Review of There Will Be Blood

There is a fine line between what makes a good movie and what makes a great movie. Was it the vocally mute 20-minute intro sequence (a la 2001: A Space Odyssey) which ended up being just as enthralling and encapsulating as the last climatic 20 minutes? Was it the stunning performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano? Was it the perfectionist-level detail that put the plaque on their teeth and the grime underneath their fingernails? Was it the soul-crushing script on the corruption of wealth, the fool's errand which is salvation, and the abuse of the poor? Who can tell but God (if he's not a superstition), but somewhere amidst the 2.5 hour runtime, There Will Be Blood succeeds at becoming a sure contender at several best-of lists. I suppose a good way to find a more definitive answer would be to imagine if this script were handed to any lesser director and cast and see how their product would compare to P.T. Anderson's masterpiece here. Oh, the religious symbolism is too strong, that child performance wasn't quite convincing enough, this is just old-time Breaking Bad. But in the correct hands, the oil wells stand tall, domineering, and admonishing like crosses, Dillon Freasier's performance was on par with the adults, and having seen this movie now, I think Breaking Bad is just a modern There Will Be Blood. All the gears were well oiled and cranking together and it just so happened to come together so perfectly. The cinematography lent itself to some beautiful shots, symbolic framing, and a personification of the environment almost as if it were a character too. The powerfully and torquey filmmaking kept this film chugging on tracks faster and faster and it stayed interesting over the ballsy length. It found refreshing ways for people to be despicable to one another, which is always nice, and the take on the classic King Midas touch folktale was interesting as well. And it seems to be as relevant today too more than a decade after its release with conglomerate corporations and megachurches running amok. I don't know how to leave it; I can't find any critiques, no matter how minor. This is certainly a film to go down in history and I think its flawless character certainly justifies that. What more is there to say?