Epic tale of greed, determination, and corruption. The good and bad of capitalism and the rise and fall of a relentless prospector.

Rating: 7/10 (2 February 2008)

"There Will Be Blood" is clearly a classic film that has all the interesting and intriguing elements of greed, power struggle and drama that a picture needs. Well directed by Paul Thomas Anderson as his use of the scene work and cinematography is brilliant and the scores played during the film are enchanting and moving. This film was inspired from a 1927 novel from Upton Sinclair called "Oil"! Set before the start of the 1900's in the old American west you have a young and eager man Daniel Plainview(Daniel Day Lewis) who has claim only to a young son, with his only hope as an oilman is to be relentless in his prospects and searches for new oil finds and discoveries. As the film moves along the fortune improves from Daniel's striking gold by finding oil and later from learned tips a boomtown is discovered.
Upon Daniel becoming a tycoon the drama and tension of the film takes flight as power struggles exists with the town's dangerous young preacher(Dano) and a tragedy takes upon Daniel's son from an oil machine explosion. Thru the film spanning all during and before the 1900's up till 1927 the viewer can see the highs and lows of the Plainview character and how the capital market is good with greed and can be manipulative, yet evil when down as in the films end we see how Plainview responds to the toll it's taken upon him.
Overall "There Will Be Blood" features an excellent performance by Daniel Day Lewis and the score and look of the American west is stunning and with it's themes of capital market highs and lows combined with greed, pride, and religious struggle along with personal tragedy this film is one of the better winners of the 2007 film crop.