A Timeless Classic

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2008)

Loosely adapted from the Upton Sinclair novel Oil!, Paul Thomas Anderson's epic, There Will Be Blood, is a vast and powerful masterpiece. There Will Be Blood tells the story of Daniel Plainview, a terrifying and magnificent Daniel Day-Lewis, an early 1900's oil prospector trying to strike it rich during California's oil boom. While attempting to extract an ocean of oil from underneath Little Boston, a small California town, Plainview is forced to deal with many complications.
There Will Be Blood is the story of two tormented men. On one side, there is Daniel Plainview, a heartless and greedy mongrel. He hates most people and is driven only by his quest for money. He is the perfect salesman and knows exactly what to say to make people do what he wants. Plainview is the ultimate embodiment of pure capitalism and, quite frankly, the man is terrifying and could very well be Anderson's idea of Satan on Earth. Yet, with all his faults, Plainview is a man we cannot take our eyes off of, we feel sympathy for him. On the other side is Eli Sunday, an eager young preacher who feels the call to serve the people of Little Boston. Although seemingly earnest to the people of Little Boston, Plainview sees right through Eli's veil and what he discovers is a man not unlike himself. The resulting mix creates an in-depth character study displaying the results of what happens when ambition meets faith.
Five years in the making, There Will Be Blood is the movie by which Paul Thomas Anderson's already stellar career will be defined. After his earlier films, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love, Anderson became known as a breath of fresh air in the Hollywood community. Although all of his films were critically successful, none of them were able to achieve an elite level of commercial achievement. Detractors of Anderson's work felt the auteur was too much flash and not enough substance, creating films that, at their cores, were simple and trite. There Will Be Blood marks a departure from Anderson's previous style and shows a marked maturing of the artist. He no longer relies on tricky camera-work to be the star of his show, instead using relatively simple shots to make "less is more" never seem truer. Anderson uses the sprawling wasteland of Marfa, Texas to symbolize the emptiness and loneliness Plainview feels and to show the land of America's infancy. The cinematography in the film is breathtaking, as I found myself wide-eyed and open-mouthed on more than one occasion. As if those elements weren't enough, the music in the film is marvelous as well. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's score is haunting and invigorating, perfectly matching the film step-for-step.
Anderson has always been considered and actor's director, inspiring his casts to some of their best work. Thus, the performances in There Will Be Blood are nothing short of spectacular. Daniel Day-Lewis gives the awe-inspiring performance of the not only his life, but the century. Appearing in every scene but one, Day-Lewis dominates the screen like a giant. He is the ultimate antihero. As one of the best actors of his generation, Day-Lewis has a reputation of being extremely picky with the films he chooses to act in, not acting in anything he does not consider worth his time. In other words, he will not be appearing in Ocean's 14 or the next Pirates of the Caribbean anytime soon. Rumor has it that Anderson was willing to cancel production of the film had Day-Lewis not agreed to star. It is obvious that Day-Lewis devoured this role and, like the acting titan he is, delivered a performance to its full potential. With 2007 being such a weak year for actors, it is almost an insult to give the Oscar to Day-Lewis; he deserves to win it against stiffer competition. Not to be forgotten, Paul Dano does his best to match talents with Day-Lewis. Although not standing out quite as much, Dano's performance is fantastic as well. He holds his own in the film, and the scenes featuring him and Day-Lewis are a sight to behold.
Nominated for eight Oscars, tied with No Country for Old Men as the most for any film this year, There Will Be Blood is a stunning and profound achievement in film-making. It marks the return of the true American classic. The movie will stand the test of time and forever be held with immortal films like The Godfather, Citizen Kane, and Casablanca.