One of the Greatest American Films Ever

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2016)

I don't know if there has been a movie like There Will Be Blood since There Will Be Blood. There aren't many things to say about this movie that haven't been said already, so I won't even try. Daniel Day-Lewis gives quite possibly one of the best performances in the history of cinema. Paired with Paul Thomas Anderson's always perfect direction we have There Will Be Blood. For all cine-files out there the idea of the perfect film is paired with movies that have perfect everything: Direction, acting, writing, cinematography, effects, what have you. Such films as Casablanca, The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption or Pulp Fiction come to mind for me, along with There Will Be Blood. There isn't a single false note in this movie. It is paced perfectly, every shot has a purpose and tells the story of an industrial man whose morals (or lack thereof) continue to show (or don't show) for a full 2 and a half hours of madness personified. This film asks questions about the nature of the human being and of the point where wanting something becomes wanting something too much. It forces us to ask ourselves questions that relate to modern society, and for a movie that takes place during the early 20th century California oil boom that is pretty incredible. It asks us these questions while presenting us with one of the most evilly misguided characters in film history. The movie shows the true darkness of Daniel Plainview in a perfectly drawn out film and what caused this darkness to finally rear its ugly head, until yes, there is blood. It is one of the best films ever made. 11/10