There Will Be Blood (2007)

There will be Blood (2007) is Paul Thomas Anderson's feature-length adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, about an oil prospector's rise in early 20th century America. Daniel Day Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, who, after losing his wife in childbirth, builds a drilling business from ground-up. Oil is a dirty business, and Anderson never misses an opportunity to make that point visually. From gurgling crude to big black plumes of smokes, we constantly see the dark soot seep into corners of the frame, and into lines on faces.

Part of the beauty of the film is the way the camera lingers on Faces. Or rather, it lingers on landscapes, be they the physical landscapes or the landscape of the face. Indeed, much of what I loved about this film was how wordless it often was. It wasn't silent; in fact, the soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood is awesome. Often operatic, sometimes tribal, the music was a perfect, and unexpected complement to the film, weaving nicely into, and commenting nicely on, the content, camerawork, and explosive performance by Daniel Day Lewis.

Daniel Day Lewis really commands the whole film. He's just so, so good. I hated him so deeply, and yet could not take my eyes off him, almost relishing his descent into the bitter, despicable, evil tycoon he becomes. Certainly, he steals all scenes. But his supporting actors were impressive. Dillon Freasier, as Daniel's son and "associate" gives a really impressive performance in his first-ever film; and Paul Dano as Daniel's preacher/nemesis is a strong counterpoint. He's come a long way since L.I.E. and Little Miss Sunshine. I hope he goes good places.

Anderson is to be commended for his restraint in directing this 2 1/2 hour film. The first 15 minutes are without dialogue, and he frequently opts for long lingering shots over extensive exposition. I don't know if that subtlety comes from the novel (which I have not yet read) or the cinematography by Robert Elswitt. Elswitt has been working with PTA since Boogie Nights, and done some other pretty films like Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana. The camera work was simply beautiful; it had a lot of the movement I liked in Magnolia, without the ADD. Some shots were sweeping, gorgeous; some felt like ominous horror shots, zooming in on an oil fire.

It's clear Anderson is approaching the content from a modern perspective, knowing what we know now; and I'm not sure it could be done any other way. All of this is inevitable, we already know the consequences of this sticky black road. But, he never over-argues or browbeats; he focuses instead on the character of Daniel, and the power he wields (or doesn't wield) in his world of wealth, morality, mortality, kinship.