Review of There Will Be Blood (2007) by Grant B — 26 Apr 2014

I'm a huge fan of biopics and other accounts of historical figures, and I began watching this film thinking that's what it was. I didn't know that this was a piece of fiction based upon the Upton Sinclair book "Oil" until the final credits... that's how good this movie is! I thought it was REAL!

The film is beautifully shot, but there is a great juxsaposition between the gorgeous cinematography and the messy content. As an audience member, I felt like I was swimming in pools of oil and getting hit in the face with breaking oil pumps. The movie feels so technically real because of the way it was filmed, that aside from the fact that it is a work of fiction, the film serves as a great depiction of the true oil-crazed time period of American history.

Daniel Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in this film, and his performance is both exciting and haunting.

The story is about greed, desire, and sin. Two men (one an oil man, and the other a preacher) are facing great success against the pallet of lies and deceit that they have created for themselves. When their paths cross, there is a wild power-play as they fight for the respect of those in their community, and authority over one another.

The music fits the tone and time of the film perfectly, and effectively evokes feelings that seem to truly project the haunting nature of this film.

This film is an incredible human character study, and I highly recommend this film for its historical and cinematic value!