There Will Be Blood Reviews

There Will be Blood! What a fine film! In fact I would go as far to say it is one of the best of the last decade. Visually, it is stunning, I loved the skillful cinematography and shots and the scenery was amazing. Jonny Greenwood's music is atmospheric and haunting as well, the script is lyrical, hysterical and sometimes even baffling, the story is excellent and thematically rich and the pace is fine, quite slow but deliberately so.

There Will be Blood is brilliantly directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and the characters are intriguing. In fact to me the character of Daniel Plainview makes the movie. Magnificently portrayed by Daniel Day Lewis, he is quite complex- while monstrous and cold-hearted, because of his love for his adopted son I wouldn't necessarily call him completely evil either. Paul Dano also does a fine job as Eli Sunday.

Overall, a truly fine film and one of the best of the last decade in my view. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Anderson's epic, no less than his career, is both fearfully grandiose and wonderfully eccentric. A strange and enthralling evocation of frontier capitalism and manifest destiny set at the dawn of the 20th century, There Will Be Blood recounts the tale of a ferociously successful wildcat oil driller with the allegorical handle Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis). The telling is leisurely and full of process: From the deliberately dark and fragmented prologue to the wildly excessive denouement, this movie continually defamiliarizes what might sound like a Giant-style potboiler... This is truly a work of symphonic aspirations and masterful execution.
Daniel Plainview is surely one of the most magnetic characters in any recent story. The film mirrors him, building up his hatred piece by piece. It's fascinating how he constructs a narrative about himself as an oil man and a family man, violently rejecting anything that gets in the way of that image. This surface hides a pathological need for complete control-his true hatred is reserved for those he can't control, or who try to manipulate or control him. Fittingly, in his ultimate act of revenge on Eli, which finally settles a long-standing score between them, he loses control of himself. This scene is set to celebratory music that is transformed into a cruel, delirious irony. It's also interesting that both of the dominant characters-Plainview and Eli-are entirely unlikeable. What primarily sets them apart is, again, that Plainview is magnetic.

Not really sure about this film, it was good but I'm not sure I'll rush to watch it again straight away, however I wouldn't refuse to watch it again as it wasn't a bad film. The acting is great, with really convincing roles and you really get a feeling of knowing a lot about the character and feel the depth of their story. The story itself was also very interesting, a very well put together movie.

In the beggining of the last century,Daniel Plainview looking for silver in the American South.He discovered oil and soon became fabulously rich,and continued to seek new sources of greed in California.
This is with few words the plot of the movie of Paul Thomas Anderson,one the most interesting directors of our days.

And in this movie Anderson reduces the criticism in order to shed light on the results of the influence of power in values ​​of a man.Anyway through the script and the narration of the story is easy to do comparisons to contemporary life and the the conflicting ideologies of the main characters of the film with contemporary political controversies surrounding the oil and religion.
The script is amazing and the music of Jonny Greenwood too.The music gives a basement,dark and pessimistic atmosphere stripped of every healthy human emotion.
And now few words about Daniel Day Lewis.That he is a very good actor we already know.But in this movie is simply brilliant and amazing.There are no words to describe this performance (one of the best performance in the history of cinema).Creates from the start a character which is ahead of his time based on speech and behavior of the period.Definitelly his best performance.Paul Dano plays the two key men in the life of Plainview,the informant and the pastor,and he is going very well in this difficult double? role.

Brilliant,very smart and effective multi-level script,with a pile variations and meanings.Affect the American dream, capitalism, religion,and the ambition of every man for success,and all the elements that surround our human existence like jealousy,betrayal and revenge.

Daniel Plainview watches as his oil derrick burns to the ground, a natural gas eruption costing his son the use of his ears and setting back his operation. As thick smoke turns night to day and panic sweeps the site, he kneels enraptured by the flame. The shot turns and shows Plainview in utter darkness, nothing distinguishable save for the glow of flame on his face. The object of his desire, his singular focus in life, giving him his only presence in the shot, giving him presence in the world. It is an incredible piece of economical filmmaking, a singular shot explaining all you need to know about the central character of There Will Be Blood.

Plainview actually explains this later on, in his grandstanding speech with his brother, and it is a rare example of the film overstating a situation. Daniel Day-Lewis gives Plainview so much as an actor in his portrayal of Plainview that a verbal explanation of his traits seems to be almost handholding. Plainview is a creature of instinct, animalistic and dangerous, who hides behind a well honed façade. He’s a primal character and as such grand declarations of psychoanalysis don’t really sit well with the character. As such the performance is based around very physical traits and Anderson plays to this at numerous times.

The silent opening ten minutes tell you a lot about Plainview, about his mindset and determination and how dangerous he is. Plainview is a character we can understand effortlessly, partially because of how nuanced the performance is and partially because he is a representation of something primal and twisted within most men. What makes Plainview magnetic is how human he is in his inhumanity, his goals and ambitions as presented onscreen are monstrous but they’re also believable. There’s an innate truth to the character which makes him exceptionally easy to accept.

Plainview’s rival in the film, the young preacher Eli Sunday, is a character who will be most disassociated from the audience. He faces a natural disadvantage in that There Will Be Blood is ostensibly Plainview’s story (if I remember correctly Plainview is only actually absent from one or two scenes in the entire film) so he has a dominant amount of screen time. As such despite the fact that both men are manipulators (Plainview’s sweet-talk to buy land and Eli’s spiritual healing and communion with god) only Plainview is shown away from his façade. The film is entirely about Plainview, the Jonny Greenwood’s incredible soundtrack even seems to score Plainview’s state of mind rather than the onscreen action, and as such Eli is little more than context to that character.

When I say Eli is context to Plainview I don’t mean to disparage the character, it is just that the way he is constructed and portrayed is more about setting up a mirror to Plainview and drawing out his emotions than presenting the story of the Sunday family. Eli is a character who thinks he can play the game, who thinks he has enough sway to manipulate the situation to his liking. In a way the movie charts how this belief in his own abilities and his inexperience with what he is dabbling in ultimately destroys Eli, both psychically and philosophically (with Plainview quenching Eli’s faith moments before seeking a more hands on resolution).

In a lot of ways Eli represents an intellectual counterpoint to Plainview’s intuitive nature. Eli thinks he can outsmart Plainview, and his few acts of attrition are all mental attacks. In doing so he underestimates Plainview’s resolve and underlying intelligence. Plainview is animalistic, but his façade is developed enough to allow him to match Eli at every turn. His final brutish actions being interspersed with the conniving wordplay and dramatics that were once Eli’s trade. More than anything Eli is desperate to be accepted by people, who want to prove his superiority to and be better than his peers. Plainview in contrast is a character who wants to isolate himself, who is willing to deal with people only as long he has too.

By stepping into Plainview’s home, Eli sacrifices the one advantage he had. In the outside world Plainview had to maintain pretence of humanity, hidden in his own home he is allowed to be the beast that is hinted at throughout the film. Plainview, with no profit to be gained from maintaining his persona, destroys Eli utterly. Taunting the preacher, mimicking his church performances with crazed fits and gaudy sermonizing, before beating him to death.

I already saw this movie, back then when it was released in the movie theaters, but, since it was such a long time ago, I was really eager to check it out again. 2007 was actually an exceptional year for the movies and many would argue that it was even one of the best years ever. Eventually, two contenders rose above the rest, this movie and 'No Country for old men' and, at the end, 'No Country for old men' got slightly more credit but, personally, I preferred this amazing flick. In my opinion, 'No Country...' was a fine picture but this flick went way deeper and was more fascinating. Anyway, Paul Thomas Anderson showed us again that he is one of the most inspired directors at work right now and, working with one of the best actors ever, Daniel Day-Lewis, they created a great masterpiece together. Day-Lewis provided one hell of a one-man show being in almost every single scene for almost 3 hours long (however, the young Paul Dano shouldn't be forgotten as he gave an impressive performance as well). Furthermore, The story was really fascinating, probably the best one tackled by Paul-Thomas Anderson so far. While rewatching this movie, I discovered that this movie was about a man who was not only an oilman but also a massive con artist and, apparently, there was nothing else that would trigger him even more, in a negative way, than meeting a fellow con man trying to hustle him. And these were the two only trademarks of Daniel Plainview, a brilliant and also awful man, and possibly the loneliest man I have ever seen in a movie. Anyway, to conclude, I do believe it is an awesome movie and it is definitely worth a look, especillay if you are interested in Anderson's and/or Days-Lewis' work.

''There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking.''

A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business in the dawn of the 1900s onwards.

Daniel Day-Lewis: Daniel Plainview

The whole film begins with a form of genius that I have not seen for an age, that bears similarities to Stanley Kubrick's work and 2001:A Space odyssey. I know of no-one else with this unique link from this film which I've hit the nail on the head.
It begins with no dialogue and hauntingly awesome music that impacted my senses. The effect throughout the film of the music composition and score had the same mesmerizing hold on me.



A scene that stays with me is that touching image of Daniel with his son and the baby looks up and touches his face, his bristly mustache and you truly feel he is the guardian of this child, truly beautiful.
Also was crying at the final montage with his son that will make your heart feel weighty while hitting home, pummeling you into a state of disbelief.
PT Anderson delivers his best work with "There Will Be Blood".
Plainview is a misanthropist who paradoxically seeks companionship even as he loathes mankind in general. His investment in oil is motivated entirely by his desire to earn enough money to escape civilization altogether. He loathes religion, dismissing it as a superstition, and entertains human interaction only when he calculates that it is crucial to his oil mining. Daniel Day-Lewis' ("Gangs of New York",''Last of the Mohican's'' ) gripping portrayal of Plainview cannot be over-estimated or doubted for a second. His willful stage presence lends the film a searing intensity that both counteracts and complements the film's measured pacing.

''Stop crying, you sniveling ass! Stop your nonsense. You're just the afterbirth, Eli.''

Yet while the story is certainly rich with detail and subtlety, There Will Be Blood is hardly a film of words as I've said already. At times fifteen full minutes will pass without any dialogue at all. The space that fills these stretches of silence greatly enhances the film's sense of space and desolation. Even when characters do speak, nobody says more than necessary. Words are carefully chosen and tersely delivered, and there is much to be read between the lines.
Words don't describe Paul Thomas Anderson's latest epic film project easily, and he doesn't let them dominate the story either. A significant segment of There Will Be Blood has no dialogue and the ability for it to stay so captivating is only a testament to Anderson's incredible ability to tell stories about people through images that says more than about what's happening.
Anderson's weapon in this film is no secret. It isn't often Daniel Day-Lewis's name shows up on a marquee these days, especially when it's not tied to something that is sure to be good. This latest choice of his, however, is better than good and so is he. His character, Daniel Plainview, a self-proclaimed "oilman," is deeply complex and troubled. The way that Day- Lewis plays the lighter parts and seamlessly transitions to the darker parts is chillingly believable. Plainview is not only interesting, but he's embraceable, despicable, amusing and frightening all throughout the venture.

The only truly supporting cast, is his son and a self-proclaimed prophet, that he comes into complications with played by Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine). Dano's performance is unfortunately over-shadowed by Day-Lewis and it does feel like he was too young to be cast, but the 23-year-old is highly impressive and will perhaps be a marquee name in the near future.
Blood is otherwise the strength and glory of Anderson and his crew. The original score by Jonny Greenwood, who is mostly known for his guitar skills in Hollywood, brings something abstract that simultaneously fits the film's generally quiet demeanor using a variety of percussion sounds and few musical notes. While some films prefer soaring John Williams themes, Greenwood's theme for Blood is one dissonant chord and a sound effect that can be best described as a sombre humming. It's harsh, like the story's theme. Anderson makes every moment matter, whether it's when there's music blaring or where he puts the camera lens.

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

To best describe the film in terms of people familiar with Anderson's work, it's his first film that truly translates to the interests of all dramatic film-lovers. It is distinctly his film, yet viewers will be able to grasp it much more easily than the abstract and obscure multiple storyline nature of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. For people new to his work, be prepared to feel some discomfort, but if you pay attention to the way the story is told, then you'll find the mastery of Blood's intention.
Instead of leaning on dialogue, much of the film's force comes from its gorgeous cinematography. Meticulously detailed and breathtakingly beautiful, There Will Be Blood is visually arresting from the film's beginning to its conclusion.
Similarly, the score (composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood) greatly accentuates the film's most dramatic moments. Yet while the music itself is impeccable, the way that Anderson employs it is even more impressive. Violins and sparse percussion rise and fall at unexpected moments, carefully cultivating a sense of unease while still managing to feel natural and well considered.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about There Will Be Blood is its minimalism as I may have said previously. In spite of its long runtime (which approaches three hours), the film never feels indulgent or overly complex. Anderson slows down the pacing of the film to a deliberate lurch. This might frustrate impatient viewers, but the approach ultimately makes the film's several climaxes more rewarding and its emotional peaks more stunning.
There Will Be Blood is both visceral and cerebral and hits home on all levels, the rare film that combines the raw emotion of our most human instincts with smart, well-conceived film-making techniques. Fulfills and exceeds even the hype and capable of meeting even your wildest expectations, Anderson's latest is truly a masterpiece of cinema.

''I drink you're milk-shake...I drink it up!''

This is a fantastic film. Wonderful imagery, characterisation and film score. Daniel Day-Lewis did an amazing job. The film score is especially stellar, and really captures the action of the film. Everybody who likes quality dramas should see this.

The story of an oilman, Daniel Plainview.

Splendid performances by Daniel-Day Lewis and Paul Dano, who is very convincing as a preacher.
Beautiful cinematography by Robert Elswit.
My hats off to the producers, who took a risk in producing this film, and to the scriptwriters who did outstanding work in adapting the book Oil by Upton Sinclair - even if they didn't respect the book 100%, the final product is a great movie.

I certainly didn't expect this film to be this excellent. Recommended viewing to all.