Good execution, but lacking in content.

Rating: 6/10 (3 March 2017)

This will probably be better to watch the second time around. There is not that much external plot to be dealt with here, which makes it significantly harder to follow because the story is about Daniel Plainview rather than the oil business that he creates. I'm sure that I missed a lot of subtle things that would make me appreciate the story more especially in the first half of the movie.
Daniel Plainview is a good character, but there were a few blanks that I had to fill in to understand him. Most notably, his motivation for greed was either not exposed or else I missed it. A character's goal is what typically defines him or her throughout a story, which makes proper exposition of that goal an important point to address. I was also lost with Daniel's motivations for doing things like dissing Eli at the well blessing and covering his face with a napkin. Part of this confusion may come from Daniel not having any concrete desire that he's trying to achieve. His greed seems to only be for greed's sake. He has no real plans for the money he makes except to use it to make more money. I guess in that sense he's not much more than a tenacious workaholic, though that description doesn't do him justice. I had similar issues in understanding Eli Sunday. Even to the end of the movie, I couldn't decide whether his piety was legitimate or not.
The direction of the film was definitely artsy, and I think that partly accounts for the long run time. It was clear to me that the every shot was deliberate, but I could not tell how the directing choices contributed to the story being told. I don't know if this means that the talent was wasted on a bad story or if I just didn't watch it with the right thought process. Either way, this is something to be aware of if you're not sure whether you want to see it. People applaud Daniel Day-Lewis' acting ability and his performance in this movie on its own, and I can see why, but there seemed to be something missing from it in the character. In a nutshell, I think the sort of filmmaking displayed here is skillful, but it would have been better if it were applied to a better script and story.
For prospective viewers, I would recommend that you watch the first 30 minutes and see if you think it's right for you. I had problems with it because I couldn't figure out the purpose behind the characters' actions or the director's decisions. There are just a lot of blanks that the audience is left to fill in, which I know could be a problem for people. If you are looking to pursue a career in film production, you should watch all of this because there are a lot of unique techniques used that are worth studying. But if you're just looking for something to watch for the night, you may not want to choose this if you aren't fond of "Oscar bait" movies. Overall Rating: 7.1/10