by Anne Jane Preston
Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood (2007) opens by fulfilling the title's promise of bloodshed and viscera, as we watch a miner get crushed and embedded into an oil pit by falling debris. What follows is a 14-minute sequence of shots establishing the world, with absolutely no dialogue. The world in question is portrayed as one that inflicts itself upon all those who inhabit it. It is a universe where only the strong survive, usually preying on those who are much weaker than they are. This is where the real story begins.
There Will Be Blood, which is based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, revolves around Daniel Plainview played by Daniel Day-Lewis. It follows his ceaseless pursuit of oil and riches, where he shows just how far he will go to get what he wants. Daniel Day-Lewis, who would go on to work on two more of Anderson's films, plays the role of an egotistic maniac to a T, as he gives one of the most riveting performances of his career. This is saying a lot, as an article on Reuters reveals that Day-Lewis has three Oscars under his belt.
There Will Be Blood, which is based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, revolves around Daniel Plainview played by Daniel Day-Lewis. It follows his ceaseless pursuit of oil and riches, where he shows just how far he will go to get what he wants. Daniel Day-Lewis, who would go on to work on two more of Anderson's films, plays the role of an egotistic maniac to a T, as he gives one of the most riveting performances of his career. This is saying a lot, as an article on Reuters reveals that Day-Lewis has three Oscars under his belt.
This was clearly no easy task for Day-Lewis, as one could easily overextend when portraying the rage, fury, and desire of one wanna-be oil tycoon Daniel Plainview. But Day-Lewis, ever the master, is one that is all too familiar with restraint. His is a fury that is precise, targeted, and controlled. This depiction hits the sweet spot, or the thin line between acting and overacting. Indeed, this is a line that Day-Lewis tiptoes in various moments of this film, as he pushes the character to the brink of breaking just as much as the character has obviously pushed him.
Day-Lewis isn’t the only major first time collaboration in There Will Be Blood, as it also marks Jonny Greenwood's first time scoring for the critically acclaimed director. Jonny Greenwood is known for experimenting with electronic gadgets to achieve surreal sounds. He's famously used the subdued and subtle natural tube amp growl of the Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive to shape the sound of his band Radiohead back in the '90s. Another pedal that frequented his roster was the Digitech Whammy WH-1, which can be heard on Paranoid Android. The man was obsessed with electronic music, which is why it's equally strange and refreshing to hear him work exclusively with orchestra instruments and musicians.
Doubtlessly informed by Greenwood's extensive use of effects throughout his career, some argue that this film's soundtrack is the Radiohead guitarist's best work to date. This may be why Greenwood has established quite the working relationship with Anderson, as Greenwood would go on to score Anderson's next films, including The Master (2012), Inherent Vice (2014), and Phantom Thread (2017). In There Will Be Blood, the eeriness of the film's score adds another dimension, as it serves as a stark contrast to the sunny and bright landscape of Southern California. This, paired with brilliant acting by Day-Lewis, is another indication that things are about to go terribly wrong.
Doubtlessly informed by Greenwood's extensive use of effects throughout his career, some argue that this film's soundtrack is the Radiohead guitarist's best work to date. This may be why Greenwood has established quite the working relationship with Anderson, as Greenwood would go on to score Anderson's next films, including The Master (2012), Inherent Vice (2014), and Phantom Thread (2017). In There Will Be Blood, the eeriness of the film's score adds another dimension, as it serves as a stark contrast to the sunny and bright landscape of Southern California. This, paired with brilliant acting by Day-Lewis, is another indication that things are about to go terribly wrong.
Overall, the film acts as a modern-day tale on the animalistic nature of the desires of man. It is a representation of how far one can go on the whims of his own selfishness – a reminder of why we should never venture that far, as it will surely come at the cost of one's humanity. And while some may say that Anderson's film is a ham-fisted portrayal, a caricature of what man can become, it is these same exaggerations that give the material distance. This gives the audience a chance to examine it more closely, allowing them to reflect on how they perceive their desires and the lengths that they would go to turn these desires into a reality.
Works cited:
Feigel, Lara. “Review: Oil! by Upton Sinclair.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Feb. 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/feb/24/features.review.
Serjeant, Jill. “Triple Oscar Winner Daniel Day-Lewis Retiring from Acting.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 20 June 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-daniel-day-lewis/triple-oscar-winner-daniel-day-lewis-retiring-from-acting-idUSKBN19B2ZX.
Works cited:
Feigel, Lara. “Review: Oil! by Upton Sinclair.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Feb. 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/feb/24/features.review.
Serjeant, Jill. “Triple Oscar Winner Daniel Day-Lewis Retiring from Acting.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 20 June 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-daniel-day-lewis/triple-oscar-winner-daniel-day-lewis-retiring-from-acting-idUSKBN19B2ZX.
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