There Will Be Blood

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2008)

There Will Be Blood is based upon the novel Oil by author Upton Sinclair. The film takes place in the late 1800's and moves into the 1900's and is about a silver prospector named Daniel Plainview who discovers oil which leads him to great riches and gives him power when he starts his own oil drilling companies. Daniel is approached by a young man who takes him to his family's property and land where Daniel soon discovers that it has tons of oil under the ground, so he sets up a place to live and starts drilling for more profits. During the film we are also shown the relationship between Daniel and his young son H.W. and how the profits he is making soon start to turn him from an honest hard working man into someone that is soon unrecognizable and the film shows his descent into this character and how he his changed because of this. There Will Be Blood is more of a look at the character of Daniel and what makes him who he is and why he does what he does and he is brilliantly played by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and is written so perfectly that we really get an in depth look at the character and what is going on in his mind. The film's story is mostly a look at Daniel and the different people he interacts with, but mostly it is a look at him and the story is told in an epic way because of the dynamic presence and portrayal by Daniel Day-Lewis and the strong writing of Daniel's personality and dialogue. The film is also one of the best looking films I have seen in quite awhile with gorgeous cinematography and great sets, costumes and a wonderful musical score as well. In many ways There Will Be Blood is an epic film because it is a period piece movie and it is a little longer with it's running time, but in that time, so much stuff is going on and no scene feels wasted, or unnecessary because every moment we spend with Daniel drives us deeper and deeper into his character and because he is such a fascinating character from start to finish that he really makes the film a compelling watch and because he is such a layered character with so much going on in his mind that he becomes completely human and his descent into greed and power and perhaps even loneliness and remorse is all the more interesting because of the great script and acting performance that really propels this character onto the screen. The film didn't drag much with it's longer running time and there was so much to appreciate here with the gorgeous look and feel of the film to it's thought provoking and involving story and performances that really make this film a unique and all too hauntingly real portrayal of this sort of situation where one is driven by man made evils. One of the best looking films I have ever seen and one of the best character films as well. There Will Be Blood stands out because of it's excellent work in front of and behind the camera and makes for a truly compelling and interesting watch and is even more so because it is really unlike any film I have seen before and I mean that in the best way possible. One of last year's best achievements and best films.