Gripping and epic movie making!!

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2008)

P.T. Anderson's THERE WILL BE BLOOD is a gripping and dominating example of grand movie making bolstered along by a remarkable performance by Daniel Day Lewis. The film begins with dialogue free 15-20 minutes of Daniel Plainview (Lewis) attempting to mine for silver. This first part starts off slow but you are entranced by the actions and the details involved. When we eventually here the first lines of dialogue, we see Plainview trying to get the support of a local town to allow him permission to drill in there area. He doesn't find any support at all for his plans, but from the word of an anonymous tipster, Plainview finds out about a town called Little Boston, that is practically seeping with oil. He goes there and eventually confronts the towns local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) a creepy and at times self deluded man, who is 'vessel to god' according to his father, as he appears on the surface, yet below just has the same greedy aspirations and self delusions that are already present in Plainview. Once the drilling has started and Plainview's wealth begins to grow so does his disenchantment and emotional departure from those around him, including his son, whose relationship becomes severely strained. What we have here is a film that looks at the development of three prevailing and powerful strands of American society Oil, Religion and Money. Plainview is the model of ruthless capitalism, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants in the pursuit of wealth and power, in one of the films best scenes he explains his characters motivation's in how he has "a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people." His almost sociapathic contempt for other people drives the man in pursuit of oil, and the wealth that comes with it. Day-Lewis is electrifying in the lead role, almost acting like a man possessed, always commanding the attention when ever on screen. Though particular mention should go towards Paul Dano as Eli, the preacher whose hellfire and brimstone sermons are the only attraction for the town of Little Boston, yet his preacher though flamboyant on stage, is also just as ruthless and greedy as Plainview, though in a less obvious manner. Along with the performances comes some superb direction from P.T. Anderson, that is certain to establish him as one of America's most important filmmakers, and added to that is a superb soundtrack by Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood, an eerie and minimalist composition that is combined with orchestral soundtrack. Overall this has contender for film of the year written all over it, and will be probably stand as a truly classic American film in years to come.