There Will Be Rentals

There Will Be Blood
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Paramount Pictures



It’s a magical time of year for film lovers. The theatres are full of movies that aren’t quite meaningful enough for Oscar consideration and aren’t quite spectacular enough to be part of the Blockbuster spring and summer seasons. It is during these months that cinephiles like me look to DVD releases to fill my deep need for an entertainment fix.

It’s a commonly known fact that most studios release their Oscar hopefuls late in the year so that they can be fresh in the minds of the Academy judges (and the movie going public) when the awards start getting picked early the following year. Now that it is April, these films are starting to pop up in your favorite retail establishment in DVD form. This week, among the must-see-because-I-couldn’t-find-the-time-to-get-to-the-theatre-last-Christmas flicks to drop is the epic There Will Be Blood.



The film garnered no less than eight academy nominations this year, taking home two (Best Actor for Daniel Day Lewis and Best Cinematography for Robert Elswit). Based loosely on the highly political 1927 novel Oil by Upton Sinclair, There Will Be Blood follows the life of Daniel Plainview a self proclaimed “oil man” on his quest to become the most powerful supplier of black gold in California. We shadow Plainview on his quest from 1898 until sometime in the 1930s. Each step he takes is fraught with danger, greed, deception, and uncertainty.



Watching Lewis’ portrayal of Plainview, it’s easy to see why he was granted the golden statue. Long sequences without any dialogue force all the actors to create meaning from gesture and expression rather than delivery of lines. Lewis is a master silent thespian and the first 18 minutes of the film are a testament to this. Pay close attention.



As a fan of Paul Dano’s from the recent films Fast Food Nation and Little Miss Sunshine, I was looking forward to seeing what he could do with the role of Eli Sunday, a young preacher who (as the trailer portrays) is at odds with our protagonist. Although I found the character well written, and perhaps existing as a metaphor for greed and corruption within the religious community, Dano’s portrayal seemed to be a bit over the top and at times turns what should be serious into something very silly.

The supporting cast did their best to keep up with Lewis and Dano but, aside from Dillon Freasier adequate depiction of Plainview’s young ward, there aren’t any impressionable performances to speak of, which is unusual in an event picture like this. Normally, I’d expect to see at least one or two short sequences where an actor gets to bear his or her chops and “steal” a scene (think Meat Loaf in Fight Club or Steve Carell in Bruce Almighty). Oh well.

Despite the film clocking in at two and a half hours, I never felt the weight of its length, but then I always did love historic epics. This isn’t one of those movies you can pop in while you have drinks with friends on a Saturday night. There Will Be Blood has strong performances from the leads; brings the inference, irony, and shocking moments; and has enough meaning to make Webster’s Dictionary jealous. If that sounds appealing, buckle in, grab a coffee, and rent this DVD – there will be entertainment.

There Will Be Blood is now available on DVD