Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Barry Del Sherman, Dillon Freasier, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson Binding: DVD Published: 2008-04-08
A sprawling epic of family, faith, power and oil, THERE WILL BE BLOOD is set on the incendiary frontier of California's turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. The story chronicles the life and times of one Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who transforms himself from a down-and-out silver miner raising a son on his own into a self-made oil tycoon. When Plainview gets a mysterious tip-off that there's a little town out West where an ocean of oil is oozing out of the ground, he heads with his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier), to take their chances in dust-worn Little Boston. In this hardscrabble town, where the main excitement centers around the holy roller church of charismatic preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), Plainview and H.W. make their lucky strike. But even as the well raises all of their fortunes, nothing will remain the same as conflicts escalate and every human value - love, hope, community, belief, ambition and even the bond between father and son - is imperiled by corruption, deception and the flow of oil.
Unmistakably a shot at greatness, Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood succeeds in wild, explosive ways. The film digs into nothing less than the sources of peculiarly American kinds of ambition, corruption, and industry--and makes exhilarating cinema from it all. Although inspired by Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!, Anderson has crafted his own take on the material, focusing on a black-eyed, self-made oilman named Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), whose voracious appetite for oil turns him into a California tycoon in the early years of the 20th century. The early reels are a mesmerizing look at the getting of oil from the ground, an intensely physical process that later broadens into Plainview's equally indomitable urge to control land and power. Curious, diverting episodes accumulate during Plainview's rise: a mighty derrick fire (a bravura opportunity that Anderson, with the aid of cinematographer Robert Elswit, does not fail to meet), a visit from a long-lost brother (Kevin J. O'Connor), the ongoing involvement of Plainview's poker-faced adoptive son (Dillon Freasier). As the film progresses, it gravitates toward Plainview's rivalry with the local representative of God, a preacher named Eli Sunday (brimstone-spitting Paul Dano); religion and capitalism are thus presented not so much as opposing forces but as two sides of the same coin. And the worm in the apple here is less man's greed than his vanity. Anderson's offbeat take on all this--exemplified by the astonishing musical score by Jonny Greenwood--occasionally threatens to break the film apart, but even when it founders, it excites. As for Daniel Day-Lewis, his performance is Olivier-like in its grand scope and its attention to details of behavior; Plainview speaks in the rum-rich voice of John Huston, and squints with the wariness of Walter Huston. It's a fearsome performance, and the engine behind the film's relentless power. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
great movie:
this has been one of the best movies i've seen in a long time. the acting is fantastic and the story line drags you right in, gorgeous score as well. i'm reading a lot of negative comments about the packaging but i don't think that ought to win this fantastic film only one star. actually, i think its rather creative. i could understand the issue with scratching but i haven't experienced it myself.
There Will Be Bloody Good Acting:
There Will be Blood is EXCELLENT. I have not seen filmaking of this quality in some time: Consistent brilliant acting, flawless directing, phenomenal music, great editing, etc., etc. Daniel Day Lewis owns every scene he is in. TWBB stands alone in a vast sea of "&^%$ films" that are coming at us at an unprecedented scale. It is refreshing that hollywood has taken a risk in creating a film of this nature. Hopefully we can have more (knock on wood).
Interesting But Flawed Character Study:
Director P.T. Anderson has created a moumental but flawed film about one man's ambition as it comes into conflict with the concept of faith. Based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, There Will Be Blood tells the story of independant oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles to get rich in turn of the century America. Day-Lewis,channeling John Huston, gives a career defining performance as a man totally alone in his ambition to become rich. This film is a character study more than an... more info
Five Stars- Enough Said:
So this film is for intelligent people with an attention span who have an afternoon or an evening to spare. Go get your favorite thing to eat. For me, that'd be California rolls, I'm mad for those, and San Pelligrino lemonade.
Rent this, or buy, I can see buying, it's that good. I could also see watching it with someone of equal intelligence, just so long as you don't have to spend any time explaining things. I hate having to explain story line, plot, you catch me.
This movie is amazing. Enjoy... more info
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