There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is about the twin pillars of twentieth century American society: capitalism and religion. It documents the rise and fall of an oil man and a preacher in a small town in the south west at the beginning of last century. I’m sure you’ve seen some press about this movie, mostly focusing on Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance. His performance is incredibly powerful, but it is certainly not the only thing this movie has going for it. Paul Dano performs at least as well, maybe better, in his role as the preacher. Also–the soundtrack! Under the sometimes placid surface of the movie, runs the current of a turbulent soundtrack which is used to induce anxiety in the audience. The soundtrack might fit more comfortably in a horror movie, and yet it works. No, it doesn’t just work; it stands out as one of the best uses of music I have ever seen in a movie.
I cannot praise this movie enough. It is Shakespeare and the Bible all rolled up in a uniquely American story. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? This movie deserves the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Editing, Cinematography, Directing, and Original Score.
On a depressing note: according to Rotten Tomatoes, There Will Be Blood has only made $4.3 million in its first three weeks of release. For some comparison, that’s about 20% of what Bucket List made last weekend, about 10% of what Sweeney Todd made in its first three weeks of release, and exactly the same amount as the opening weekend gross of Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything - A Veggietales Movie.
