Paul Thomas Anderson has only made five movies yet most people consider him one of the greatest talents to emerge in Hollywood the last ten years. Many Consider Both Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood the landmark films of the decade and now have been submerged into our culture. And rightfully so since they've had a huge influence to others and made an impact on others. However, There Will Be Blood should be referred to as "the greatest film of this decade". Both the ideas and morals it presents have deep meaning to our present day America and the people themselves as it deals with "capitalism","religion","corruption" and the most important aspect,"greed". And add to that an astounding and geniues performance by Daniel Day Lewis which will be considered "one of the best performances in recent memory", There Will be Blood is an amazing work of art that literally blunged me into this world of both hell and success.
Daniel Day Lewis plays Danile Plainview who is an oil prospector who is in search of oil in early 19th century Califronia who soon adopts a son and aims to have his own oil empire as he continues to dig he must face what is the movies main opposition who is Eli Sunday(by Paul Dano) a ambitious and uncharismatic wanna-be town preacher who toys with him on both money(payments for him to grow his church) and religion( as Daniel is a skeptic and doesn't believe in any religions). Throughout the whole film as we follow Daniel we begin to realize he is at competition with people and what starts out as two rivals of different American capitalist ideas turns to bloodshed, humilation and madness. But this movie is not based around a plot as its all about these characters journeys through success and faliure to an ending where you are left literally at the hands of a madman.
First of all, Daniel Day-Lewis creates a performance where you are both mesmurized and curious at what he does in each frame either with his son or with Eli or even with his long-lost brother at what he says and does. The psychology of Daniel in the movie is fascinating to when he might seem loving and caring but turned around to being vile, unapologetic, greedy and manaical. What makes his character even more intruiging is when he socalizes with his long-lost brother and how he delves into how he views almost people around him as he refers to as "competitions" to where he absolutley despises human beings in general. His performance was acknowledged with awards and rightfully so as he has created one of the most memorable movie characters of all-time. Even the Supporting cast does just a good a job as Day-Lewis. Paul Dano does a great job keeping up with Day-Lewise's character as he is the oppostion towards Plainview and how easily someone so fragile and young can fall into the hands of a genius. Also both Dillon Fraiser as his son does a great job concerning a child actor and for great with materal given as well as Kevin J. O'Conner who never rarley has a great performance but in here does a nice job playing Plainview's brother.
Paul Thomas Anderson is really the star here. This is his world and without his direction and writing on both the scenes and riveting dialogue, it would not have much of an emotional imapct. Most of the dialouge written has been so quotable and memorable. The last 10 minutes of this film is so spectaular and and tense that it would not have worked without the dialouge written by P.T.A. As welll as his direction here is superb! Sequences of just following Daniel set up a lot to what is to come next ends with a great pay-off! Much credit should go to the cinematographer, Robert Elswit who creates an atmosphere of a wasteland filled with riches and with long-takes he manages to keep you in this world and have you be imersed into the movie. This is something that can be called a "perfect movie". From the many times of seeing it, I have not been able to see any flaws to it. The story is well-paced and developed as our characters are, the picture is beautiful and has a fantstic score that albeit is a bit repetitive but fits perfectly in certain aspects of the film.
The ending however must be adressed. It seems some people didn't like the ending as it became too adrupt or it lacked any soul or that the performance went way too over-the-top then what was expected of a certain character howver. those are not valid points. The ending fits perfectly and heres why; after two hours of the journey of Plainview through his findings of success and hardships, he comes face-to-face with the one thing he despises the most and
ultimatley leads to an intense and surprising ending to where you are astounded at what just happened. And as for the performance being over-the-top, I don't think there was any other way to conclude the arch of Plainview without that performance from Day-Lewis. This movie doesn't revolve around a plot, just a character piece of a man who aims for wealth and nothing more and further more his hatred towards to what he can't stand,"people."
This movie is truley a masterpiece in every sense of the word. Not only have I seen this on many repeated viewings, but I practically breathe the life of this movie; quoting lines and always listening to the beautiful Violin Concerto, this movie has now become a part of me. I can easily bet in 20 or 30 years from now, people will talk of this movie and it will be studied in both film and acting classes and be known as one of the finest examples of contemporary film-making and acting. P.T Anderon's darkly epic masterpiece has not only taken a piece of early America and make it into a epic of grand scale, but created a film that trascends the very nature of the "American Capitalist" and give it a new meaning. And Daneil Day-Lewis has never been finer than any actor in their prime as he has made one of the most deeply-layered, multi-dimesnional characters in recent film history. That's about all I feel I have to say of this film so in closing, I'll leave with you with the famous last line of the movie and from Daniel,
"I'm Finished."
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