Drilling in Human Hearts and Oil Fields

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2017)

Oil derricks in flames, ruthless and vicious human beings and spilled blood combine in the California oil fields of a hundred years ago. Daniel Plainfield, a self-made and hard-driving oil baron, and Eli Sunday, an unscrupulous and manipulative preacher, confront and antagonize each other over the course of decades. Both are unstable and hollow souls who expect and bring out the worst in others. Greed and avarice causes them to drill into human hearts as much as the vast oil fields in which they toil. Plainfield and Sunday clash in surprising and brutal ways until one of them discovers the limits to how deep a drill can go.
Upton Sinclair, the author of the story on which this film is based, is likely turning in his grave in the realization that things have gone downhill since his time. 100 years ago when someone was accidentally clocked by a drill rig, Plainfield could dump the body in a tar pit and be done with them. These days Plainfield could strike again and not even need the cover of night to get rid of the body, just a Twitter account.
The film is exquisite, impressive and ornate on many levels, especially the acting and cinematography. It racked up two Oscar wins for Daniel Day-Lewis' acting and for the cinematography, and it was nominated for six more. Daniel Day-Lewis is at his wicked best in portraying Plainfield. The cinematography is amazing for its startling beauty, composition and colors, oil derricks bursting into flames in the night for example, as well as the intriguing way it frames the characters. The photography tells an enthralling story beyond words and sound. The period clothing and elaborate sets are fascinating to behold. Such attention to detail makes even scenes of business negotiations appear alluring. The film is long, but because it is so good you don't notice the passage of time. An eerie yet intriguing soundtrack goes hand in hand with the disturbing characters, heartless actions and frequent severe beatings.