One Battle After Another is an instant classic for so many reasons, including its colorful band of characters. Director Paul Thomas Anderson has long known how to create an unforgettable ensemble, and from Benicio Del Toro’s effortlessly cool sensei to Teyana Taylor’s irrepressible revolutionary, Anderson’s latest is full of indelible heroes and villains. It’s all anchored by a subversive performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, whose boozy former rebel, Bob Ferguson, finds himself utterly unprepared for the next wave of the revolution.
When his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) is captured by a bogeyman from his past, Bob has to leap into action to rescue her. The only problem is that he’s on the run from those same forces, and barely has the time to escape his home before they knock on his door. That means that, for the majority of the movie, Bob is stuck in the outfit he wears to get high on the couch. His ratty plaid bathrobe is a clear homage to The Big Lebowski’s Dude, and a decisive pivot from Anderson’s plan for the character, according to DiCaprio.
In an interview with USA Today, DiCaprio revealed that Anderson originally envisioned Bob in a military poncho. “But I asked, ‘Why’s he wearing a poncho if it’s not raining?’” DiCaprio recalled. “Bob is not a traditional hero. His heroism is just relentless pursuit and going forward. That’s why we had to keep the robe.”
DiCaprio was careful to choose a look for Bob that reflected his subversive form of heroism. “Think about The Dude, if he was put into a modern context and was a revolutionary,” DiCaprio said. “We had a lot of discussions, because I have one costume. Bob’s got his cape: the red robe he was getting stoned in at home alone when giant forces tried to ruin his life.”
The actor also had a say in the sunglasses Bob wears to obscure his face. The visor-like shades are designed to combat cataracts, so they’re not exactly flattering. In them, however, DiCaprio found a parallel to a much cooler character.
“I had this vision of these wraparound optical glasses like Boba Fett,” he told USA Today. “Those are the ones I had to choose.”
One Battle After Another has a “weird Star Wars theme,” according to DiCaprio, and it’s not hard to spot. The idea of a passionate rebellion raging against a seemingly impenetrable empire isn’t exclusive to Star Wars, although its story is definitely the most enduring. Glasses aside, though, DiCaprio’s Bob is a far cry from Boba Fett, the bounty hunter who chases Star Wars’ heroes. Bob is working to find his way back to a revolution that’s evolved without him, and he needs all the help he can get. Leaning on allies like Del Toro’s sensei and subtly channeling iconic characters eventually helps him come into his own. It also makes him a character we won’t soon forget.
