Slow, lingering but brilliant dramatization of how money corrupts

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2008)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
In the 1890s, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) sees the profit to come from oil and becomes set on his journey to becoming a ruthless tycoon who will step over anything and anyone to get the bottom dollar. He manipulates a deeply religious family into selling him their land, most significantly the son Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) whose religious convictions are deeply held and without question. Over the years, Daniel continues to deny him and his family the money he owes them and drifts apart from his adopted son, whose deafness resulted from his greed and who he only uses to project a caring family man image, until he turns on him and Plainview descends into madness.
The trick to succeeding in business, it's safe to say, is to market essentials, things people can't live without. Phillip Green has made millions from his Marks & Spencer clothes empire (aside from living on the continent for large parts of the week to avoid tax) and John Leslie picked himself back up from falling out the limelight by becoming a property developer. But nothing seems to bring in the bucks like oil, the substance needed to fuel the machines that get us around. After the war, Iraq stands to get itself right back up on it's feet due to the large oil reserves buried beneath it and think of all the Texan oil tycoons who've done well for themselves off the back of it. TWBB delves into the psyche of a trailblazing entrepreneur who first saw the potential to exploit this service for all it's worth and how determination and ruthless desire drive him to go right over the edge, even to murder.
It's guided along, of course, by an amazing performance from Lewis, who captures the accent and spirit of Plainview perfectly. He has good support, too, from Dano as the young son of the preacher, driven by his beliefs and values who ends up selling out like everyone else. The film isn't driven by talky moments so much as long periods of silence and moodiness (including a dialogue free first thirty minutes) in which Paul Thomas Anderson, who writes and directs, creates an eerie and enthralling atmosphere of impending doom and madness. Every shot and every scene has it's own unique touch that creates just the right impression very subtly.
It requires persistence and it might not strike you the first time, but there is no doubt this is a modern classic we have on our hands here, an enthralling and chilling tale of how money corrupts. *****