There Will Be Blood (2007)

One of the nominees for Best Picture of 2007, There Will Be Blood ostensibly tells the story of the level of greed that was inspired by the discovery of oil in turn-of-the-last-century California. Its primary character is Daniel Plainview, a man whose desire to make as much money and acquire as much of the oil-rich land as possible overtakes almost every aspect of his life. The plot turns upon his growing obsessive nature, which is nicely compared and contrasted to that of a young minister who seemingly wants only to have his church grow as swiftly and exponentially as Daniel's wealth grows. This is a film about the single-minded ways that we go about achieving our goals, and it is also a commentary on the disastrous results of doing so.

This film was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and it's quite a revelation watching it once you know he's the director. This is nothing like Boogie Nights or Magnolia, both of which I really admired and enjoyed. They were very much in the same vein as Robert Altman's films, very episodic with interconnected characters and plot lines. Anderson has dedicated There Will Be Blood to Altman, yet it's not a film like the kind Altman would have ever made. Instead, this film follows a relatively straightforward chronological plot. There's one main character who is the focus throughout the action. There aren't the same quick cuts that you associate with either Anderson or Altman; scenes and shots sometimes play out very slowly. And rather than a lot of dialogue, particularly the kind that overlaps, There Will Be Blood is often a film about silence. The first 15 minutes, for example, are wordless. Yet you're still drawn in quite powerfully to what is happening as Plainview tries to rescue himself from a dangerous fall down a mine shaft.

Of course, at the center of this film is the performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as Plainview. It's one of the greatest performances I've seen in years. Day-Lewis has such commitment to the part and such intensity. He's truly frightening to watch at times, so deep into character has he gone. You can see all of his emotions, even when he's trying to mask them himself, and you can certainly see how his growing obsession with oil and the money that it brings can, quite literally, physically transform him. You can't quite turn away from him whenever he's on the screen, and that's almost every minute of this movie. A lesser actor could never be as commanding a presence in this role. The overall success of the film depends, I think, primarily upon how much we are invested in Day-Lewis's Plainview.

What's even more amazing about his work is that it so overshadows that of some of the other cast that you forget how, in some ways, they are completely wrong for the parts they have been given. Case in point: Paul Dano. As the Rev. Sunday, Dano gives just too weak a performance. He's meant to be akin to a faith healer at times, one of those charismatic ministers, but he can't quite muster the gravitas that the part dictates. He comes across more like a child who's playing "grown-up." I know Dano is a good actor; I thought he was one of the best things about Little Miss Sunshine. However, when you're in the same scene with the force of nature that is Daniel Day-Lewis, you need to be able to hold your own.

I do, however, want to point out one other performance that I think does stay with you after the film. Dillon Freasier plays H.W. Plainview, Daniel's "adopted" son. Much of Freasier's performance is silent, even before his character loses his hearing in a mining accident. Yet even without words, he manages to convey just how much he is absorbing from the events around him. He has some of the most expressive eyes I've seen since watching Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple years ago. Like her, Freasier can summon emotions through a simple look. It's quite amazing that such a young performer can leave almost as indelible mark as the lead actor.