A good, old fashioned Hollywood character study

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2008)

To me, this movie seems a throwback to movies of yore-character studies, usually with a famous Hollywood male or female lead to bring in the punter. It's title is perhaps designed to bring in the stoner who will at some point leave the theatre feeling totally ripped off that this isn't a horror/slasher movie.
You will probably need to have a quite clear idea of what kind of movie this isn't before you can enjoy it. It isn't a horror/slasher movie. It's not a cowboy movie. It isn't a gore-fest. It is costume drama of sorts...it's set in turn of the last century America. That is one of the strengths of this movie-it's brilliant sense of place...barren American wasteland, drawing people there for one reason only...the promise of fortunes to be made, through finding gold or other precious metals. The landscape is befitting of the two protagonists of this film...uncompromising and unforgiving.
Enter Daniel Day-Lewis, as Daniel Plainview. He is a gold prospector. He doesn't find much to rejoice at...until he finds oil. The early scenes go along way to defining the strengths and weaknesses of his character. The sheer toil of oil work is brilliantly evoked, along with the horrific work conditions...where death is one mishap away.
One of the pleasures of this film is the relationship Daniel has with his son, H.W. Especially pleasurable is one scene he has with his baby son on a train...entrancing. The trajectory of that relationship, over the 30 year span of this movie is also fascinating, from a character study point of view.
Another pleasing scene is where Daniel is at the altar of Eli's church. There is some wonderful byplay there. I don't think the byplay is of the story, but the actors seem to be having a ball and it shows. It's not of the movie, but it works well in any case. Um, I'm trying to say that I think the camera captured the actors having fun at the time and decided to leave the scene in there because it works.
The other character of note is Eli Sunday, played by Paul Dano. Along with Day-Lewis, I think, Dano deserved to get nominated for some kind of acting award...supporting actor, say. Any criticism of Dano is ill-founded...he embodies all the qualities of Sunday perfectly. Perfect casting, in my view, as a preacher man on the make. Day-Lewis himself shows great diversity of emotional shading.
For those who look to these things, you can interpret this movie, as was intended, I think, to view this as sort of a parable of the dance between religion and business in the US. This part of the movie is rewarding and you can interpret the movie in many ways-as being cynical about religion and preachers, or as demonstrating that God is. For instance, there is a scene where an oil platform catches fire. In a way, this scene is crucial. But, I suppose, the question you might want to ask yourself is: Is God here? I have my own opinions-to me the preacher man is parasitic on power, seeking it to elevate his own power and influence. Of course, you could see God in this picture and argue the reverse. The way Daniel must court religious influence for pragmatic reasons is also telling.
Perhaps my favourite scene is where Eli tells Daniel of his business fortunes, near the end of the movie. As with the dates which flash up, time is important.
Lastly, I can't say whether Daniel Day-Lewis does a bad American accent or not...he has a touch of the Sean Connery's with it. But that is easily rationalised, I suppose, due to the history of immigration to the US.
It was my intention to give this movie 7/10, but the ending was brilliant-it really got to the heart of what this movie was about, I think.
8/10