Black desert streams (There Will Be Blood (DVD))

Name: harlequin21

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Product:	There Will Be Blood (DVD)
Date:	16.02.08 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Staggering central performance and direction; superbly crafted atmosphere; beautifully ambiguous

Disadvantages: Day-Lewis almost too dominant; sometimes too overbearing; flawed (?) final act

Recent months have proved to be interesting in cinema. There has been an unexpected explosion of artistic freedom in many films, and in this time there seems to have been a revival of the Western genre. The revival, however, has been unconventional, since the "Westerns" in question arguably don't constitute as westerns, namely the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. The latter particularly challenges the genre it apparently represents, and in this way, Paul Thomas Anderson has painted a picture that is totally unique, a rarity that is entirely in a league of its own. It pushes these genre boundaries in story, atmosphere and acting, the film an untamed beast of an epic that superficially grounds itself in Western territory via period setting, but often wanders into the realm of horror.

Indeed, this horror is one almost completely shouldered by Daniel Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview, a silver prospector turned oil tycoon, who becomes a sheer monster, his character encapsulating the qualities of madness, greed and paranoia. However, Day-Lewis is too talented a performer to allow Plainview to be a cartoonish villain, and for all the uncomprimising intensity he brings to him, there is a tremendous amount of subtlety and believability to Plainview. We first encounter him as a nobody, an introverted prospector who is also incredibly determined, in addition to being extremely cunning and creative. When a fellow worker is killed in an accident, Plainview brings up his orphaned baby son (Dillon Freasier) as his own boy, and ultimately his partner in the oil business. Plainview rises in the ranks due to his guile, and on a tip off, goes to the desolate little Californian town of Little Boston to investigate the prospects of oil. On arrival, not only does he discover that the town is home to an ocean of oil, but that it is also home to Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), an evangelical preacher whose agenda is as ambitious as Plainview's. There Will Be Blood doesn't specifically tie itself down to a story, but more so to the progression of Plainview as he is increasingly corrupted by his increasing wealth. Yet his wealth is not used to any great extravagance, as Plainview is a workaholic, one at odds with any form of rivalry, whether that be from his own kind or the prowess of Eli Sunday. What really comes across in Plainview, however, is the ambiguities that surround him; he has a kinship with his son (Day-Lewis and Freasier illustrate this beautifully), though he uses him to project his image as a family man; he is polite and courteous, a pillar of the community, though he despises humanity. One is never certain of his true intentions aside from money and power, and it's impossible to tell whether he is a man of pure evil with some good qualities, or a good man who becomes deluded and deranged with evil. That's the beauty in Day-Lewis' performance, as well as the film in general, and many trivial questions regarding its characters are left unanswered.

Granted, the characters are few and far between, as Day-Lewis doesn't only provide anchorage for the film, but also dominates it to the point of almost forcing every single peripheral character off screen. And that's the core weakness of There Will Be Blood; Plainview is a character of such magnitude, one so interesting, that there are few memorable characters. Most of the others are fairly weak in comparison, or rather, Plainview is so strong that he sometimes threatens to overwhelm the film. But Paul Dano and director Anderson himself are players in (almost) equal measure. Dano brings an unhinged fanaticism to Eli, and his profile fits the character like a glove, his angelic, innocent features a facade for a dark heart, and his lanky physique bringing a distinctly oddball quality to the preacher. Again, there is ambiguity around him; yes, Eli is certainly corrupt and motivated by money, but is he at heart a good man? Like Plainview, he too is a pillar of the community, cunning and opportunustic, and fanatical about his work. Dano doesn't quite match Day-Lewis in terms of power, but one must give him kudos for being able to stand his ground against Day-Lewis, though he clearly cannot tame him. But the character who truly shares the stage with Day-Lewis is Paul Thomas Anderson, his direction and craft staggeringly powerful and in its own distinct league. It cannot match the character of Daniel Plainview better.

Anderson's achievement works on many levels. He creates a meticulous period piece -- every detail of early 20th century California is done to a tee -- and combines this with Roger Elswit's stark cinematography. California is a sun-baked, god forsaken desert, the land hostile, detached from the world, its only selling point the oil beneath it. This is a place that humanity doesn't care about, hence is laid bare to the rape industry inflicts upon it. Anderson captures every aspect of Plainview's land, as well as the dynamics of the oil industry, but there's also an undeniable element of horror. Along with the deranged, eccentric performances, Anderson imposes an unnerving atmosphere upon the viewer, built up from the seamless editing of both imagery and sound; surreal, hellish sights; and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's incredible soundtrack. Greenwood's score is one of raw intensity and is completely original. His music is harsh and frantic, a character in itself in how deranged it sounds, encapsulating the mood. Anderson uses it to great effect, especially in the staggering twenty minutes that open the film. Free of dialogue, the opening akin to the style of Stanley Kubrick, saying so much through its imagery and atmosphere without the need for words. The seamless narrative and the fantastic acting from Day-Lewis here are a sight to behold.

Day-Lewis himself totally inhibits Plainview, never relenting, so much so that by the end of the movie one feels that in some ways, Day-Lewis should've let up, since there is almost a feeling of excess to his performance. This isn't a bad thing, as it's an unforgettable performance, and Day-Lewis captures every aspect of Plainview. His drawling, luxurious voice is captivating, but he also gets in every physical habit, ranging from an old leg injury that affects his walk to a slight buck-kneed hobble, to his hunched stature and immaculate suits. One can almost feel Day-Lewis' exertion. But where the performance falters, if at all, is in part down to the script in its final act. Although the final act is undeniably powerful and intense and exhaustive, everything almost goes a little too much over the top, nearly succumbing to melodrama that it almost becomes comic. And yet, once this breathless final act has come to a close, it truly leaves an impression, Plainview having become so deranged that he becomes a parody of himself. The film, and this act in particular, is heavy handed and not something one should watch and expect to be entertained. It's beyond entertainment, as it is a staggering artistic achievement of masterful craft. It's heavy and rich, almost too overbearing, but Day-Lewis lets it brood so when that explosion of hatred comes, it's concentrated enough for this not to happen.

It's a film unique in every way, with barely anything like it. Although it is so incredibly overbearing, the craft and acting ensure that it's an unforgettable experience, full of ambiguities to brood on long after the credits roll. Packed not only with fascinating character insight, Anderson doesn't hesitate to show the similarities between religion and business, and how both concern deceit and greed. Again, There Will Be Blood is a film that works on so many levels that there are endless possibilities to its meaning.

Summary: An unrelenting piece of cinema, unique and intense, vividly illustrating the fury of man's greed