It is a more than a mere humble beginning for the wiry man covered from head to toe in dirt, as he mines silver by himself from a deep, dark hole in the ground. His climb upward is slow. Soon it will be literal. The sheer determination and physical pain of years of back-breaking work that it takes for prospector Daniel Plainview to build his oil-drilling business from nothing but dirt must be admired. Through fractured bones and tragic accidents, Plainview perserveres. When the dot in the upper right hand corner appears twice on the screen and the sequence cuts, it becomes clear that one entire film reel (over 15 minutes) has passed without the benefit of dialogue. At this point, if you are not sucked into “There Will Be Blood,” there probably isn’t any blood coursing through your veins.
On an Californian ranch in a small town called Little Boston, Plainview hears about oil that bubbles up to the surface and covers the ground. It is a perfect metaphor for the all-encompassing stranglehold that that valuable crude has on our country today, and in case anyone should forget how we got to this point (or forget that the corrupting nature of money and power will always be present), writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s new epic “There Will Be Blood” is here to set the record straight.
The work ethic professed by single-minded oilman Daniel Plainview (as played by Daniel Day-Lewis, who himself is a ferocious oil gusher and unstoppable force of nature) is a very American one. From “Citizen Kane” to “Wall Street,” the cinema has been a fantastic forum for examing the frayed edges of unchecked ambition and greed. The dark side to this particular American dream is not knowing when to give it a rest.
“There Will Be Blood” is fierce, bold filmmaking, adapted very loosely from Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel “Oil!,” which was concerned with the Harding administration’s many oil-related bribes and scandals. Politics doesn’t interest Anderson, however. The movie is purposeful instead about identifying the plague that lies behind human disregard. What kind of a man could be so unforgivingly cruel without a moment’s pause? Plainview plainly states, “I look at people and I see nothing worth liking.” His cutthroat competitiveness and subsequent inability to feel anything for his fellow man makes for an uncompromisingly bleak, yet fascinating and eye-popping, vision.
The aesthetically-pleasing factor comes from director of photography Robert Elswit. While Anderson’s script explores the complete inner failures of men’s souls, Elwit’s gorgeous anamorphic cinematography explores the outer reaches of the sprawling desert. Shot with enough “magic hour” natural light to rival Terrence Malick’s famously ethereal “Days of Heaven,” “There Will Be Blood” is the second movie this year (following “No Country for Old Men”) that could exist on a purely visual level and still be moving. Unlike “Days,” however, the narrative chugs forward with horsepower, like a train gathering steam from a cold start.
In deep, convincing tones at a town meeting, Plainview offers locals “the bond of family.” It turns out he’s just playing up to the unwitting locals, promising to create a prosperous community so he can buy their land and reap the profits. His son and “business partner” H.W. (a magnetic Dillon Freasier) gives him the air of being a family man, and sometimes he even believes he is one. The movie’s emotional setpieces feature Plainview trying to convince himself that he can muster some feelings other than contempt, but the only thing that gets Plainview’s blood pumping is the constant struggle to get to the top and remain there.
If Plainview stands firmly on the side of corrupted ambition and lust for money, than preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano, showing massive range only hinted at in “Little Miss Sunshine” last year) holds up another American pillar that can just as easily corrupt. Though outwardly the men are at opposite ends of the spectrum, inwardly their goals are similar. Plainview’s disgust and distrust for Sunday comes from the fact that he believes he can see right through him, which is an astute view, since Plainview isn’t even around for the blistering moment when Sunday lashes out as his cowering father, foaming at the mouth and screaming that God “doesn’t save stupid people!” What Plainview does not realize is that he is looking in a mirror.
Much has been written about the movie’s portrayal of religion. Certainly, religion can be used to further one’s own selfish agenda, and there are untold cases of this throughout history. But Sunday’s predilections are no more an indictment of the entire institution than Plainview’s abuses are an indictment of all of capitalism. New York Press reviewer Armond White criticized the movie for not being a “formidable dramatization of the struggle between power and faith.” He misses the point. “There Will Be Blood” deals in extremes. Like Plainview’s single-minded struggle to grasp what is always just beyond his reach, these men reside on the outer reaches of society, and whether anyone wants to admit it or not, they exist. Any towering institution is capable of producing monsters, even if none of them are as far removed from human frailty as Plainview and his pitiable nemesis.
As grim as Anderson’s story is, it is also full of humor—the sinister, shocking kind. Seeing the façade behind which Plainview hides, we are privy to all kinds of knowledge about his true intentions. The lengths he will go to further his business often intersect uncomfortably with his undeterred sense of pride, such as a startilingly funny scene that turns unexpectedly poignant once Plainview enters a church to be saved.
The distubingly dissonant score (from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood) is like a call to arms—an alert that something is rotten in the state of California. Even though the setting is the turn-of-the-last-century, the music is decidedly nowhere near there. Using provocative non-traditional music is a Brechtian choice that calls to our attention that we are watching a film, just like Anderson did in the opening scene by purposefully withholding dialogue.
The world created by “There Will Be Blood” is rich and detailed and complete and enveloping, but the movie also reminds you that somebody as willful as Daniel Plainview is present behind the scenes. Who says storytelling has to be invisible? With “There Will Be Blood,” Anderson challenges our notion of how a movie connects with an audience. And through his and Day-Lewis’ ferocious force of will, the film’s bizarrely fitting conclusion had the hair on my arms standing on end.
I want to see this fucking movie so fucking badly.
How does this rank to some of PTA’s other work? Better? Worse? Its certainly a departure, but also looks to be his strongest yet.
It’s my favorite PTA movie so far (and I love “Boogie Nights” and “Punch-Drunk Love”); it’s certainly the most assured.
What about “Magnolia”? That’s PTA’s best in my opinion (and most people’s, I guess).
I like “Magnolia” a lot (I own it), but it has its flaws– it doesn’t justify its running time, for one. But I love how ambitious it is, as an Altman-esque character study. It’s light years ahead of “Crash,” which is also set in LA and too tightly focused on one thing to be a believable ensemble movie. Anyone who liked “Crash” should have “Magnolia” recommended to them. “Boogie Nights” and “Punch-Drunk Love” are true originals.
Good to hear this is his best. I might be in the minority, but while I liked Magnolia Boogie Nights is my favorite from Paul Thomas Anderson. Perhaps Magnolia was too ambitious and didn’t work out. It is superior to Crash though. That is certain.
I also really liked Punch-Drunk Love. Never seen Hard Eight, but its good to hear from someone who owns Magnolia say he liked There Will Be Blood the most from PTA. Now I’m less concerned.
“Crash” was awful. The tag line for that movie should have been, “Like Don Cheadle? Well, you won’t after this!”
Well Magnolia never had the preachy feel of Crash.
When do us little people get to see this movie?!? Will it come to Liberty in February like Capote? Why are they so hesitant to let us see it. I CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGER…
I believe it opens in the KC area on Friday.
I was thinking a little more about Paul and Eli–there is most certainly a reason they are never shown in the same frame together.
It’s interesting, too, when you think about Daniel and his attitude towards family. He always pretended to be a family man, and “even convinced himself he was” as you said in your review. It seems he is corrupt in every aspect of his life, even his “family”.
Also per your review, if Plainview really is seeing himself in Eli, that could extend to the family situation if we were to assume that Eli and Paul were the same person and that he was just convincing his family to go along with it. That would explain also the weakness of his father–his reactions are typical of someone who is being controlled by his son (”Whatever Eli says”, remember that??) Maybe Eli is putting up just as much of a front about his family as Plainview himself.
“At this point, if you are not sucked into “There Will Be Blood,” there probably isn’t any blood coursing through your veins.”
Well I wasn’t sucked into this film at all, and I find it rather insulting that you would make such claims. I could just as easily say if you were sucked into this film that there isn’t a single working neuron in your brain, but I wouldn’t because its disrespectful. Tone down the hyperbole and be a real critic, not a pseudo flashy reviewer showing off for a job at Maxim magazine.
Here I am, then , proved wrong. A little hyperbole never hurt to get people as excited about a film as I am about this one. Sorry you were so insulted. Obviously, blood runs through your veins, so I stand corrected. All joking exaggeration removed, the point I’m getting across is that PTA isn’t using any new techniques here at the beginning of the film. This is good, old-fashioned storytelling at its best, condensing years of hardship and pain into one bravura 15-minute sequence where the only line of dialogue (”No!”) is a guttural no-surrender.
If you thought this review was “flashy,” I wonder what you’re used to? Perhaps the film pushed too many of your buttons?
THIS MOVIE SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was 2 1/2 hours of total boar. Nothing happened! The acting was atrocious! how this is up for best picture is beyond me. Paul and Eli? HOW THE HELL WAS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THOSE WERE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? There was nothing to this movie. the most action I remember from the entire film was when the oil pump went up in flames. That was about it. This film could have been cut down to 30 minutes easily. it might have been more interesting that way.
If you are planning on seeing this movie some time soon, SAVE YOUR MONEY! go see something better (all the other best picture nominations are better than this)
I don’t think we were supposed to know that Paul and Eli were the same person. We realize that at a very speific moment in the film, and it is one of the most powerful moments because of it. I like movies that have more to them than action– this is character drama-turned-nightmare like no other I’ve seen. Part of what makes it so great is that it has the patience to put you in the era. That certainly didn’t bore me.
Great review, Eric. What a BIG movie. It has so much going on in it, you could talk about it forever. Best movie in an excellent year for film.
at what point do you realize paul and eli are the same person?
Thank you Josh (post #14). If you think this movie was great then you are a fucking ASSHOLE. I spent good money to buy this and now I’m going to run the DVD through my fucking shredder. I haven’t seen a movie this FUCKING LAME in years. AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!
Will G-
Don’t shred it, donate it to me– I haven’t bought it yet!
Eric, I’m amazed at how you remain so calm in the face of such baffling hostility. You’re a true gentleman.
Phil-
Just the facts, ma’am. Having any kind of discussion about movies that are worth talking about is great fun for me. That’s why I do this.
Yeah, but it’s hardly a discussion when you have people cursing at you in caps lock and giving you shit.