There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It’s based on a novel by Upton Sinclair,

A piece of art.

Movie Review

A dark tour of the human soul of capitalism and more and more degeneration plus a psychological fable that can be read as if it were a kaleidoscope in which Daniel Plainview gazes at himself, in his time, and confronting the preacher, insults his fictitious creator.

There Will Be Blood is a deeply cold film that is also moving, a work that is shaped by the unbalanced trip through the madness and ambition of the protagonist, his adopted son and the double role of the preacher (don´t miss how he serves two shots of whiskey in the last scene).

Pozos de Ambición (2007) — There Will Be Blood (2007)

This is a film from 2007 and Daniel-Day Lewis won his second Oscar thanks to his work in it (he would go on to win another Oscar for “Lincoln”). What can one say about this guy who is famous for assuming a role up to the point of identifying with the character? He is a “method” actor and we would do best in staying away from him during his preparation for the role. He does an incredible job in it and offers the irony, coldness and despair in each one of his (always apt) gestures.

Paul Thomas Anderson does not shirk in anything (¿has he ever done so?). The Magnolia director offers us an extremely complex work of nuances, light and, darkness in a false historic reconstruction of the times in which Rockefeller lived in the role of a broken America (again) searching for a dream of ambition on the wings of change.

The novel was by a guy called Upton Sinclair. If you know whom I am talking about you will know what the director´s Achilles heel was: he does not follow the same social leanings as in the novel, does not offer that vision (also complex but more choral)… It is more of a trip to the psychological abyss constructed with lots of ironies, a sense of rhythm, and rupture.

The final waltz, a tribute with violins in the background, props up the end that the title predicts, which aptly guides us to the ironic start of that solitude in the well.

Did our Daniel ever manage to escape the well? You, the viewer will decide in this unmissable and marvelous film.

Premise

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.

Other Reviews

“The film is above all a consummate work of art, one that transcends the historically fraught context of its making, and its pleasures are unapologetically aesthetic. It reveals, excites, disturbs, provokes, but the window it opens is to human consciousness itself.” Manohla Dargis: The New York Times

“[It] hits with hurricane force. Lovers of formula and sugarcoating will hate it. Screw them. In terms of excitement, imagination and rule-busting experimentation, it’s a gusher (…) Rating: ???? (out of 4)” Peter Travers: Rolling Stone

“As long as money retains the power to poison men’s souls, Anderson’s uncompromising masterpiece will continue to resonate” Nathan Rabin: AV Club

Awards

2 Academy Awards: Leading Actor (Day-Lewis), Cinematography. 8 Nom.

Golden Globe: Best Actor dramático (Day-Lewis). 2 Nominations

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Los Angeles, Anderson developed an interest in filmmaking from a young age. An alumnus of the Sundance Institute, Anderson is famous for making often epic psychological drama films which often take place in San Fernando Valley and deal with characters seeking after redemption, forgiveness or loss; they also use wide framing as well as realistic or gritty cinematography. Anderson made his feature film debut with Hard Eight (1996). He found critical and commercial success with Boogie Nights (1997), set in the Golden Age of Porn, and received further accolades with Magnolia (1999), an ensemble piece set in the San Fernando Valley, and Punch-Drunk Love (2002), a romantic comedy-drama film. Read More