THERE WILL BE BLOOD

The Data Points

• Year Released: 2007

• Runtime: 158 Minutes

• Directed: Paul Thomas Anderson

• Produced: Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Seller, Daniel Lupi

• Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ciaran Hinds

• Oscars:

  • Won: Best Actor (Day-Lewis), Best Cinematography

  • Nominated: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing

• · IMDb Plot Summary: A story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.

Why There Will Be Blood is Great

PTA The Writer. After breaking out in the 90’s with Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson established himself alongside Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan in terms of writer/director combos whose films are appointment viewing. While Tarantino’s penchant for dialogue is wholly his, and Nolan’s penchant for playing with time and creating original blockbusters is his, Anderson’s stories revolve around people, mostly men, on the fringes of society having to confront their personal demons in the pursuit of growth. Whether it be porn stars or stoned detective in the ‘70’s, child prodigies in the ‘90’s, or even oil barons in the 1910’s, Anderson makes his odd characters the king of the story and hooks us into the people that his stories are about more than just the story itself. That is especially true in There Will Be Blood, which also gives us a downright monster as its central character (unusual for Anderson). Almost like Taxi Driver did in 1976, we are treated to a character study of someone who we struggle to empathize with, but both these films challenge us as an audience because we innately cheer for the first character that we’re introduced to. Despite the off-putting nature of Daniel Plainview, Anderson’s script gives us a foundation to be bought into the largest and smallest of his struggles and victories simultaneously. But this script isn’t just full of memorable dialogue leading to unforgettable scenes, however; as with all of PTA’s scripts, this approaches literature in its thematic depths concerning religion, madness, and greed.

This film was loosely adapted from the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair, but it has a literary significance that is quite unique to Anderson’s script. It takes some of the foremost facets of American society – religion and business – and exposes their dark sides while also making the claim that the darkness onscreen is baked into our present society; in the 14 years since this film was released, he still seems right Eli Sunday is a fascinating character, but even more fascinating is the fact that he is the chief antagonist of the film; he’s a priest! However, he is vain, insecure, and locked in a power battle with Daniel Plainview that plays out in various levels of physical and psychological confrontation. He also stands in as a perfect symbol for the American Evangelical political machine that is far from incorruptible; his ultimate death at Plainview’s hands symbolizes something else – that American greed and lust for power will ultimately destroy the things that we claim are the most important to our society. Plainview as a metaphor for capitalism is quite troubling, as he is unscrupulous in his pursuit for more wealth. He doesn’t just see himself as better than other people, but actively hates them and wishes to be away from them. He isn’t without his own morals or sense of justice, but he considers his world order to be the chief world order. It’s also significant that the business he’s in is oil; in 2007, there was a newfound appreciation for the harm that exploiting fossil fuels has on our world, yet we were embroiled in an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a global hub for crude oil production. PTA is visualizing the roots of American society’s dependence on and addiction to our oil; as is the case with any addictive substance, the long-term costs rarely outweigh the short-term benefits.

PTA The Director. Everything that I just laid out would make an excellent novel, but film is a visual medium; fortunately, we’re in some of the best hands currently working with PTA behind the camera. He typically uses long takes, not necessarily to show off, but rather as a function of story and character; he’ll let the camera just continue rolling during intense scenes to allow his actors to cook, which gives the audience no escape during uncomfortable, sad, or tense moments. He’ll also employ plenty of close-ups, again allowing his actors to be expressive not just with their bodies, but with their faces to make his characters feel even more real. He is absolutely dynamite at creating mood, and when matched with his superb dialogue and masterfully controlled storytelling, creates an air of unpredictability in nearly every scene. These tricks, as well as a reliance on visual storytelling (we watch the characters do things far more than discuss things), are put to excellent use in this film. Moment by moment, we are constantly gaining further understanding of what it will take for Plainview to achieve his goal, while also gaining a deeper understanding of him; as the story moves along, what we see begins to move from being off-putting to outright frightening.

PTA’s Cast. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Anderson worked with several of the same actors multiple times in a row, but for this film he recruited a different set of talent. This film is populated with a cast that remains rather obscure today, save the few leads. As is often the case with PTA, the seemingly off-beat cast selection ends up working perfectly to teleport us to a specific time and place with specific people. I’m not sure if this film was responsible for the discovery of Paul Dano, but it certainly elevated his reputation and career to where it is today. His performance here as first Paul, then Eli Sunday cannot be overlooked despite everything I’m about to say about Daniel Day-Lewis. In many scenes, he proves himself to be equal to Lewis’ performance. While Lewis is specific and restrained, Dano is specific in his vocal pitch, but is acting downright unhinged for most of the time he’s onscreen; this is overacting, sure, but it’s not bad acting. Day-Lewis, winner of the Best Actor Oscar that year, turns in one of the best performances of the 21st Century as the terrifying, misanthropic, and single-minded Daniel Plainview. What he does with his voice and face, even in the quieter moments, is incredible. When he gets to really unleash the beast, it’s – to use Plainview’s words – one goddamn hell of a show. Every choice that he makes feels completely earned and in service of character, and what a character this is. Just go ahead and find a highlight reel from this movie and tell me you’ve seen a better lead performance in the last 20 years.

Other Technicalities. Although I rank him as among the most elite masters of the craft, don’t mistake me for thinking that this film only succeeds as a formal masterpiece because of Paul Thomas Anderson. The Oscar-winning cinematography by Robert Elswit shouldn’t be lost in PTA’s controlled approach to camera movement and framing; this film captures dust, fire, oil, and sweat in perfect definition. The landscapes are as exquisitely painted as the close-ups lit by flame. While PTA relies on long takes for when his characters are speaking or while action is occurring on the screen, it takes razor-sharp editing to build this film’s most extraordinary sequences. I don’t normally shout out the production design, but in a film in which so much of the story happens visually and physically, the physical sets of shacks and oil derricks matter; this film aces it.

The Legacy. I’ll come right out and say it: I think this movie is among the very best of the century so far, and I’m not alone; according to Wikipedia, this film has made more “Top 10 of the 21st Century” lists than any other. PTA’s underlying message that American capitalism can be exploited by the Daniel Plainviews of the world aged terrifically given what happened to our economy in 2007-2008. As pressure grows to rely less and less on fossil fuels, the “oil business is inherently bad” movie still feels relevant; so too does the “American Evangelism is low-key slimy” movie. This film’s artistic achievement matches what it has to say about our country, ensuring its place among the best of American cinema in one of the strongest years for it on record – 2007. Come for some famous performances, stay for a singular cinematic experience where you’re in the hands of two masters: DDL and PTA.

John’s Highlight Reel

• Introduction. This 2-hour-and-38-minute-long film opens with about 15 minutes that are completely free from dialogue. Why? Because Paul Thomas Anderson is a king who can do what he wants, and to get us to buy into Daniel Plainview’s struggle. In an era where pure visual storytelling is becoming less and less common, it is so refreshing to just watch people do things onscreen without having to tell the audience what they’re doing. And this sequence is far from dry; it’s full of tension, suspense, dread, and beauty. What we don’t realize that we’re watching is the birth of an outright monster in Daniel Plainview; we’ll figure that out much later in the film, but by then it will be too late for us to escape.

• Third Revelation. This creeping long take that begins outside of Eli’s church, and enters in alongside Plainview to watch Eli conclude his pretty fanatical sermon and “act of healing/exorcism” featuring some incredible acting and very ugly shouting turns this movie is flawless. After we witness this, we realize that Eli may be just as crazy as Plainview, but that he has the support of the church members. By the end of this scene the two are officially set up as opposing forces, and that conflict will power the rest of the film.

• Burning Derrick. This entire scene, from the second that the escaping gas blows the platform apart, to the second the shaft is destroyed the next day, is thrilling and beautiful filmmaking, mostly set to the slightly off-beat, pulsing, orchestral score composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. As Daniel scrambles to take care of H.W., cut free the ropes holding up the derrick, and command his men, the camera rarely cuts, giving us no time to breath. One of the signature shots of the entire century is of Plainview in the foreground, covered in oil and dirt, watching the massive derrick burn against the night sky, and it is an astounding sight.

• Henry to the Sea. After “Henry” shows up, the film takes a turn into a quiet stretch of suspicion and character work. After abandoning H.W. on a train to San Francisco to take Henry as his business partner, the two set out across the Bandy tract of land to the sea to strike a deal that will make them rich. Along the way, we’re treated to our first look at green plants and ultimately the blue ocean, and the cinematography is incredibly lush in the way that it captures these colors. The beauty onscreen fades once the men reach the sea, just as Daniel’s suspicion of Henry’s identity reaches its fever pitch before escalating into outright murder.

• Confession, Baptism. Find me a better-acted, two-actor scene. Eli is downright unhinged in his humiliation of Daniel under the guise of getting him to confess to his sins, and lets his fervor get the best of him as he runs from side to side of the altar, screaming and urging Daniel on in his own confession. Plainview, meanwhile, begins restrained before finally bellowing out at the top of his lungs, and we go from tightly framed shots around Plainview’s face to an absolutely bonkers master shot that captures the whole altar as Daniel kneels in the center and Eli dashes around. It’s to the film’s credit that this doesn’t play as comedy, and that I continued to refer to the men by the name of their characters as opposed to the actors’ names. And just as this scene reaches maximum intensity and we feel that Daniel, having exorcised some of his demons, might come to some growth or change, he mutters “the pipeline”, immediately convincing us that he will never change. Stunning.

• Epilogue. In one of the most beautiful and touching single cuts ever, we’re transported 15 years into the future as H.W. and Mary wed each other using sign language. Plainview, having no more need to acquire material wealth, has morphed into even more of a monster than he was before. He finally tells H.W. of his true parentage and dismisses his adopted son from his life after H.W. says he wants to go into business for himself. It’s his final confrontation with Eli, however, that will sear the brain of any viewer. As their conversation progresses to physical attack, Daniel becomes an outright horror movie villain, and his always-present hobble makes him seem like a literal monster, some kind of wretched and terrifying gremlin, who’s more than capable of killing. And once he’s done the deed, the film just ends right then and there. It’s insane. It’s great.