There Will Be Blood

This movie is as good as it gets in modern moviemaking. Daniel Day-Lewis, our greatest living actor, adds his greatest character portrayal yet to a seemingly unlimited range of characters past. He plays Daniel Plainview an oil wildcatter during the age of the post-Reconstruction "Robber Barons." Not all of the Robber Barons were financial wizards like Jay Gould or conniving accounting monopolists like John D. Rockefeller, unethically stealing the profits of the hard working entrepreneurs who made the great oil and mineral discoveries of the time. Daniel represents the driven, rugged individualist who resisted and defeated Rockefeller and the railroads' attempts to reap the fortune of his almost literally back-breaking efforts. But in his quest, struggle and ultimate financial success Plainview pays a heavy price. The brutal, ruthless life he leads to attain his ambition for wealth leaves him resembling more a denizen of nature than a resident of the human race. Whether he lost his soul in his childhood, in his quest, or never had one in the first place, is for the viewer to decide. The scene with his "brother", Henry, is truly chilling when Daniel first reveals his brutal, misanthropic nature. Only Daniel Day-Lewis could deliver such blood curdling dialogue in that scene; slowly, in a philosophical manner explaining to Henry his hateful feelings toward all others with a fatalistic smile on his face. He is a man comfortable in a skin in which many others would not be. Kevin J. O'Connor's portrayal of Henry is outstanding as a desperate soul who never betrays Daniel, and is as loyal as a brother, but dies at Daniel's hand. Daniel, as is shown throughout the movie, has a very perverse view of family and loyalty. The development of his relationship with his adoptive son, H.W., is the clearest view into Daniel's character and ultimately renders the final verdict on Daniel's lifelong quest for wealth. Daniel's hardened and embittered nature is never shown more pointedly, and brutally, than in his final scene with H.W. ("a [...]in a basket!"). It is the savagely destructive psychological counterpart to the physical destruction Daniel wreaks in the final scene with Eli Sunday, the "false prophet". Paul Dano as Eli Sunday, the greedy charismatic preacher, has received many accolades for his performance. It is good, though not as good as O'Connor's "Henry" or the young H.W. (Dillon Freasier). The main problem is not so much Dano's performance as his character's physical appearance. Day-Lewis ages slowly but markedly through the thirty-five year period of the movie. Dano, however, looks exactly the same age in the final confrontation in the bowling alley as he does when he first encounters Daniel at Eli's family dinner table. There is also a scene later in the movie, some time after the scene at the family dinner table, in which Daniel beats and humiliates Eli in front of others. It is almost a cinematic non-sequitur since the tension and rivalry between the two has not built to the point to justify the scene. Regardless, those two items of criticism are slight in the context of a truly great movie. The cinematography and the musical score lend greatly to its dark atmospherics. It is encouraging to see that it was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson whose previous undistinguished work includes the voyeuristically juvenile "Boogie Nights" and the embarrassing attempt at romantic comedy, "Punch Drunk Love". It does shows that an artist can grow beyond the exploitative and immature sides of Hollywood cinema as he matures. It undoubtedly helped Thomas to have Daniel Day-Lewis as the star, rather than an Adam Sandler. This is Day-Lewis's movie and he is the best. I have used the word "brutal" on a number of occasions in this review. The era of the Robber Barons was just that. This movie effectively conveys the history you may read about the era and the unforgiving state of nature that produced men like Daniel Plainview. As has been mentioned by other reviewers, the Plainview character is "loosely" based on a character named Vern Roscoe in the novel "Oil," written by Upton Sinclair. Sinclair's fictional character, in turn, was "loosely" based on a real person, named Edward L. Doheny. He is profiled in Wikipedia if you would like more information about him. All such "loose" associations are irrelevant in a great movie. Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis have produced a cinematic masterpiece. It will be considered a classic in due time because of the timelessness of its theme and the greatness of its performances. I'm finished.

As described

If you ever explore threads asking people to list the movies they find the most boring, you'll see that There Will Be Blood is often mentioned. I can understand why. The opening 14-and-a-half minutes doesn't contain any dialogue unless you count the occasional grunt or cry of pain. The score is often unsettling and unlike anything you would expect to hear. The pacing is slow and the film has plenty of painful scenes. The opening scene is set in 1898 and gives us immediate insight into the character of Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis). We see him working alone, prospecting for oil. It's a physically demanding occupation which is full of danger. One small lapse can cause a severe injury or even death. Plainview falls down a well shaft and breaks his leg, but discovers oil in the process. We then see him crawl backwards as he slowly makes his way into town to register the find. He's one of the most stubborn and driven characters you will ever see portrayed on film. In 1902, he's working with a group of men, and we are reminded again how dangerous the work is. A tiny mistake results in the death of a man and Plainview adopts his orphaned baby boy. The story jumps forward several years and we see Plainview and his adopted son, HW, attending a town meeting. Plainview has discovered that the region contains oil and we see him making an offer to extract the oil. His argument is calm, reasonable, and logical. He's quite a salesman. He talks of other offers the town may receive and why his own proposal is the best solution for everyone. We are given the impression that he knows what he's talking about and it's difficult to resist his offer. When Plainview is visited by Paul Sunday (Dano), the main part of the film begins. Paul offers to reveal the location of land rich in oil and he negotiates a price for the information. Plainview visits the town and finds that the information is accurate. He begins buying up all the available land. The film contains a power struggle between Plainview and Eli Sunday (also played by Dano). Eli becomes Plainview's enemy immediately by negotiating a higher price for his father's ranch than Plainview expected to pay. Eli is also the town's priest and he seeks power and recognition at every available opportunity. Plainview sees him as a fake and doesn't seem to have any religious beliefs of his own, but he's forced to bow to Eli's wishes on several occasions. I've barely touched on the plot, but I won't reveal any more. This is a sprawling story spanning several decades. It's one of the most intense character studies that I've ever seen. You'll see how Plainview relates to other people and his adopted son. He's a ruthless businessman and it's dangerous to cross him. In one scene, we hear his honest thoughts on society: "I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people." That last sentence is spoken with irony, but Plainview makes it clear that he understands his own true character. As the story progresses, we see what obsession and hatred can do to a man when it's maintained over a long period of time. My knowledge of film isn't as deep as you would expect for someone of my age. It's a relatively new obsession in my life. However, I believe that Daniel Day-Lewis delivers the best acting performance I have ever seen. I didn't doubt for a moment that he was a bitter, obsessed, driven man, capable of doing anything to bring him closer to his goals. Day-Lewis is in every scene and the film wouldn't have had the same impact without his astonishing performance. The technical aspects of the film are also superb. Jonny Greenwood's unusual score is particularly effective. One of my favorite moments happens during a drilling accident when the percussion increases in tempo as the scene unfolds. The cinematography is breathtaking at times. There's an early scene in which Plainview and HW approach the crest of a hill and the distant landscape is revealed. It's one of several moments of extreme beauty in the film. If the film has a fault, I would say that the final 20 minutes don't quite match the quality of the rest of the story. This closing sequence still works, and contains a few memorable moments, but the first two hours are close to perfect. If you enjoy character studies that aren't afraid to take the time to tell a story, There Will Be Blood might be your kind of film. If you need action and an upbeat conclusion, then it's probably not for you.

The back of the case is hard to read so here are the audio options: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. There is no Dolby Atmos or DTS alternative.

There is a reason that Daniel Day Lewis wins awards for his acting. This is one of them. His ability to 'become' the individual he portrays goes far beyond the job of being just an actor. He is an amazing actor, a true artist of his craft, and the films that grow out of his involvement become internationally recognized for good reason. This film is but one example.

A well shot film by Paul Thomas Anderson about the greed that fuels the oil business based loosely on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil . Sounds like a movie about history, so what's this nonsense of a horror movie based on actual events? The title sounds like a horror film, is it that? No. The score is like something out of The Shining [Blu-ray ], could it be the mood? No. In 2007 I pre paid for my oil and did a budget plan with a local company, my rate was $2.59. On May 1st 2008 I was sent my new contract to lock into the a rate of $3.84 which I had to return by May 30. On May 22, 2008 I received another letter saying they had sold out of oil in record time and my contract was void and they would send out new information. On June 3, 2008 I received the letter stating I could lock in for $4.29 a gallon, for the avg I need that is $326 a month and $3,586.000 a year. And I have a new house and don't use that much heat in comparison to others. Oh, before arriving home to get the letter in the mail I stopped to fill up my gas tank at over $4 a gallon. I've just set the stage for some real life horror or satire depending on how you see the glass. Paul Thomas Anderson knowingly or unknowingly creates a character in Plainview that can be used as a metaphor to mock the ridiculousness or our current state or to show the true horror of it. As for the title in a revolution there is usually blood. Either way nobody is packing up the family and moving to Beverly because we couldn't afford the gas it would take us to get there. Another horror film just in theory it reminded me of (again only in theory) is the highly criticized The Amityville Horror for it's being based on a true story. Ghosts or not that family's financial fears are real and hit home. MY IDEA: I read an article that stated that Nascar is suffering because these die hard fans usually travel all over to see the races but with large vehicles and what not they cant' afford it. So here it is. The biggest gas guzzlers have to be race cars, so what if Nascar boycotted itself. Went on strike. Those guys make pretty decent money and their fans are die hard. More people might watch Sportscenter then the news and it plays about 20 times a day and each time would cover such a story. Perhaps maybe just a well known well off racer. It's a theory which I'm sure someone could poke a ton of holes in. I don't have the answers I'm just throwing out ideas. DVD Features: (NONE)

Excellent

Película impresionante y con gran calidad audiovisual en esta edición Blu-ray. Las actuaciones y la fotografía destacan aún más en alta definición. Muy recomendable.

Oh my goodness what a performance by Daniel Day-Lewis my god this guy is good with his acting skills hands bloody down.Wow you got to see this movie which is a true story by the way.i just can't believe there is only seventeen reviews of this movie man what ashamed.. "This is one epic American classic that should not be missed" Daniel Day-Lewis, gives the Academy Award Winning performance of his life, Daniel Plainview [Day-Lewis] and his son are independent oil men, prospecting through California at the turn of the 20th century, who was challenged by a young preacher, Eli Sunday played by [Paul Dano] which both men lives turn into an abyss, and a darkly-journey of madness, I have watched this movie So many Times, that the first time he meet the people to pitch his prospecting ideas, I think I can recite every word that was said, here's what was said,word for word, "Ladies and gentlemen, I traveled over Jist about half our state to get here this evenin'. I couldn't get away sooner, because my new well was a-comin' in at Lobos River, and I had to see about it.That well is now flowin' four thousand barrel, and payin' me an income of five thousand dollars a day, I got two others drilling', and I got sixteen producin' at Antelope. So, ladies and gentlemen if I say I'm an oil man, you got to agree, "You got a great chanct here, ladies and gentlemen; but bear in mind, you can lose it all if you ain't carful, out of all the fellers that beg you for a chanct to drill your land, maybe one in twenty will be oil men; the rest will be speculators, fellers tryin' to get between you and the oil men. to get some of the money that ought by rights come to you, Even if you find one that has money, and the means to drill, he'll maybe know nothin' about drillin', and have to hire out the job on contract- and then you're trying to rush the job through, so as to get to another contract jist as quick as he can. But, ladies and gentlemen, I do my own drillin', and the fellers that work for me are fellers I know, I make it my business to be there and to see to their work. I don't lose my tools in the hole, and spend months a-fishin'; I don't botch the cementin' off, and let water into the hole, and ruin the whole lease, And let me tell you, I'm fixed right now like no other man or company in this field, Because my Lobos River well has jist come in, I got a string of tools all ready to put to work, I can load a rig onto trucks, and have them here in a week, I've got business connections, so I can get the lumber for the derrick-- such things go by friendship,in a rush like this, That's why I can guarantee to start drillin'; and put up the cash to back my work, I assure you whatever the others promise to do, when it comes to the showdown, they won't be there. Runtime 158 Minutes. Widescreen 2.40:1 5.1 Surround Master Audio.

„Mehr zu haben, um mehr zu sein, ist nicht nur der älteste, sondern auch der gesündeste aller Instinkte.“ Ob Friedrich Nietzsche recht hatte oder nicht mit seinem Lob der Habgier, in There Will Be Blood nimmt es Gestalt an in der Figur des Daniel Plainview, furios verkörpert von Daniel Day Lewis. Eine sagenhafte Leistung dieses genialen Schauspielers, der so charismatisch wie virtuos agiert und den Zuschauer sprachlos zurücklässt nach einer unvergesslichen Darbietung. Plainview ist ein menschenhassender Einzelgänger, der sich mit manischer Besessenheit zum Öl-Baron emporarbeitet und der schon als Nimmersatt zur Welt gekommen sein muss. Für niemanden außer ihn soll etwas übrigbleiben, und zu erleben, dass auch andere Menschen erfolgreich sind, das macht ihn regelrecht krank, weil er sich dabei fühlt, als würde er bestohlen. Trotzdem ist dieser pathologische Typus eines Kapitalisten kein schieres Monster, denn er gewinnt menschliche Konturen, wenn er sich fürsorglich um seinen Ziehsohn kümmert, den er nach dem Unfall-Tod des leiblichen Vaters vor dem Waisenhaus bewahrt, und auch wenn Plainview seinen Vorteil daraus zieht, indem er den Jungen dafür benutzt, in der Rolle eines Familien-Menschen aufzutreten und Sympathien zu erheischen beim Erwerb von Bohr-Rechten bei der Landbevölkerung, hat er ihn dennoch gern, und er kann Tränen vergießen bei der Erinnerung an seinen verlorenen Bruder. Derartige Anwandlungen sind allerdings rar und können Plainview niemals davon abhalten, sich jenseits von Gut und Böse und ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste seinen Weg durch die Welt zu bahnen, auch wenn es am Ende einen bescheidenen Lebens-Ertrag darstellt, sich auf der heimischen Kegelbahn bewusstlos zu saufen. Quentin Tarantino störte sich daran, dass Plainview ein ebenbürtiger Antagonist fehlt in diesem Film, und in der Tat wirkt Paul Dano in der Rolle eines scheinheiligen Predigers wie ein Schluck Wasser und wird in der Schauspiel-Arena regelrecht aufgefressen von Daniel Day Lewis. There Will Be Blood ist ein bildgewaltiges Meisterwerk von einem Film, der die einfache Wahrheit bezeugt, dass die Welt am Ende denen gehört, die sie sich aneignen durch schiere Lebenskraft - eine Tugend, die existentiell ist und keine moralische Kategorie darstellt.

Dès le titre, l'âpreté et le destin des personnages est scellé. Le film sera dur et violent : promesse tenue. C'est du sang noir de la terre dont il s'agit : le pétrole. Si la terre saigne, elle demande un sacrifice en retour : le sang de l'homme doit être versé. Si vous n'avez pas vu le film ne lisez pas ce qui suit ! L'émergence du pétrole et le mythe du self-made man sert de toile de fond à la confrontation de deux manipulateurs qui se reconnaissent comme tel. D'un coté, le pétrolier Daniel Plainview qui utilise son enfant adoptif pour acheter des terres et des gisements ; de l'autre, Eli le pasteur prédicateur grand guignol qui rallie les consciences par ses prêches enflammés. Tous deux ont soif d'argent et de pouvoir. Les hommes sont des outils pour le pétrolier y compris sa propre famille. Son ascension sociale est inversement proportionnelle à ses relations aux autres. L'ouvrier qui meurt au fond du puits de pétrole lui lègue un enfant. Quelques années plus tard, cet enfant amadoue les fermiers dont il souhaite acheter les terres. Suite à son accident, le pétrolier l'éloigne. L'enfant le gêne et ne peut lui être d'aucune utilité dans la gestion de ses affaires. Surgit alors un second membre de sa famille (ou déclaré comme tel), le frère, venu de nulle part. Ce dernier l'épaule dans son projet de pipeline. Mais sitôt le contrat signé, l'usurpateur est démasqué et éliminé sans sentiments aucun. La scène de la baignade est magnifique dans sa manière de célébrer l'accomplissement de ce projet insensé et de décrire l'immense solitude du pétrolier. Les deux sentiments l'envahissent et le submerge à l'image des vagues. Le prêcheur est l'instigateur de l'extension du champ pétrolifère de Plainview. Lors de l'achat de la ferme, malgré le prix demandé par Eli, Plainview le paie une bouchée de pain, loin de la valeur véritable du gisement. Pour sa seconde entrée en piste, il pense tenir les rennes. Le pétrolier le manipule une seconde fois. Pour l'inauguration du derrick et la mise en exploitation, Plainview sabote les plans du prêcheur débutant qui lui aurait permis d'asseoir son importance naissante dans la communauté des fermiers. Le rappel de la promesse de don du pétrolier à son église lui fait mordre violemment la poussière. Le baptême du pétrolier est l'occasion de lui rendre ses coups. Mais Plainview obtient ainsi l'accord de passage du pipeline sur les seules terres qu'il ne possède pas. Jamais Eli, le soit disant « homme de Dieu » ne parvient à manœuvrer le pétrolier. Il conserve toujours une carte d'avance. Plainview est un solitaire dévoré par l'ambition. Il ne peut s'encombrer des autres fussent-ils sa famille. Dans sa vaste demeure vide, symbole des sommets financiers qu'il désirait plus que tout, sa monstruosité apparaît pleine et entière, sans masque. Il renie son fils adoptif. Le fils rejeté quitte sans amour ce père froid et calculateur au soir de son existence. L'irruption du prêcheur, dans une ultime tentative maladroite et désespérée d'utiliser Plainview à son profit (financier), est son chant du cygne. Après tant d'années, la terre demande réparation pour le fluide poisseux extrait de ses entrailles : c'est le sang de l'homme qui étanche sa soif. La démesure de la maison du pétrolier devient étriquée face à l'ignominie du personnage. Pour incarner Plainview, un acteur capable de tout était nécessaire : une présence physique massive évidente dans la scène d'ouverture, une capacité à l'exagération sans tomber dans le grand guignol et une posture glaçante et malsaine distillée de façon graduelle au long du film. Daniel Day Lewis possède tout cela. C'est un monstre d'interprétation. Aucun autre acteur ne semble pouvoir embrasser un tel rôle. Il ne joue pas, il est. Son Oscar est une évidence pour saluer sa prestation. Saluons aussi l'interprétation de Paul Dano dans le rôle d'Eli qui tient tête sans peine à l'acteur anglais. La mise en scène de P. T. Anderson est moins ostensible que celle de ses réalisations précédentes (BOOGIE NIGHT, MAGNOLIA). Cette sobriété formelle magnifie la photographie et rend la part belle à ses acteurs. Les scènes nocturnes sont exceptionnelles dans leur composition. L'utilisation de la lumière témoigne d'une grande maîtrise. La scène aquatique 'point charnière déjà évoqué- est leur exact contraire. La lumière y est éclatante, les couleurs sont brûlées, sans pareil dans le reste du film. Cela donne toute sa force et son originalité. L'utilisation de la musique d'Arvo Pärt, compositeur estonien, et des Fratres (dans leur version de 1992 pour violon) en particulier véhicule ce petit supplément génial à la mise en image. Cette musique lyrique et étrange à la fois apporte une profondeur adéquate au film (scène de l'accident du garçon). Elle sera habilement mariée au concerto pour violon de Brahms utilisé lors du générique final. Du cinéma américain dans sa toute sa complexité et sa magnificence : un chef d'œuvre. Oscar 2008 du meilleur acteur. Espérons une édition Blu-ray à la hauteur du film !

Una película ,que todavía no la he visto,pero la he chequeado capítulo a capítulo.y se ve y de olle de fábula .una copia muy buena sin grano aparente,ni siquiera en las sombras

One of the best movies you'll ever watch. They truly do not make movies like this anymore. Also for anyone thinking its a "western", its not. It's partially set in that era but plot and theme are nothing like your typical western movie.