There Will Be Blood, 2007

THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Daniel Day-Lewis

DRAMA

There is nothing glamourous about the oil industry at the turn of the century where mineral prospector turned oil worker Daniel Plainview toughened it out scooping crude bubbling up at the bottom of a well into buckets. The methods are crude and an accident one day robs a worker of his life orphaning his baby son. Plainview adopts the small boy.

Enjoying moderate success years later, the duo are approached by a young man claiming to have oil bubbling up on their tract of land and for a small price, will divulge on the details. Jumping on the opportunity, Plainview and his adopted son head up to inspect the land, meeting the family and indeed discovering the oil. The young man's twin brother and up and coming preacher, Eli Sunday, has ambitious plans of his own and the two initially square off over the land but soon becoming entangled into a battle for personal dominance.

THE GOOD : Ruthlessly dark bipolar performance by Day-Lewis, gritty atmosphere, great cinematography. The battle between the two leads is a maniacally dark one and descends into madness.
THE BAD : A tad long, not kind to the impatient movie goer
THE UGLY : The madness knows no bounds.

> 9/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

The movie opens up to a cringe worthy accident that sets the tone for the rest of the movie and if any composer can be praised for a nail biting, chalkboard scratch of a soundtrack, it would be Johnny Greenwood. It nails the ambiance of this movie firmly in the unfolding hell despite some deliciously picturesque pan overs of sundried Californian landspace.

Day-Lewis' performance sold the movie and in turn the movie will sell him for many years to come as this may just be the definitive Day-Lewis film. He plays the character Plainview with an unflinching menace that speaks just as loudly in the subtleties as it does in plainview (ha!)

The scope of Plainview is so widespread and engrossing, you'd be still busy tallying up the score/damage long after you have left the theatre.