Review of There Will Be Blood (2007) by Eric M — 10 Apr 2015

Regardless of the extent to which you "like" it, "There Will Be Blood" is a stunning, dense picture that begs to be waded through thematically over the course of multiple viewings. The cinematography is remarkable, the acting is jaw-dropping, and the period feel is excellent.

This film is a bleak capitalist tragedy, and it, wisely, never lets up. The final act is remarkably ambitious, but I'm not sure that the final cut is what the film needed to end on, with a darkly humorous vibe.

In one sense, the ending was appropriate, in another sense, I think it tonally needed to end at least on another frame. Also, the score varies between hauntingly appropriate and painfully distracting, which is frustrating.

Regardless, the film is staggeringly ambitious. Another high point is the oil drilling sequences through the first half. Rousing cinema right there, and a film that demands to be reckoned with, and asserts itself as a significant work worth wrestling with.