Summary
A game of power between a millionaire oil man and a priest.
My Thoughts:
I often find myself watching There Will be Blood with a challenge. I challenge myself to find some sort of flaw in it, something that bothers me, something that makes me want to look at my watch in anticipation for those end credits, but each and every time (believe me, there’s quite a few) I watch this film, I come out finding new nuances, and admiration for the pure craft that went into making such a piece of entertainment. Paul Thomas Anderson is a top-notch director/screenwriter; his movies are often intelligent views, focusing on the details, and the characters.
There Will be Blood is an intense character study, first with Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”), an oil man who quickly rises to power with his monopoly of the black gold. Second is with Eli Sunday (Paul Dano, “Youth”), a priest who wants nothing more than to slow Daniel’s rise, and impending doom, and bring him into the light. It’s a story of absolute power corrupts absolutely, and it’s fascinating to watch these two play their game of power moves, each time escalating from the last, until its brutal and somber conclusion.
“For as long as I have teeth I shall bite you, and if I have no teeth, I shall gum you!”
Some people find watching Daniel Plainview’s character difficult to watch for a such a sweeping amount of time, he’s not a good man, and he only gets worse throughout the film, he becomes so obsessed with his monopoly that he loses site of everything else around him, from his adopted son, to his own well-being. What makes this character so watchable for me, is just how intensely written Daniel Plainview is, and the juxtaposition between him and Eli Sunday, who brings Daniel to a new level of manic. Paul Thomas Anderson constructs his characters and dialogue with such precision it’s hard not to become utterly absorbed by their actions, what’s going to happen next, and who’s going to come out of it alive.
It’s no wonder Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Daniel Plainview, he breathes such life, such vigor into a complex and broken character, with only a mustache he becomes undeniably unrecognizable as the millionaire oil man, spiraling into his own undoing. The hardest casting choice was probably who the hell was going to be able to hold their own against such an intense actor. Paul Dano holds his own and then some, he lives in the skin of Eli Sunday, even without a mustache Dano is as well, unrecognizable. The scenes where either actor is by himself are great (i.e. the arthritis exorcism, the beach) but when these two share the screen it’s explosive, the cat and mouse power struggle between the two is truly exciting to watch unfold, the climatic confrontation between the two during the baptism is a scene that will go down in the history books, and of course lets not forget about that ending.
“I drink your milkshake, I drink it up!”
Verdict:
Overall this is my favorite film, I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s the perfect film in my opinion. From the flawless writing, to the deeply flawed and real characters, played by actors at the top of their game. The gorgeous cinematography portraying grim landscapes with great beauty, capturing oil ruptures and flourishing woods, there’s no shortage of impressive shots. The chaotic, industrial soundtrack composed impressively by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood encompasses every subtle and not so subtle tone throughout the film. There Will be Blood is a movie that demands your full attention, and multiple viewings to catch every thing that’s being played out. Paul Thomas Anderson always proves that he’s a force to be reckoned with, but this one forever remains his opus. I give There Will be Blood 5 out of 5 stars.
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