intertwines political satire, thrilling action, and intimate family drama, often all at once.

      From the outset, Jurgensen recognized that his job relied more on emotional intuition than technical accuracy, despite Anderson filming in VistaVision (a high-resolution widescreen 35mm format) to capture all the action.

      “You must embrace the moments that are intentionally satirical and humorous,” he notes. “And at the same time, you need to know when to shift gears and guide the audience through this roller coaster.”

      To capture the right tone, Jurgensen watched highlight reels during daily communal screenings with the crew and incorporated feedback from test audiences. He collaborated with composer Jonny Greenwood on crucial scenes and diligently searched for authentic human moments and reactions, often discovering them in the pauses between takes.

      “Nothing is off-limits,” he asserts. “You have to observe the entire take. That’s the key lesson. There’s no cutting corners; you must see everything.”

      This thorough immersion was especially important in crafting the film's car chase scene, where three characters race through a desert River of Hills near Borrego Springs, California. Jurgensen explains that the scene was not storyboarded and was pieced together in editing from various locations.

      The team first worked with Greenwood to develop a soundscape linked to a longer version, giving each car a distinct sound before distilling it down to the best parts.

      “It evolved into what the final sequence was, and we were still adding elements during the final mix,” Jurgensen says. “We went through numerous edits, but in test screenings, it consistently emerged as the audience's favorite segment.”

      Creating the chase scene was not the only challenging task, particularly with the various action sequences and changing settings. Jurgensen’s favorite scene to edit was one taking place in an apartment building featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro, shot in El Paso.

      “It wasn’t just a matter of shooting on sound stages; we had to piece it together through the blocking and movement,” he explains. “We had to coordinate the soldiers coming in and out and the students being interrogated, but the energy was fantastic.”

      Despite the film's intentionally chaotic atmosphere, Anderson incorporated quiet moments into the script for audiences to catch their breath. From an editing perspective, this involved having characters remain still, utilizing close-ups, and employing absurd humor, especially in conversations within the fictional Christmas Adventurers Club, where Sean Penn’s character is involved.

      “Even toward the end, there's a sequence where Willa [Chase Infiniti] is held captive, and there’s a long stretch without dialogue as she observes what transpiring,” Jurgensen describes. “We create a sense of suspension, as if everyone is holding their breath before the chase scene begins.”

      Then there’s the prologue, a 30-minute exploration of past events leading Bob (DiCaprio) and Willa to their current circumstances. Jurgensen notes it needed to be lengthy enough to establish the fictional French 75 resistance group and give Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) sufficient presence throughout the film without dragging on. This is where test audiences proved invaluable, as they responded to the narrative threads and emotional cues.

      One Battle After Another effectively balances intense action sequences with comedic emotional moments.

      “There was a lot to manage, and we needed it to carry weight,” Jurgensen states.

      The outcome is a film that employs high-stakes scenes to propel the narrative while surprising viewers with humor when it’s least expected. This deliberate ebb and flow, along with tonal shifts, requires instinct and experimentation to achieve.

      “If One Battle After Another were entirely serious throughout, I don’t think it would have worked as well,” he says. “Making light of the odd occurrences or character traits that resonate with viewers adds a level of humanity. Otherwise, it risks being overwhelmingly intense.”

      One Battle After Another is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.