There Will Be Blood (2007)

THE SCOOP
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Plot: A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.

Genre: Drama/Thriller
Awards: Won 2 Oscars - lead actor, cinematography. Nom. for 6 Oscars - best picture, director, adapted screenplay, film editing, sound editing, art direction. Won Silver Bear and nom. for Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival)
Runtime: 158min
Rating: PG for some violence.

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IN RETROSPECT
There Will Be Blood confirms Paul Thomas Anderson's status as one of the planet's most promising young writer-directors, alongside Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream, Pi) and Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins). It might be exaggerating to label Anderson as the next Stanley Kubrick, but at the current rate, there is no denying the fact that Anderson is slowly and steadily building up his repertoire of film techniques which are so uncannily similar to those used by the legendary Kubrick.

There Will Be Blood is loosely adapted from the novel 'Oil!' by Upton Sinclair. Written for the screen by Anderson, the brilliance of the screenplay is somewhat overshadowed by the impeccable direction. Anderson is a virtuoso when he is behind the camera. He is focused, precise, and knows how to present his cinematic vision in the most appealing manner possible, without compromising on the positive development of characters and plot. Every scene in the film is highly-textured, with the occasional sublime use of light and shadow that adds an artistic touch to the film.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a certain winner for his Oscar-nominated role as Daniel Plainview, an oilman whose personality range from the benevolent to the ruthless. Day Lewis' performance is a multi-faceted one; it requires him to explore different emotional responses to a variety of interpersonal situations. He nails the character firmly and comfortably, and with a certain degree of charisma too. Paul Dano, whose character Eli Sunday, a 'self-taught' religious preacher, and playing opposite of Day-Lewis in an underrated display of infectious energy and verbal brutality should be worthy of an Oscar nomination in a best supporting actor role.

There Will Be Blood touches upon issues like capitalism, greed, faith, and family. It runs close to three hours, and it packs a punch. There are a few outstanding sequences that combine both visual flair and captivating, unorthodox music that are worth more than the price of admission. An amazing fifteen-minute dialogue-less introduction and a superb acting-driven last twenty make this one of the most complete pictures of the last decade. This is 2007's best picture, and is an essential viewing for discerning film lovers.

SCORE: 9.5/10

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