Over-Hyped Hero Worship for the Director

Rating: 5/10 (11 July 2008)

In reading a lot of the comments on this film, people constantly mention how much they loved other films from the director of this movie. Their hero worship of the director has obviously skewed their assessment of this film. The movie was too long, had an annoying musical score and was just OK.
The movie is about a lonely, shrewd, relentless, power-driven man who finds success in oil in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The movie really centers on how greed rots this man to the core and ultimately denigrates his character to a pathetic, sinister state of being. It also explores how folks use money and power to fill certain voids in their life that are meant to be filled with family, friendship and intimate connection with others.
The movie has other characters in it like his son, a young small-town religious zealot and a few others. But clearly the "oil man" is the main character.
If you like long, dark movies that leave you wondering, then perhaps you too will think this was a masterpiece. Personally, I found this movie only moderately intriguing. It was well acted, but the directing was just OK as was the script. 6/10 stars at best, and a 4/10 for the musical score since I found it annoying and distracting. I like it when the score draws me into the movie, not when it draws attention to itself that draws me out of it.