"There Will Be Blood" (2007) - Movie Review

I have to say that I almost loved the film and as I was left in shock with the ending of “Magnolia” another masterpiece from P.T. Anderson, “There will be blood” end felt like a Déjà vu. It is a truly classic piece of artwork as P.T. Anderson always does with any of his screenplay. But to get an actor, who can change every bit of his nerve to portray the hard and tough Daniel Plainview by Daniel Day-Lewis, is something P.T. Anderson will be proud of more than the film.

The movie runs from 1898 till 1927 with the hard working laborious Daniel Plainview and his obsession over winning, being a success. Roughly 20 minutes of initial movie goes without any dialogue at all. Simply with the ambience and the dangerous determined chiseled faced Plainview working alone in the initial silver claims is what Anderson uses for this piece. He beats the rocks and extracts the metal; he sharpens it and then beats again. He goes up and rests a while but comes back and starts banging. He dynamites the place and when he is not able to pull up his tools and the eventual explosion urges him to go inside the well faster, drops in and breaks his leg. He pulls his weight up out of the hole and drags across and we see a hill, the next we see him resting while his workers are working. That’s what we know to Mr. Plainview, one son of a gun who never is tired and who can scratch the rocks with his nails to find gold even if it’s going to take one hundred years. An SOB with a steel heart and mind you it is cold. This is the signature film work Anderson does. Calculative and immaculate in the presentation wherein the picture speaks and expressions substitute successfully over the dialogues.

There is lot of untold relationships and easily can audience be taken what they want, the obvious human psychology to assume those in clock work manner. We see a baby been taken care by his co-worker. We do not know whether it is his baby but that is the obvious assumption. He might be taking care in place of success freak Plainview digging the dungeon of wealth. Either way, his caretaker or father is killed during one of many accidents in the oil well which leaves the untied and unattached Plainview to take care of the baby himself. We see he prospers and takes the grown up boy called H.W (Dillon Freasier) as his partner and son. A mystical man comes into the office of Plainview, calls himself Paul (Paul Dano) and bargains a deal to come up to his place, Little Boston where oil is inches away spread across like ocean, he says. Plainview along with H.W comes to the ranch under the shadow of quail hunting and ultimately discovers the abundance of oil. They meet Eli Sunday (Paul Dano again, which aids the ending to be in the same resonant tone finish “Magnolia” had over me) and demands 10000$ for his Church. As a strong businessman Plainview offers 5000$ and promises the remaining when he flourishes the place with the oil.

Daniel flourishes with H.W losing his hearing ability as the bursting side effect of oil explosion while Eli builds his Church practicing hardcore religion and prophecies. Daniel does not actually like Eli, for he sees Eli for who he is. Charismatic and thoughtful cunning speeches of Eli eat Daniel but he is too small for him to deal with importance. The story digs deeper into the fleshes of Daniel who now is frustrated by the communication breakdown with H.W. He is visited by a man claiming to be his brother, Henry (Kevin J. O’Connor) and suddenly the uptight and straight cut Daniel opens up with him. We know a little bit more about him, as he speaks than we observe.

The film is about the story and more about the making of it. Here is the director who is carefully builds the movie image by image of absolute confidence and an aesthetic sense of ability to place it for its pure originality wherein we are in the luxury of brilliant movie making. And with a performance such as like Daniel Day-Lewis, it could not get better. The ending seems off but witness the two hours and thirty minutes of pure artistic talents in action than the final eighteen minutes raising questions. The eighteen minutes can be interpreted in million ways as with any film of abstract finale.

The score of the film as like “Punch Drunk Love” has the restless sense of rushing us when people are running, throwing words of hatred around which elates into the mood of the subject they are talking about. The camera made to soft into one character as the other speaks but without our notice comes to speaking member swiftly which keeps us in loop of all the party in the frame engaging into the situation.

What does “There Will Be Blood” focuses upon? Once again religion been employed as the tool for success? Or the greed and zest Plainview carries along? As skillful and talented in work, he sincerely believes in the misanthropic outlook on to the world. But soon do we realize how he is eaten by the guilt and the humiliation he suffers through it. He spends his final days in loneliness, drunkenness and ultimate negation of people as such. He completes his journey of hating people with one final act.

I said that I almost loved the film. I recant it. I loved the film. I was disappointed for “Into the Wild” not making the Oscar pick either in Best Picture or Best Director or Best Actor. “There Will Be Blood” has eight nominations and despite my love for “Into the Wild”, I would love to see P.T. Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis walk with the awards. Roger Ebert praised the movie “Fargo” which I like but not love in his review of it as “Films like "Fargo" are why I love the movies.” After reading that, I have been waiting all along to use it in my review and for myself to say. With a humble forgiveness I expect out of Mr. Ebert for taking his sentence, I say, Films like “There Will Be Blood” are why I love the movies.