There Will Be Blood (2007)

4.5 STARS

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi, Joanne Sellar
Written by Paul Thomas Anderson (based on Oil! by Upton Sinclair)

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier

Runtime 2 hours, 38 min.
Worldwide Gross $76,181,545
Genres Drama, Historical

1898. A lonely, barren desert. A man (Day-Lewis) is alone and trying to mine for oil when a scaffold falls down and presumably breaks his leg. In order to get help and further his business, he slowly crawls to the nearest town. It is from the start of There Will Be Blood that we see firsthand just how determined Daniel Plainview is to get what he wants.

The story progressively jumps to 1902, 1911 and 1927, in each period Daniel's greed and lust for wealth being embedded deeper in his soul. Just one of the great things about Blood is its story. Daniel Plainview is a nasty character. Yet the screenplay is so well written, I never wanted to stop watching. At first, I didn't see any bad in Daniel. He was determined, kind and even loving. But there's many secrets that Daniel keeps from us. Only towards the end of the film are his true intentions revealed.

Most of the film centers on the 1911 time period, which starts off when Daniel is confronted by a simple man named Paul Sunday (Dano). Paul talks about a stretch of land in the small town of Little Boston, California, supposedly filled to the brim with oil. This of course interests budding oil aficionado Daniel. When they go to the town, a series of events occur that slowly bring Daniel up from aficionado to oil-guzzling millionaire. In this period of transition, his morals are questioned by the local preacher (also played by Dano) and are tested with his son (Freasier). It is this theme of morality that is a central aspect in Blood.

The screenplay is perfect. The struggle for morality between Daniel and Eli the preacher is enough to keep you hooked. Daniel and Eli each have their own ideas about morality. Which one is right? You could right an entire thesis about that alone.

Another great thing about Blood is Robert Elswit's Academy Award-winning cinematography. Many of his shots are simply breathtaking. Each movement of the camera is essential. Each lighting choice is crucial. A great example of his work is in the oil bursting scene, when the camera tracks Daniel in a way that breathlessly captures the entire surrounding environment.

Another thing I love about this movie is its score, composed by Jonny Greenwood. It's extremely fitting. The ambience of it moves almost effortlessly throughout the film's scenes. In general, the film's technical elements are what make it what it is. Academy-Award nominations went to its art direction, editing and sound.

One thing that most people think of when seeing this film is its acting. Daniel Day-Lewis does indeed give an enthralling performance. His skills as an actor drive the film forward. He's marvelous in every scene.

The only problem I have with this film is the casting of Paul Dano. I liked his work in Little Miss Sunshine, but he just doesn't seem to fit here. Some of his scenes are quite good. The "baptism" scene with Day-Lewis is particularly strong because of his acting. But some of his scenes are a bit uneven. For example, the "arthritis/casting out the ghost" scene in the chapel is over-dramatic for my taste. His overplayed shrieking gets annoying as well.

However, the vast majority of There Will Be Blood is spot on. I have very little complaints. There Will Be Blood is artistic, beautiful, meaningful and incredibly well done. It's a testament of how riches and greed can corrupt a man and how dark and disturbing an industry can be. Blood is an American epic in the best sense of the word; destined to one day become a classic.

There Will Be Blood is rated R for some violence.