There Will Be Blood(2007)- User Reviews

With a consistent moving camera P.T Anderson has marked his talent in films such as "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "Magnolia" (1999).

One day during the 1900s in California, oilman Daniel Plainview is sought out by a young man named Paul Sunday who has come to inform him about the town little Boston in Isabella Country where an under-grounded ocean of oil allegedly exists. With great ambitions of fortune Plainview brings along his son H.W and heads for Little Boston. Shortly after Plainview has gotten to know the Sunday family, he buys their ranch and settles in the little town. Plainview continues to buy large areas of land before he starts drilling for oil. The strongly religious community accepts Plainview and his son with open arms, but the young priest Eli Sunday has difficulties with accepting Plainviews ambivalent religious views, and when Planview finds oil the conflict escalates.

Paul Thomas Andersons capacious story about oil man Daniel Plainview is told with chronological narrative, short dialog, long takes that increases the sombre and ominous mood, and a dark toned and mysterious screenplay that explores topics such as greed, pride, religion, hate, envy, capitalism, evil and the relationship between father and son. Daniel Day Lewis was richly honored for his detailed and gesticulating portrayal of the cynical protagonist Daniel Plainview, while his costar Paul Dano is intense and frighteningly realistic as the pious priest Eli Sunday.

The greatest challenge with this film is identifying with the main character who appears as symbol of selfishness and evil. In his interaction with other people he portrays himself as a nice and caring family man, but on the inside he is motivated by money and wealth, hates people, considers religion to be superstition and dreams of making enough money so that he can move away from his fellow beings and live by himself. The frightening thing about this film is that one finds oneself sympathizing with a person that has no consciousness or consideration for others. The one and only reason for this is Daniel Day Lewis, who transforms himself into Daniel Plainview. Roger Elswits hypnotic photography contrasts John Greenwoods apocalyptic instrumental music and the films dark look. The credible milieu depictions, the epic character study and the electrifying face to face scenes are some of the elements that makes this a grand movie.