There Will Be Blood starring Daniel
Day-Lewis, Barry Del Sherman, Dillon
Freasier, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds
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Unmistakably a shot at greatness, Paul Thomas Andersons 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 Sinclairs 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 Plainviews equally
indomitable urge to control land and power. Curious, diverting episodes
accumulate during Plainviews 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. OConnor),
the ongoing involvement of Plainviews poker-faced adoptive son (Dillon
Freasier). As the film progresses, it gravitates toward Plainviews rivalry
with the local representative of God, a preacher named Eli Sunday
(brimstone-spitting Paul Dano); religion and capitalism are thus prese nted
not so much as opposing forces but as two sides of the same coin. And the
worm in the apple here is less mans greed than his vanity. Andersons
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. Its a fearsome performance, and the
engine behind the films relentless power. --Robert Horton
My own Blu-ray didn't come from Amazon so I can't address those specific
issues, but my version had almost flawless picture (I have a Pioneer
plasma which has exceptional black level and I noticed some night time
scenes that were a little gray) and the score which embodies so much of
the film doesn't drown out the dialogue (I have a 5.1 system, not sure if
there is a 7.1 surround track).
As far as the movie goes, obviously without Daniel Day Lewis as the titular
role there really is no movie. To say that he embodies the character of
Daniel Plainview would be a heavy understatement. The musical score is
such a huge part of the film and truly sets the tone for the whole movie,
that combined with the gorgeous cinematography I can only wait
impatiently for Paul Thomas Anderson's next movie.
For those that have a problem with the ending it's easy to see why you
didn't like the movie. The ending pretty much encapsulates the entire point
of the movie, a great bloody exclamation as one evil monstrous blood-
sucking misquito squashes one of its lesser kin.
But yes, this is the sort of person we all want to see as the steward of our
companies, profits before all, greed financing the American dream and all
that good stuff. Or maybe we do want some regulation mixed with our
capitalism?
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