There Will Be Blood

Have to say that Daniel Day-Lewis deserves all the accolades, honors, awards, and the Oscar, as he is VERY impressive especially when he plays a character that starts normal and as the movie develops slowly -very slowly- becomes absolutely repulsive.

This Paul Thomas Anderson film is quite different to what American cinema does, this is truly art cinema and that was quite a surprise for me, as was not expecting art and that was just fabulous! Has marvelous absence of words, silences, sounds that complement or intensify the scene, slow, very slow pace, outstanding dialogues, great cinematography and impeccable direction.

The story, well that’s something else. It is very intense and hard to see, to digest and to like. But it is a good story in the sense of being very character driven and an outstanding study of human nature, a study mostly about the negative side of the soul. Being a period drama tells about Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) life from the late 1890’s up to the early 1910’s where from being a gold and silver prospector goes to become one of the most wealthy “oil men” in America.

As you notice the story outline is quite simple but as you may suspect, the movie is not necessarily about how he acquired his fortune. This is a movie about Daniel Plainview desire to be alone and far away from people. Sorry to give mild spoilers, but if you have the idea that this is a sort of an oil history movie –like me- you have to be prepared as is not. Also have to add that there is very little violence and no red blood, the blood is of a different kind.

Of course this bold story would have not been the same without the amazing performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and a cast that delivers very well and gives you the sensation of being transported to the time period. The performers plus the art style gives you a film that will stimulate your emotions very intensely; so, prepare yourself as you will be able to penetrate the life of an extreme sociopath and experiment all kind of emotions.

The movie since last year started to win many awards and just today BAFTA honored the movie with 9 nominations, so I assume that the Academy will do alike.

Absolutely not for all audiences and I think this is a movie that men will like, while women perhaps will not. But, obviously is a must be seen for Day-Lewis amazing performance and to be able to see a rare American art cinema.

It is an extremely good movie with a difficult to watch story, so I cannot say that you will enjoy it, but you will definitively admire this “boldly and magnificently strange” (as one critic says) film.