Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is one of 2025’s best-reviewed films, yet few know the secrets behind its success. One thing that makes PTA’s latest feature special is that it was filmed entirely in VistaVision. The last time a film was shot entirely using this format was in 1961’s One-Eyed Jacks. One reason is that VistaVision materials are challenging to find. However, Giovanni Ribisi is something of an analog aficionado, and he’s got the lowdown on where to procure the goods.
Yesterday, the directorpicks Instagram account posted a Fun Fact about One Battle After Another, and why Giovanni Ribisi gets a special “Thank You” in the film’s end credits.
You can check out the post below:
As many know, OBAA is the first film shot entirely in VistaVision since ONE-EYED JACKS in 1961. With it being such an older format, the technology needed is going to be harder to source and an antique when you do get your hands on it.
This is where Ribisi comes in. You may know him as a Unobtanium desirer in AVATAR or Phoebe’s brother in FRIENDS (or SNEAKY PETE!) however he has an under-discussed love of analog film. This is something that has meant that he has become a Director of Photography in recent years, with his most notable work, being in collaboration with J.T. Mollner on STRANGE DARLING.
Ribisi’s love of analog meant that he, in his spare time, has been restoring VistaVision cameras, which he then loaned Paul Thomas Anderson for the production.
“The last 35mm camera that was built, the one people really use, was almost 25 years ago,” Ribisi has been quoted as saying. He worries that without proper upkeep, formats like VistaVision could fade into obscurity. His fixation became the spark that enabled Anderson to revive one of cinema’s most beautiful yet fragile instruments.
Are you familiar with the VistaVision format? What other cinematic secrets is Giovanni Ribisi hiding up with sleeve? Did using VistaVision make One Battle After Another more intense? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and suggest other movies that would be well-suited for VistaVision.
