there will be blood Archive

While 2007 may have been the year of the mouthbreathing movie for me, 2008 is a different story altogether. So far, I’m batting 1.000 with the films I’ve seen in the new year. Charlie Wilson’s War, Juno, and There Will Be Blood were all great films. The latter, though, was something truly special.Contrary to what one may think (at least, my first impulse), There Will Be Blood is not about vampires or chainsaws or zombies or anything of the sort. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. The movie is an incisive look into the essence of the human spirit. It explores the darkest forms of our primal instincts. But it does so in a way that is neither gratuitous nor obvious. Throughout most of the film, I could sympathize with Daniel Plainview’s thoughts and actions. I found myself thinking like he would and started forming strategies for what he should do. Does this make me a heinous person? Maybe. Or maybe that’s simply what human nature is. When you watch the film, you can arrive at your own conclusions on the actions of the protagonist. A word of caution though: be prepared to actively watch and analyze.Not to suggest that you are too stupid for the movie, but the film does not hold your hand. It’s not a rollercoaster ride. It’s not a clown, getting in your face and trying to entertain you. It’s more like a self-indulgent, yet fascinating professor giving a lecture while not pausing to take questions or making sure you are following along. I’ll be up front and say that this is a long movie. Two hours and forty-five minutes long. If you’re in the mood for pew pew lasers or fart jokes, please wait until your brain cells are working again before you go see There Will Be Blood.

What makes this movie so good then? Each of its major contributors does his job magnificently. Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance is simply unparalleled. The man is in virtually every scene of the film and he absolutely fucking KILLS it. It’s the performance of his life, and probably of a generation as well. Paul Thomas-Anderson’s direction is magnificent. Not one line of dialog is unnecessary or forced. In fact, every verbal exchange has extreme gravitas. The landscapes and camera angles PTA employs are utterly breathtaking and unique. I’ve never seen a PTA movie before, but you can bet your sweet behind I will go through his filmography now. Finally, Radiohead’s own Jonny Greenwood composes a score that is surprisingly apropos and gripping. The film begins with a string crescendo that swells and swells until it becomes an almost shrieking cacophony. You want to avert your ears but you can’t. You’re forced to bear with it until it subsides. This is Daniel Plainview’s theme and it mirrors his soul perfectly. He does some truly deplorable things that you know are plain wrong, but you can’t ignore his actions.

Normally I hate period pieces, because they just bore me to death. Not this film, though. It fascinated me. I’m glad I got myself in the right frame of mind to see There Will Be Blood, because this was just a simply stunning work of art. I almost wish I was in film study because there’s just so much to talk about and analyze here, even days after viewing the movie.

That’s the mark of a truly great film.

I’m not the only one to feel this way either. This is a movie that is universally considered to be a masterpiece.

If I had seen this last year, it would have definitely vied for a top spot in my entertainment experiences list. An amazing achievement in film making.