No change here

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2008)

I read somewhere that in nearly every film the main character changes in a profound way and the story is about how and why that change occurs.
Well that doesn't happen in this film.
Daniel Plainview remains the same from when he prospects alone for silver to when he lives alone in the mansion paid for with the oil he has found.
He is unable to interact with others in any meaningful way and decides therefore to have as little to do with them as possible. What makes it sadder is that he is aware of this trait and would like it to be otherwise. Why else would he adopt a strangers child or open up his heart to someone claiming to be his long lost brother?
These attempts at human contact fail however and he always returns to what he is good at - business and making money and makes his most important decisions based on purely commercial grounds, for example sending his son away to deaf school.
However in the back of his mind he knows there is something missing in his life and starts to rely on drink to ease the pain. He shouts "Bastard in a basket" after his deaf son, who he knows cannot hear him. Obviously trying to convince himself that he has no love for the child. He seems to consider his son going into the same business, even at a small level as the ultimate betrayal.
Lewis' performance is outstanding. However I found the darkness of the story tough going.