FILMENATOR - My Candid Take on Movies from Around the Globe

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There Will Be Blood : A Western Like No Other

September 18th 2011 08:50

Here is a review of one of the most unique and original "Western" ever made from Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Oscar (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role) winner Daniel Day-Lewis.

Story of There Will be Blood

There Will be Blood is the story of Daniel Plainview, a turn-of-the-century oil prospector who comes to California to buy up oil rich tracts at cheap rates

from the local honest and God-fearing farmers in exchange of promises of improved living conditions for the locals, schools etc and manages to gain substantial trust thanks to the presence of his minor son who is also his business partner.

But, the one man who refuses to be taken in by Plainview's lofty ideals and reassuring speeches is the local priest, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). But rather than warn the people, he realizes that he could squeeze regular and extremely generous donations out of Plainview. But when Plainview refuses to acknowledge his presence and his powers of warding off ill-luck and immediately afterwards misfortune strikes his drill site the battle begins in earnest between the canny and opportunistic Eli Sunday and the cold and uncompromising Daniel Plainview, a rivalry that will threaten to ruin both of them along with any innocent bystanders caught in the cross-fire.

Review of There Will Be Blood
There Will be Blood is, in my experience, one of the very rare really thought

provoking Westerns and first of all credit must be given to Director Paul Thomas Anderson and his crew for their exceptional treatment of the subtle, bold and complex plot. The screenplay is also exceptional and with Robert Elswit (won Oscar for Best Achievement in Cinematography) in charge of cinematography very scene speaks a thousand words, and I seriously doubt of the barren and desolate Western terrain under the blazing sun and clear blue sky has ever come to life more in a movie than in There Will be Blood.

But all that being said this movie would not have been possible without its protagonist Daniel Plainview, surely one of the most cold-hearted, complex and charismatic villains ever to have graced the screen, and Daniel Day-Lewis in his Oscar winning performance plays the role so perfectly that it really catapults him to the next level, in the same leagues as the Al Pacinos and De Niros.

The fact that There Will be Blood was nominated for no less than 8 Oscars in 2008 proves beyond doubt that it is a Hollywood masterpiece. But be warned, this is NOT a Western in the gun slinging, horse riding sense of the word so don't watch this movie when you are in the mood for a Clint Eastwood classic (I made this mistake the first time).