Source: Miramax
Movie Title: There Will Be Blood
Year Released: 2007
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Run time: 158 mins
My Rating:
4/5 Stars
Genre: Drama
Starring: Daniel-Day Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Produced by: Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi, Scott Rudin, Eric Schlosser
Written by: Paul Thomas Anderson (screen), Upton Sinclair (novel)
Music by: Johnny Greenwood
Awards Received: Academy Award for Best Cinematography and Best Actor in a Leading Role, Bafta for Best Lead Actor, Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Lead Actor (the list continues)
Why did I choose this particular film?
I love Paul Thomas Anderson and whilst I have been wanting to watch all his films, had no intentions of publishing back-to-back blogs about his films. By pure coincidence, this is the way it has panned out and so following from last week's blog, we have yet another PTA film.
Would I recommend this film? Why or why not?
I thought the film was brilliant, perhaps a tad too long but the film was such an interesting portrayal of greed, jealousy, temptation, and ultimately the fall of a tragic hero. There was one issue I did find with the film but I shall go into further discussion later in the blog.
Which character was I most able to identify with or connect with?
I connected the most with Eli (played by the always brilliant Paul Dano) as he continuously attempted to help Daniel (portrayed by the fantastic Daniel-Day Lewis) and was consistently faced with maltreatment. Whilst I am not suggesting I have endured a life of maltreatment in the same way Eli has, I connected with his ability to continue to put others first and go out of his way to help others - something I feel we all strive for to make things better for those around us.
Most memorable quote:
"I'm finished."
Was I surprised by the ending?
I wasn't surprised by the ending, no. I did find it quite predictable, like that of "Barry Lyndon." By the end of it all, Daniel's greed and determination for more pushes everyone in his life away and he's left alone at the end of it all. Apologies for those who haven't seen but there is no way for me to tip-toe around that fact. The ending was pretty predictable from the get-go yet it's always interesting to see the different interpretations of these similar individuals fall from the top of their careers and positions in life.
Did I feel the cinematography in this film enhanced it or carried it? In what ways?
The cinematography and performances of both Day-Lewis and Dano ultimately carried the film. I did feel I didn't do the film justice by watching it on a laptop, yet I was still able to appreciate and admire the genius of Elswit and Paul Thomas Anderson. I'll attach some pictures below of my favourite shots for those interested.
Anything else to add?
As mentioned, I didn't intentionally mean for two back-to-back Paul Thomas Anderson films but it just happened as a result of the categories and the films I had access to at the time of writing that I hadn't yet seen. Next week's blog will bring back some diversity to the blog so I do apologise if you're not a PTA fan. Normal service shall resume and the following blog will be published very soon. Apologies for the delay. Before concluding, I did want to briefly mention how male-dominated I found this film in particular. Without ranting too much about this, I do understand the film is loosely based on the book "oil!" written many years ago in a different cultural climate to the present day (or 2007), yet I was surprised by how there was very rarely a woman featured in the film. Women's role within film is ever-increasing both onscreen and behind camera for the better and equality within this industry is improving, but I felt somewhat confused by how this film seemed to have no central female roles. As a director, Paul Thomas Anderson always includes quite headstrong powerful women within his films and this is by no means any personal criticism to him directly but moreover to the story of 'There Will Be Blood" overall. Perhaps it just didn't fit the story and in a way highlights the world of male-dominated greed even more yet for me, I was somewhat disheartened by this aspect of an otherwise incredible film.
Favourite shots:
Source: Miramax
Source: Miramax
Source: Miramax
Source: Miramax