Review of There Will Be Blood (2007) by Arthur M — 06 Apr 2013

A film that hits you like a fever, "There Will Be Blood" is not the kind of movie that someone will have the pleasure of watching or reviewing. It is a portrait of several layers of everything that comes with the desire for power, will leave the audience feeling exhausted and with a bitter taste in the mouth.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is submitted safely and confidently. Anderson proves to be one of the best director of all time, a fact that is evident here. Packed with shots and scenes of breathtaking intensity of boiling, the film makes no apologies about his tendency toward grandiosity inherent in telling an epic story that spans decades.

Perhaps the first thing that will strike viewers will use the images as dark and gloomy, almost impossible to see. We watched the movie as we were covered in oil. Batway, oil is simply the central theme of the film.

The story begins with the oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, he is a very intelligent man and cruel that does whatever it takes to achieve your goals. He works hard, but he also takes advantage of the people around at your expense, if necessary. His business partner is his son H.W, that he actually "acquired" when the H.W biological father, who worked on one of the platforms of Daniel, was killed in an accident at work.

Daniel is deeply protective of H.W, but only for that H.W brings to the society, a serene and innocent face. When both know Eli Sunday saying the land of his father has oil everywhere, making an offer to Daniel to buy the imovel from his father. Eli is the local preacher and a healer "self-proclaimed" wants the money from the sale of the property to finance his own church.

The lives of both characters change completely when Daniel decides to buy all the land outside the property of the father of Eli and tries to acquire all the land around, at bargain basement prices to be able to build an oil industry. And always with H.W at your side to strengthen the business.

The setting of the film can be impressive, every minute that passes we see it bigger and bigger. And with it the ominous and annoying soundtrack that fits in every scene, leaving them more disturbing. When music raises the pitch dark, pessimistic and emotionally draining film, without ever taking center stage away from the performances, with characters that prove to be the soul of the story.

Daniel Day Lewis proves to be one of the best actors of his generation, this film, in my opinion, gives his best performance to date. Daniel Plainview (Lewis) can be cruel, sinister and pessimistic at every passing second, but at the same time can show a little ray of goodness in his evil look; Paul Dano in a fantastic and disturbing performance, Eli Sunday (Dano) is the Movie's religion, amidst all the disturbance and sinister he is the sort of God to want to expel the devil, the devil being Daniel, out of paradise. But throughout the film it all fits.

The film is a character study of a man who usually do not want to know and you will not be able to forget after all is said and done. After watching it you will not want to reveal it soon, but it will be for all the right reasons, Paul Thomas does all this perturbation on purpose. "There Will be Blood" is a powerful and emotionally draining experience.