Critically acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson has made his reputation with such multi-character epics as "Magnolia." His new film, "There Will Be Blood," focuses almost exclusively on a single character. While this change of pace might seem like a recipe for disaster, the director has smartly focused his efforts around arguably the best actor in show business: Daniel Day-Lewis. Their collaboration transforms "There Will Be Blood" into a hard-hitting experience that should not be missed.
The turn-of-the-century film centers on the exploits of the prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who seeks to succeed as an oil tycoon in the South. A self-professed loner who "hates most people," Plainview's only real confidant is the young H. W., the orphaned son of a worker who died in the pits. Plainview has raised the boy as his own, even making him his partner in his fledgling business. Luck smiles on Plainview when a mysterious young man secretly leads him to his father's lands located in a desolate corner of the state where "oil seeps out of the ground." This stroke of luck leads Plainview down a path that eventually forces him to collide with the stranger's identical twin brother, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), the vengeful prophet of a fringe who wants nothing to do with the shifty businessman. On the rugged terrain where Plainview hopes to make his fortune, he must face the consequences of his rivalry with the fierce Eli and his own destructive ambition, which threatens to take everything away from the ever more deranged oilman.
Day-Lewis' face is stamped on the film, an apt metaphor given that this two-hour, 45-minute film is Day-Lewis' show. His heated performance has all the intensity of a brightly burning fire. This fury fits perfectly with a character whose mantra seems to be "I want no one else to succeed." From his accent to the near permanent expression of malice etched into his face, Day-Lewis crafts a staggering vision of a man swept up by a drive to succeed who paradoxically fears having it all.
Day-Lewis offsets the more intense side of his performance by showcasing a real tenderness toward his adopted son. When he is with the child, the actor's usual cold stare and stiff stance are replaced with real tenderness as he strokes and pets the child's hair. This streak of affection that Day-Lewis brings to the surface cuts through his fiery exterior so that Plainview is not a simple caricature of a crazed capitalist. The delicate balance that Day-Lewis strikes enriches the Plainview character and keeps the increasingly despicable man remarkably sympathetic.
Since the star can somehow make a speech about milkshakes sound like a blistering insult, it is surprising to find that the actor is effectively counterbalanced by the quiet teen from "Little Miss Sunshine," Dano. As the evangelist preacher Eli Sunday, Dano is the antithesis to the rough-and-tumble Day-Lewis with his baby face, clean-shaven appearance and light-as-air movements. Just as Day-Lewis moves easily from tender father to seething businessman, Dano goes from being a quiet religious servant to a manic "conduit for the holy vessel" that viciously casts the ghosts out of his congregation. The two leads have a chemistry that boils over as both their characters loath each other more and more. As good as they are separately, when Paul Dano and Daniel Day-Lewis share the screen it is impossible to look away.
Anderson accentuates these pitch-perfect performances with a dark aesthetic that is infused with splashes of vibrant color. Grim beauty in this gritty and dirty world stems from shots where lakes of black oil spread across the desert floor. Anderson's meticulous eye makes "There Will Be Blood" a period film that sweats with a nasty realism and pulsates with brutal power.
When "There Will Be Blood" reaches its climax, I was left breathless and even a little lightheaded. Outside of seeing the actors and director working at peak form, the film could never be called a fun night at the movies. It's like a swift punch in the gut: painful but somehow exhilarating. Anderson's latest film needs to be seen on the big screen. Make sure you see it before it nabs the Oscar for Best Picture later this year.
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There Will be Blood
Paramount Pictures
Pros: Day-Lewis is riveting; Dano holds his own; powerful direction.
Cons: Not a 'fun' movie.
Five out of five paws.
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