Paramount / 200 minutes

Paul Thomas Anderson directs Daniel Day-Lewis in a gritty and sprawling tale of strained family, questionable faith and unflinching greed.

Set against the oil boom of the early 1900’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD shows us the visceral existence of California oilman Daniel Plainview as he lays claim to the black gold beneath a small town of simple people. Plainview butts heads throughout the film with the town’s evangelist Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) whose own beliefs begin to rival the corruption of the oil baron himself. Just who is the villain in this movie? It is not an easy answer and the phenomenal last scene of the film may only confuse your attempts to find one. I know I was confused (not hard to do) but ultimately profoundly affected by the characters’ singular pursuit of self.

Surround DDL: I’ve only seen Daniel Day-Lewis in one other film, GANGS OF NEW YORK. His performance as Bill the Butcher was the highlight of what I thought was an otherwise lackluster flick. So my impression of acting chops has been renewed by this turn in THERE WILL BE BLOOD. I look forward to the remaining catalogue of his work, anxious to confirm the accolades that he is one of the finest actors of our time.  His method style, resilience and range as an actor in Anderson’s film alone both amazed me and left me pleasantly unsettled. The character development is rather subtle, to the point that Day-Lewis will probably be judged as either a genius thespian or a bore. Daniel Plainview’s character arch is more of a speed bump. He is portrayed as a very hard working and driven man who keeps emotionally distant from all and while he loves his adopted son H.W. (Dillon Freasier and as an older man Russell Harvard), that does not prevent him from using the boy as a prop in securing land.

Stan the Man: I have yet to find a review commenting on the similarities THERE WILL BE BLOOD has in style to a Stanley Kubrick picture. But maybe it’s just me. There’s something about the shrill strings that haunt the opening 10 minutes of the movie that reminds me of THE SHINING (I’m actually reading King’s book right now so maybe my impressions have to do with that). The classical music (Brahms) at the end of the film reminded me of all the Beethoven used in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. The simple credit sequence itself utilizes straight cuts as opposed to a scroll, reminding me of EYES WIDE SHUT. Oh, and of course there’s the 2 hour and 40 minute runtime.

Music Notes: The musical elements of the film are profound. In most every scene the score depicts the underlying insidiousness and corruption of Plainview. I’m reminded of the twangy banjo used in RAVENOUS and the insanity it represents in the film. By the end of THERE WILL BE BLOOD the same strangeness would be most appropriate and it is in tracks like Smear that provoke the brutal and mysterious nature of the movie’s players. It should be pointed out that the music is composed by Jonny Greenwood, front man for Radiohead. Maybe that explains things (Bill I’d be really interested in your take on this soundtrack once you get a chance to take in the film).

There Will Be Answers: Here are some questions I’m still culling over a week after seeing this movie:

• Are the Sunday boys really twins?
• Is there more meaning behind the title than its overt promise by film’s end?
• Where are all the women?
• Is it wrong that I agree with Plainview’s philosophies regarding his fellow man? “There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone.” (Now that’s something I can get on board with.)
• How exactly do you drill for oil without killing too many of your workers?

For its dramatic weirdness, thought provoking themes and beautiful craftsmanship I give THERE WILL BE BLOOD 4 big ones: Shamefully Choice!