There Will Be Blood an Unforgettable Film - Best of 2007

It’s not often that I state something with absolute certainly when it comes to film. But with Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood I can tell you without any hesitation at all that it was THE best film of 2007, Oscars be damned. It is truly a unique viewing experience, totally engrossing and curiously so. Based on the novel Oil by Upton Sinclair, There Will Be Blood carries its storytelling with an ambitious intensity that mirrors that of its central character – Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis).

In the very first scene we are witness to the almost inhuman drive of Plainview, a self-made oilman operating at the turn of the 20^th century in the desert wastes of the southwest United States. At the opening we see Plainview working alone in a deep shaft, speculating for oil. The scene introduces a bit of the process to us but also clearly shows the labor involved and the exhausting nature of the work. That Plainview is alone is impressive. He sets a charge at the bottom, climbs out and waits. The charge detonates and upon his re-entry into the shaft, the ladder breaks and he falls uncontrollably to the bottom breaking one of his legs. But despite the severity of his injury and the fact that he is alone, he manages to climb out of the shaft and somehow drag himself back to civilization to gather a team. Plainview has discovered an oil deposit.

Such is the nature of the beast within Daniel Plainview. Driven by unbridled ambition and an unquenchable thirst for success, there is nothing he will not do attain his goals and be the best. He will not be beaten, by nature or man. As far as Plainview is concerned people are an inconvenience only useful for helping him to make his profits, and nature is nothing more than an obstacle to be tamed… by him. He is proud, conceited, violent and remorseless. Daniel Plainview is a very dangerous man.

Fast forward a few years and we see that his operation has grown. He, as he so proclaims to groups of gathered townspeople, is an oilman. When he finds oil (or hears rumors of fields) he immediately moves in for the deal; he must buy the land and he will say and do anything to get it quickly and cheaply. The consummate salesman, Plainview knows all the right moves and words, speaking of his workmen as a “family”, playing up the benefits to befall the local residents and land-owners and even parading his son, H.W. Plainview, to help sell his image. But the words are just words and the actions just actions, for Plainview sees only the money to made, the victory to be won.

When a young man by the name of Paul (Paul Dano) shows up looking to speak with Mr. Plainview the story really picks up. Paul offers the notion of cheap, oil-rich land to Plainview and before long they are discussing location, but all the while both men are careful dancing around each other, evading questions and never answering the specifics of questions posed. With the news fresh in his ears, Plainview scouts the land, finds oil and quickly makes his move, buying all of the land but one holding.

Soon we learn that Paul is really named Eli and Eli, it turns out, is the leader of a local religious group. Plainview is not one for God and Eli is not really one for Plainview, but Eli knows that the profits from his promised share of the oil revenue will help grow his church. He is attempting to use Plainview’s ambition as an oilman as a way to fund his church.

While the themes of ambition and greed underscore the story of the film, the central conflict is a battle of wills – Eli versus Daniel, a player trying to play the player. It plays out in grand fashion and I loved every minute of it. Eli believes that he can hoodwink and control Daniel because he is blinded by his own greed, but he never truly understands what Daniel is – a deranged man who will not be made to serve the ends of another and certainly not be the pawn of Eli and his church. For a time Eli is able to obtain and maintain control… or at least convince himself and his church that it is so. Ironically, it is Eli’s own ambition that blinds him to reality. Where the path he is on leads only one man knows for sure.

There Will Be Blood is truly an epic tale played out in a classic setting that might easily be described as Legendary America. The characters are larger than life and the fortunes to be made enormous; the American dream of a man building his empire shines brightly, whether it be a business empire or a church. Both are prominent in America’s history.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s effort is phenomenal! He crafts the story so as to never let up in its intensity from beginning to end. It pulled me in and didn’t let go until the credits rolled. Even then it still had my attention. Days later I find myself continuing to think about it - Daniel Plainview and his maniacal quest for personal fortune and glory no matter what the cost.

Daniel Day-Lewis’ (Last of the Mohicans, The Boxer, Gangs of New York) performance was the best of his career I would say. Known for living out his roles for the duration of filming, he truly became Daniel Plainview. His character was real and strangely magnetic. Watching him I knew he was scum and legitimately mad but I couldn’t help but watch with intense interest. Like a train wreck or some kind of sick carnival act, he was fascinating and demanded my attention. Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), too, gave an excellent performance as Plainview’s adversary. Playing the humble and righteous religious leader, watching Eli play out his scheme was pure entertainment.

Viewing There Will Be Blood exactly one week after seeing No Country For Old Men, I can easily say that this film was the best of 2007 and deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. Both are excellent films and rightly deserved nomination, but even with No Country fresh in my mind, it blew me away on a level I did not expect. It’s an instant classic! If you haven’t yet seen it, do yourself a favor and clear an evening (its 160 minutes long) and watch it. Every aspect of this film impressed me and I am confident that it will be a long while before I see another film like There Will Be Blood. It's cinema at its best. It’s absolutely riveting! 10/10