Day 16: There Will Be Blood

 

"I...drink...your...milkshake! I drink it up!"

There have been very few films that I can honestly say I’ve seen more than a dozen times. Obviously these films possess qualities that are not only astonishing on the first viewing, but have a thematic value that can be redeemed continuously when viewed multiple times. Such a film that would be in my pantheon of repeat viewing is Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece “There Will Be Blood”. The film  more or less tells the tale of capitalism at its finest and darkest hours, as the rush for oil takes over a country looking for the American Dream. Yet, this isn’t your typical period piece. Instead of just remembering the ambition of the American spirit, PTA focuses his attention on the life of one oil prospector: Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis). The character of  Plainview, a silver miner at the turn of the 20th century, is a financially hungry man who, as noted in the silent fourteen minute intro, is determined as hell to coup his wealth.  When the oil rush of the early 1900’s explodes in Southern California, he sees an opportunity for aggressive expansion.

From this grows an empire for Plainview, as he goes from town to town with his son, trying to buy up pieces of land as a means to drill for black gold. Despite his worn face and promises, Plainview has the ability to smooth talk his way into the hearts of people as he steals their land from right under their noses. He knows what the people want to hear, and he delivers it. For as good as Plainview is though, his empire gets stuck in a rut when he enters the town of Little Boston. From the outset, Plainview is successful as he is able buy the town’s land and drill for oil, but many of his attempts at complete mobilization are hindered by the town’s evangelical preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). Initially their feud begins as taunts of showmanship, but it becomes a cat and mouse game of public discourse as Eli and Daniel battle for the town’s soul. Unfortunately, these games of public retribution mark the beginning of the end for Plainview as his paranoia mounts and his trust declines to the depths of hell. Plainview’s personal descent is further exacerbated when his son becomes injured to the point that he can no longer communicate. From this comes acts of rage and distrust where Plainview finds that for as big as the world is, he’s the only one worth trusting in it.

To say the film is dark would be an understatement as Paul Thomas Anderson’s script takes us to some damning places. Per usual, PTA touches upon the likes of  power, family, religion, and obsession. Of course, this type of film isn’t new from PTA, but he takes a major step forward towards becoming a complete filmmaker. At no point in the film does any scene feel useless. Instead, everything seems to fall together much like a puzzle. Each piece, or each scene rather, is just as important as the next as it comes together to create an epic picture of madness. As you would expect, PTA’s formation of Plainview is raw and complex. And as usual, PTA enlists one of the best actors in the game: Daniel Day-Lewis. In the case of Day-Lewis, he literally becomes the formidable Plainview. From a limp to a mid-west accent, Day-Lewis breathes life into a venomous character that can charm you one moment and slit your throat the next. Day-Lewis’ ability to invite us into the mind of Plainview is powerful and scary, as he slowly dissects any humanity Plainview once had. Much of that mental downfall can be attributed to Eli Sunday, whom Paul Dano plays like a snake in the grass. Granted Dano had a tough task to go toe to toe with Day-Lewis, but he does more than enough to make the feud between Plainview and Sunday palpable, as they punish one another for their trespasses.

Underscoring Plainview’s rivalry and downfall is the terrific score by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. The score, consisting of mostly strings that are used in violent and horrific ways, is molded in a way that most scores only wish they could do: set the tone of the film and explore the boiling mindset of the protagonist. When he's not using strings, Greenwood looks to the sounds from the film (i.e. the sound of a train, the banging of hammers on pipes, etc.) to make  eclectic and vibrant tracks, which add a sense of urgency to many scenes.  With an electric score accompanied by the lush cinematography of Robert Elswit, “There Will Be Blood” menacingly attacks the senses. From a scene regarding a burning oil derrick to the bloody ending, the film is an atmospheric masterpiece that will be remembered for decades to come. More specifically, PTA and company have crafted a “Citizen Kane” for today, albeit a more sinister take on the downfall of man. Regardless of what film we want to compare it to, “There Will Be Blood” will shake you to your very core.