Intricate Themes Coupled With Badass Monologues Make This Film Great

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2014)

Going into this film, I was half expecting another Oscar scooping critics wet dream, like The Shawshank Redemption. I personally am not a huge fan of these types of films (although I do see their appeal), but having watched There Will be Blood, I was amazed.
First off, the dialogue is intense and Daniel Day-Lewis gives a perfect performance, dark humour working with his monologues so well. And although it is a fairly long film, the story stays captivating from beginning to end.
Then, as you scratch beneath the surface of the film, you get to the potent anti-materialism themes. These are visible in a number of scenes, the best example of which I think is the scene towards the end, where Daniel Plainview is using his wealth and material possessions to make H.B Ailman contradict the faith he believes in so he can work with Daniel and get wealthier. This just goes to show how much power money and material gain has in modern society. Plainview also tries to replace the family and friends he never had with members of 'family' that aren't actually related to him and soon ends up leaving these people to bask in his riches.
There Will be Blood is a fantastic film with awesome monologues, a few gruesome deaths and world class character development. Thoroughly recommended.