A Modern American Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 October 2012)

The magnificent Oscar winning performance by Daniel Day Lewis, the stark cinematography of Robert Elswit and the great direction and screenplay of Paul Thomas Anderson coalesce to create this masterpiece about the early days of the US oil industry. I love the way Anderson brilliantly adapted Upton Sinclair's 1920's novel "Oil" eschewing the epic political/historical narrative and focusing on the characters that continue to dominate the American scene,i.e., the ruthlessly ambitious and the self-righteous eager to enforce some religious orthodoxy on the rest of us. Daniel Day Lewis is Daniel Plainview, a wildcatter insanely determined to beat the Standard Oil boys who've defeated so many other independent drillers. He is a man of singular passion with no tolerance for what he considers religious nonsense. On the other hand there's Eli Sunday, beautifully played by Paul Dano, a pastor of a church located in the midst of oil-rich country Plainview is eager to exploit. The natural antagonism between the two adversaries escalates with the advantage shifting from one to the other depending upon the exigencies of the moment. From the opening scene to the shattering climax with its unmistakable symbolism this is a modern masterpiece.