Review of There Will Be Blood (2007) by Thomas B — 21 Jul 2016

Considering that I first saw this when I was about 13 and hadn't revisited it since, I decided it was time to return to 'There Will Be Blood' - a film that I remember liking, but never understanding the astonishingly high praise. Ultimately, I think I was a little too young to fully appreciate what this film is really about; and how truly magnificent it really is.

There's far too much to cover in one review, so here's something I thought about when the film was over. The first thing I noticed this time around that I was definitely too young to appreciate before was the religious debate that runs throughout the entire film, represented by Daniel and Eli. On a character level, the two are both surprisingly similar, in the sense that they are both controlling and both want the same thing - power and recognition - and naturally that causes a rift to form between them. But I also noticed that, along with Daniel's descent into madness comes his rejection of religion; which is for all intents and purposes represented in Eli. From the very first scene, in which Daniel must crawl and shuffle his way back to civilisation over rocks and mountains, it's clear that this is a man who has not been afforded much luck. Any fortune he's had has been gained through struggle and perseverance against the odds. And, as is the same with all people - including myself - poor fortune and unluckiness tend to make one more and more bitter. So when H.W. loses his hearing and all control is taken away from him, any small hope of a bright future is lost, and Daniel loses any and all optimism that he had left. From then on, he is concerned for himself and himself only. As far as he is concerned, God doesn't exist - and if he does, he's not worth following. This build up of hatred and disillusionment over his life culminates in the final scenes with Eli, where he finally condemns any kind of higher power for good.

As stated, that was just one of the things going through my head after this film ended. That could all be rubbish, but there are so many rabbit holes to explore that I would need to watch the film a hundred times to fully understand it. Part of the reason it works so well is that we can all identify with Daniel in some way or another. Most of what I've just said likely says more about me than anyone else, but then that's what I want out of a film. Masterfully crafted as usual by P.T.A., this marks a turning point in his career as a filmmaker. I love his earlier work (with 'Magnolia' one of my absolute favourites), and I love 'There Will Be Blood', but in a different way. Anderson has stated that there's nothing worse than a filmmaker who won't act their age - who won't grow up. Whilst his earlier films were playful and ultimately more accessibly entertaining, he has matured and developed with this film; which is far more thoughtful and complex than anything he made before it, and possibly anything that will come after.