Legendary Day-Lewis Performance

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2014)

There are few actors who can repeatedly make a repellent character still engaging and do it effortlessly. I would say only DiCaprio and De Niro can do it as good as Daniel Day-Lewis. The man is a legend in film history, and his portrayal as Daniel Plainview will easily go down as one of the greatest performances of all time. While I believe his 'Butcher' character in Gangs of New York is more entertaining and re-watchable, it's this haunting performance that may outlive any of his other characters, including his recent portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.
Right from the opening sequence the music engages you into this tale of a man full of hatred and greed. Even in the first 15 minutes which feature very little dialogue, you get a sense of the tone and the overwhelming theme of madness that goes along with Daniel. The movie is most definitely filled with memorable performances, and it is a memorable film. I wouldn't even say the movie is too long, which is what most people complain about. Day-Lewis captures you with every scene, and makes you feel as though these actors were actually living in this era. I was also shocked at it's few moments of violence, especially towards the end. Because the movie is just detailed as a Drama, the violence comes as a complete surprise. Paul Dano shows us his young talent and his ability to perform with the greats, and not even be overshadowed by the great Daniel Day-Lewis. I also found his son to be quite thrilling in his tragic role.
Minor complaints include the sometimes bombastic score. There were times it overshadowed the dialogue, which for this type of movie is bothersome. When you have a character piece, I want the music to compliment and not overpower the actors.
I cant say I will ever remove the final scene from my head, and I can't say I will ever want to watch this movie again because of how disturbing it can be. There Will Be Blood is truly one of the most memorable movies of the past decade and a true work of art. It deserves a place as a great cinematic achievement.
9.0/10