An in-depth character study of a man driven by his unending desire for control

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2020)

The movie deals with the competitive and manipulative nature of men and the desire for total control. Daniel Day Lewis, in his Oscar winning role, gives one of the best performances in cinema history as he plays Daniel Plainview, an oilman who is willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate any possible competition against him, in-order to attain total control. He employs whatever means necessary, regardless of how vicious it may be, for achieving his goal. He is disgusted by the idea of someone else attaining a similar status as his. He even goes as far as denying the existence of God, inorder to cement his position at the top. Eventhough it results in him being an extremely successful businessman, his deeds eventually destroys him emotionally and psychologically. Day Lewis once again proved that he is one of the most versatile actors ever as he completely disappears in the role, giving us one of the most memorable movie villains ever.
Another remarkable performance was from Paul Dano who plays a priest named Eli Cash. Dano manages to shine bright, despite sharing screen with a legend like Day Lewis. Despite being very different individuals, Daniel and Eli are essentially two sides of the same coin since their ultimate goals are the same. Eli as a priest, manipulates the people of his town using their superstitious religious beliefs, in-order to establish himself as a commanding figure.
Written and Directed exceptionally by Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie hooks you and keeps you engrossed throughout its whole runtime without a single dull moment. The cinematography by Robert Elswit, which won a well deserved Oscar, was genuinely mindblowing. Another praiseworthy aspect was its incredible production design which manages to successfully recreate the time period of the early 1900s. The score by Johnny Greenwood was also fantastic. All these aspects combined with the magnificent performances by Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano helped the movie to cement its position as one of the greatest movies ever made.