I triumph

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2008)

A wonderful film, totally engrossing and with a spell binding central performance by Daniel day lewis. from which sometimes borders on the 'ham' but always balances itself as a perfect piece of bravura cinema acting.
The story itself is epic in its tale, resonating of films such as giant and east of Eden. with a tinge of Shakespearean tragedy the film has a overall masculinity about it (there a very few women characters) and the film embodies what one feels early America would have been like.
Daniel Day lewis's performance is visceral and physical so as to feel his pain and confusion. his dialogues with the preacher acting by Paul Dano are also a dialogue against organised religion which intellectually I feel in this film is won by Daniel Day Lewis.
The closing scene will become a classic with the words 'I'm finished' standing as high as 'rose bud' from citizen Kane or 'wendy I'm home' from the Shining. This film needs to be viewed more then once to appreciate its depth and also to enjoy the elegiac cinematography.