There Will Be Blood (2007)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

"There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get at it except for me!"

Criminally, I'm just making it around to this achievement from P.T. Anderson. I went into this skeptical of all the hype but 158 minutes later (barely felt like the length of a regular 90 minute film) I was impressed. This is a film about the American dream and a man obsessed with achieving that dream. Much like Citizen Kane this is the story of the rise of an early American entrepreneur, and the psychological crumble thereafter. Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, is an oil man who has received a tip that there is a large amount of oil under the ground of a city in California. When he finds this to be true he buys up the land from the farmers who live there and quickly begins drilling. Up until this point things are going will for Plainview. He is a serious man who mostly keeps to himself but he is also very charismatic and has an endearing (though slightly off-kilter) relationship with his young son, so at this point in the film we find ourselves on his side. However, after the oil man sets up shop in California things start to get complicated. A young evangelical preacher, named Eli, begins to take advantage of Plainview's success, for the benefit of his self-run church. This leads to a power struggle which remains a key focus of the film. Soon after the oil rig has been constructed many accidents occur, leading to the death of some men and the injury of many, including Plainview's son. Daniel's reaction to his son's injury is disconcerting for the viewer. He is forced to divert his attention from his son in order to help with a fire that has started. When the fire is under control Plainview seems to have willingly forgotten his son's state, and seems to be more excited by the huge amount of oil that appears to be underneath them. The accident is a turning point for Daniel as well as a turning point in the viewers attitude toward the man.

There Will Be Blood plays out like a classic American novel. The film's slow pace and minimalist score by Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame) give the movie suspense and an eerie mood. One technique used by P.T. Anderson to enhance the suspense was the use of Greenwood's unsettling score during scenes where the content of the scene is not all that unusual. This gives us the feeling that something bad could happen at any moment (which sometimes happens and sometimes does not). This technique, along with very stylized straight on shots from a distance, and slow panning camera shots, reminded me very much of Stanley Kubrick's own style.

P.T. Anderson's epic is sure to be held in high esteem in the future. It is a serious film that does not submit to the usual tricks that plague modern American film making (such as unnecessary comic relief, CGI, and quick scenes designed to hold interest). The film is ambiguous is many ways, including the relationship between Daniel Plainview and his son, Plainview's past, the twin brother of the young preacher, and even the last line of the film. These ambiguities let the viewer work things out for themselves rather than having every aspect of the film spelled out for them. The acting of Daniel-Day Lewis is one of the main draws of the movie. Lewis is a method actor, notorious for keeping in character at all times, a technique which is not always well received, however, it seems to have payed off in this case. Daniel-Day Lewis is one of our greatest talents and this is one of his greatest achievements.

There Will Be Blood did not disappoint. It held my interest, despite its slow pace and long running time. Greenwood's music, as well as Brahms Violin Concerto in D, were used effectively and were one of the highlights of the film for me. The storyline was compelling and I plan on watching this movie several more times because it is a complex film with a lot to offer.

My Rating: 9/10