So, ladies and gentlemen... if I say I'm an oil man you will agree.

Rating: 9/10 (1 February 2008)

"There Will Be Blood" is nominated for 9 Academy Awards, and let me tell you, it's deserving of every one of them. The composition of directing, cinematography, musical score, and the acting of Daniel Day-Lewis make this an experience; one of the most riveting in cinematic history. You will likely be shocked, or befuddled, when it's all said and done.
Daniel Plainview is a character of complexity. His true nature is a mystery, especially early in the film, and you never quite know what goes through his mind. Daniel Day-Lewis gets this part, and his portrayal of Plainview is masterfully dark and engrossing. He becomes a figure of cruelty, and coldly dispenses of people when they no longer suit him. Yet ironically, his sanity seems to be held intact solely by the singular relationships he does have. Plainview maintains a "business partner" because he claims it helps legitimize him to the community. In reality, his motives are selfish. He needs an ear to bend with the hatreds that swell in him, someone to shoulder the weight of his personal demons. He is a classic people user, and when there are no more left to suck from, he devolves into a loathsome recluse. There is no need to hold an award ceremony this year, at least, not for Best Actor. Daniel Day-Lewis will win the Oscar without so much as a contest.
There is an unnerving atmosphere that pervades this film, and to credit the vision of Paul Thomas Anderson, it leaves you with a constant feeling that something bad is going to happen. So much of this feeling is stirred by the incredibly alarming music. It is chaotic, and at times even feels out of sync or inappropriate for the moment. This serves a purpose, however. Every musical sequence was unique, and many were employed to clue the viewer into something beneath the surface. I can't say enough how integral the score was in maintaining the unsettling mood of this picture.
The cinematography was beautiful. I remember one part specifically when Daniel and H.W. were driving through town in their Model T. I love this scene, and it was so well executed I almost could believe it was actually shot in 1908. Another striking sequence that really stands out was when Daniel carried H.W. from the burning oil well. The way the camera follows him in one uninterrupted shot, the music plucking away violently. There is a sense of something amiss, and the suspense of the moment is fully realized through its impeccable design.
Day-Lewis gives a mastered performance (the character Daniel Plainview rivals even Amon Goeth of "Schindler's List" in the breadth of his villainy), and Thomas Anderson delivers what will stand as one of the great films of the 2000's.