Paul Thomas Anderson — director of Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood — is one of the true auteurs in filmmaking today often uses long shots in his films to show how isolated characters are from the rest of the world. It’s a neat visual decision, one you can see throughout his movies.
Jacob T. Swinney compiled those shots in this supercut below to show us how PTA uses thoses shots. Swinney writes:
The characters in the films of Paul Thomas Anderson share many similarities. They come from dysfunctional families, they are desperately seeking acceptance, they let their emotions get the best of them, and the list goes on. But a similarity that seems to especially stand out is a sense of isolation. Anderson’s characters are adrift, looking for someone or something to connect with in their lonely worlds. This idea is expressed visually through the use of long/extreme long shots. We are often presented with characters lost within the frame, and therefore have trouble connecting with said characters — we become isolated ourselves.