Paul Thomas Anderson has been quoted as saying that he was having a case of writer's block when devising his follow-up to PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. Finding inspiration in Upton Sinclair's novel OIL!, Anderson has crafted THERE WILL BE BLOOD, a film in a style that departs a great deal from his other work like BOOGIE NIGHTS and MAGNOLIA. Equal parts epic historical drama and character portrait, this cynical study of the dark side of human nature tells a tale of ambition, religion and family ties, dripping in black gold and blood — the later both physically and metaphorically.
Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis, MY LEFT FOOT) has bled and sweat his way into a successful oil business. After one of his workers dies, he takes the man's son as his own. Even at a young age, H.W. Plainview (Dillon Freasier, film debut) is being groomed as Daniel's partner. One evening, a young man (Paul Dano, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) comes to Daniel with a hot lead on property where oil is just bubbling to the surface. Untrustworthy by nature, Daniel heads out to the land where he meets the family of the young man, who calls himself Eli and makes it out like it’s the first time he has met Daniel. During a quail hunt, Daniel and H.W. confirm that this might just be their biggest strike. When Daniel goes to negotiate with the owner, Abel Sunday (David Willis, THE GOOD GERMAN), Eli makes sure the deal includes a good deal of money for his fledgling church.
Daniel doesn't like people. He trusts family and that's about it. He's brutally independent and hates when people try to tell him his business where it's professional or personal. He's the kind of person who isn't satisfied with success unless everyone else has failed. For those who are unlucky enough to get on his bad side, he will never let a grudge go. Day-Lewis just confirms my belief that he is the best actor alive. He becomes this cantankerous character fully, making him equally a devoted father and a ruthless businessman. He isn't a total evil man, but his character flaws make him to many evil things.
Daniel's chief nemesis is Eli, an ambitious young man. Eli views himself as a prophet, but he harbors dark secrets as well. Dano gets eaten up by Day-Lewis in every scene, but he brings a smarminess to his character that keeps us trying to guess his angle. When his secrets are revealed, we discover the full extent of how two-faced he really is. Their battle of wills drives many of their actions. Along the way, others like Standard Oil exec H.M. Tilford (David Warshofsky, RUNNING SCARED) and Henry (Kevin J. O'Connor, VAN HELSING), a man who shows up on Daniel's doorstep one day, will also play key roles in defining what Daniel is capable of.
Supported with an uneasy soundtrack, Anderson paints the screen with a shadowy and dusty palette that brings tension to every scene. As Daniel says, he has built his hatred for humanity a piece at a time over the years. As we witness this happen, we hold our breath with the fear of what he will do to ruin the good he has done. Tragedy seems inevitable, but how will it come and at whose hands will it be delivered? Like a classic tragedy, it's hubris that ultimately finishes Daniel. And like everything in his life, he builds it with his own hands.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
