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Official Synopsis
Set during California’s turn-of-the-century petroleum boom, There Will Be Blood chronicles the rise of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a down-and-out silver miner who transforms himself into a self-made oil tycoon. Driven by a relentless and misanthropic ambition, Plainview moves his operations to the hardscrabble town of Little Boston after receiving a tip about an "ocean of oil" beneath the earth.
As he builds his empire, Plainview uses his adopted son, H.W., to project a trustworthy "family man" image to landowners. However, his pursuit of dominance leads to a simmering, violent rivalry with the town’s charismatic local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). As the oil flows and fortunes rise, the escalating conflict imperils every human value, love, hope, and the bond between father and son, resulting in a dark descent into moral decay.
The Stakeholders: The Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis: Daniel Plainview - The ruthless oilman whose greed consumes his soul.
- Paul Dano: Paul & Eli Sunday - Dano plays identical twins; Paul, the informant, and Eli, the manipulative evangelical rival.
- Dillon Freasier / Russell Harvard: H.W. Plainview - Daniel’s "partner" and son, portrayed as both a child and a deaf adult.
- Ciarán Hinds: Fletcher Hamilton - Plainview’s loyal right-hand man and business associate.
- Kevin J. O'Connor: Henry - A mysterious man who appears claiming to be Plainview’s long-lost half-brother.
- Sydney McCallister / Colleen Foy: Mary Sunday - The daughter of the Sunday family who eventually marries H.W.
Ray's Thoughts
PTA: The Evolution of a Master By Ray Manukay
It is easy today to designate Paul Thomas Anderson as one of the greatest directors working in modern cinema, but that reputation was not earned overnight. Anderson introduced himself to audiences with the noir thriller Hard Eight, a clever debut about an aging hitman seeking redemption. While solid, it was not until Boogie Nights that audiences truly glimpsed his potential. A bold and sprawling ensemble piece centered on the San Fernando Valley’s transition from the 70s golden age of porn to the 80s digital video era, the film was an undeniable lightning bolt.
Yet, cynics at the time argued the film was a magic trick with visible foundations. They pointed to the shock value of the setting, the Robert Altman type ensemble format, and a frenetic shooting style that felt like a direct tribute to Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Even the stunt casting of Burt Reynolds seemed to echo Tarantino’s revitalization of John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.
Anderson followed this with Magnolia, another ensemble effort that leaned so heavily into the Altman formula that it almost became a detriment. While a powerful piece of filmmaking, its proximity to Boogie Nights unfairly pigeonholed Anderson as a shameless knock-off of his idols, a director relying on extravagant visuals and the gravity of his actors rather than a unique voice. To some, the heavy themes of death and cosmic coincidence in Magnolia felt desperate, straining for emotional catharsis and, perhaps worse, pretentious awards season validation.
To his credit, Anderson seemed to sense these limitations. He pivoted drastically with Punch-Drunk Love, a comedic yet claustrophobic character study where he truly began to find his own voice. No longer content with following his idols, he focused on the simple story of a social misfit, played with surprising vulnerability by Adam Sandler, trying to find romance in a cold and cynical world. It was a rewarding departure that stripped away the ensemble crutches and focused on tone and intimacy.
This evolution leads us to his undisputed magnum opus: There Will Be Blood. The film is a masterwork of confidence, both in Anderson’s direction and Daniel Day-Lewis’s gargantuan performance, which is one of the greatest artistic expressions ever captured on celluloid. The brilliance of the direction lies in Anderson’s restraint; he knows exactly when to let the performance breathe. Rather than forcing a visual gimmick, he is content to place Day-Lewis in a beautifully lit space and simply let him go to work.
The film opens in haunting silence. Unlike Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, which uses silence to play with perspective and tension, Anderson uses it to establish the camera as an impartial observer. We watch, mesmerized, as Daniel Plainview mines for gold in isolation. Once we find our bearings, the film confidently shifts gears into a theatrical monologue as Plainview pitches his services to landowners. This tonal fluidity happens throughout the film, demonstrating a master at the top of his game.
In There Will Be Blood, Anderson finally uses his entire repertoire to speak with a voice that is uniquely his own. He abandoned his usual ensemble of Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly, proving he did not need familiar faces to carry a story. He tackled his first period piece with meticulous historical accuracy, yet delivered a non-traditional narrative with no love interest and a protagonist who is arguably the film’s true antagonist. While Paul Dano is excellent, this is truly Day-Lewis’s movie. It is hard to articulate the magnitude of his work here; even compared to his roles in Lincoln or Gangs of New York, this film sees him run a gamut of human experience and expression that may never be matched.
Final Verdict:
Any analysis of There Will Be Blood feels inherently insufficient: it is a film that demands to be experienced rather than explained. It stands confidently alongside the titans of cinema: it possesses the sweeping visual landscapes of John Ford, the kinetic energy of Scorsese, the non-judgmental ambiguity of Kubrick, and the visionary camera work of Spielberg. Yet, through this alchemy of influence, Paul Thomas Anderson emerged as something entirely new. It is a film without misfires, a rare and singular charm that solidified PTA not just as a student of the masters, but as one of the masters himself.
The Ledger: Production Data
| Production Budget | $25 Million |
| Primary Filming Locations | Marfa, Texas (Little Boston); Beverly Hills, CA (Greystone Mansion) |
| Source Material | Loosely based on the 1926 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair |
| Cinematography | Robert Elswit (Shot on 35mm using anamorphic lenses) |
| Box Office Gross | $76.2 Million (Worldwide) |
Fun Facts & Trivia
- The Smoke Stall: While filming the oil derrick fire in Marfa, Texas, the smoke was so thick it drifted into the background of the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men set nearby, forcing them to stop shooting for the day.
- Chocolate Milkshake Oil: Director Paul Thomas Anderson revealed that the fake oil used to coat the actors and sets was actually made from the same base liquid used in McDonald's chocolate milkshakes.
- Daniel’s Dracula: PTA has admitted that he viewed the film as a "horror movie" in some ways, and modeled Plainview’s character partially on Count Dracula, a dark figure emerging from the earth to feed.
- The Method Mom: Dillon Freasier (H.W.) was a local schoolboy with no acting experience. His mother almost pulled him from the film after seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York; the crew had to send her a copy of The Age of Innocence to prove he could be a gentleman.
- The Milkshake Speech: Plainview’s iconic "I drink your milkshake" speech was adapted from actual congressional transcripts of the 1924 Teapot Dome Scandal.
The Official Trailer
The Blueprint: Production Data
- The Twin Twist: Paul Dano took on a starring role after replacing another actor during filming. He plays both Paul Sunday and the shrill preacher Eli Sunday.
- Budget Success: While produced on a $25 million budget, the film grossed over $76 million worldwide.
- Historical Roots: The screenplay was based on the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair.
- Award Recognition: The film received eight Academy Award nominations, winning Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
The Source Comparison: Oil! vs. There Will Be Blood
While the film is inspired by Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel, Paul Thomas Anderson used only the opening portions as a foundation before diverging into a singular narrative.
| Feature | The Source (Oil!) | The Findings (TWBB) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | A broad, socialist critique of the oil industry and political corruption. | An intimate, psychological study of greed, religion, and fatherhood. |
| The Protagonist | Bunny Ross: the idealistic son searching for social justice. | Daniel Plainview: the misanthropic patriarch who dominates every frame. |
| Eli Sunday | A minor character representing a small religious sect. | A primary antagonist and mirror to Plainview, representing the industry of faith. |
| The Conclusion | A sprawling story involving unions and multi-decade moral journeys. | A violent, operatic showdown that serves as the final collapse of humanity. |
The Findings: The most significant charm of this adaptation is the shift in perspective. Sinclair wrote his novel to educate the masses on the misfires of capitalism through the eyes of a sympathetic son. However: Anderson recognized that the true interest lay in the father, the man willing to drink the world's milkshake. By discarding the political subplots and focusing on the friction between industry and religion, the film feels more like a biblical myth than a historical record.
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