So I'm watching There Will Be Blood and...

[wideawakewesley]

Two things struck me...

1. Daniel Day Lewis does a great Agent Smith impression
2. Hearing a score/sound effect from Lost was very distracting

Anyone else pick up on those things or was it just me?

[stubadub]

Both this and Lost use dissonance to unsettle viewers. I honestly kept thinking of The Shining. I don't even remember if The Shining's soundtrack really was similar, but I kept feeling like it was.

I thought that the soundtrack to this film was brilliant. If felt like a horror film soundtrack. There was this constant sense of unease I was feeling throughout the film. I thought it was a really interesting choice for this type of movie.

I definitely didn't get the "Mr. Anderson" Hugo Weaving vibe from his performance.

[ramshaw]

I loved this movie so much. The music was one of my favourite parts. I can see how it may get compared to Lost but I think it stands on its own as just a fantastic piece of work by Jonny Greenwood. I never picked up on the Agent Smith impression either, Daniel Day-Lewis' performance felt so powerful to me I couldn't take my eyes off him. Personally I preferred it to No Country and thought it should take the Academy Award but thats just me. This movie covered so many topics that in such an intelligent way, great stuff.

So in conclusion I liked it :P .

[tsmith15]

I just started watching Lost this past week and one of the first things I noticed was "oh, this sounds a lot like There Will Be Blood, that's rad!"

I didn't pick up on the Agent Smith thing but now that I hear you say that I definitely get where you're coming from.

Also, in case anyone hasn't seen it yet (freaking amazing), There Will Be Bud (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c6a5728047).

[jaylaf]

I saw There Will Be Blood last night and was floored. It was one of those rare movies that, for me, left me quiet and contemplative for some time, after leaving the theater.

In fact, I went home and wrote a Flixster review on my Facebook account, despite having at least a dozen titles in queue, that I have needed to sit down and write reviews for.

I absolutely loved the combination of P.T. Anderson directing, Daniel Day-Lewis starring, and Jonny Greenwood scoring. It was phenomenal! There's also just something about that time period, when done accurately, that fascinates me.

I had heard about the fact that the first (nearly) 20 minutes went without dialogue, and that is the type of thing that doesn't bother me in the least. I have to say though, for a few seconds there, it felt a little forced. I mean, when the on-site accident happened, SOMEONE would have yelled out. I found myself hoping that the first words would have been (when the one guy returns down the ladder), "We've got oil!!!"...or something.

I wouldn't even call that a complaint. I loved, loved, loved this movie!

[wideawakewesley]

I totally agree about the opening feeling forced at times, but the film overall didn't have the same impact on me. I really felt the Director chose to focus too much on Daniel Day-Lewis performance in the movie, and while he was totally deserving of his Oscar, that choice probably wasn't the best from a storytelling perspective.

I really felt that they neglected the story of the oilman and the preacher for large parts of the movie, so that ending didn't resonate as much as it should have.

Still a very good film though!

Wes

[ramshaw]

I totally agree about the opening feeling forced at times, but the film overall didn't have the same impact on me. I really felt Director chose to focus too much on Daniel Day-Lewis performance in the movie, and while he was totally deserving of his Oscar, that choice probably was the best from a storytelling perspective.

I really felt that they neglected the story of the oilman and the preacher for large parts of the movie, so that ending didn't resonate as much as it should have.

Still a very good film though!

Wes

I can see the criticism that the story between Daniel and Eli could have been brought center stage more than it was and that would have made the ending of the movie far more meaning and impact. The focus on Daniel Day-Lewis for me was totally justified he was mesmerizing in that role.

[stubadub]

I totally agree about the opening feeling forced at times, but the film overall didn't have the same impact on me. I really felt the Director chose to focus too much on Daniel Day-Lewis performance in the movie, and while he was totally deserving of his Oscar, that choice probably wasn't the best from a storytelling perspective.

I really felt that they neglected the story of the oilman and the preacher for large parts of the movie, so that ending didn't resonate as much as it should have.

Still a very good film though!

Wes

SPOILERS********************




I disagree. I felt like this film was always intended to be about Daniel Plainview. Eli was just an obstacle in the way of his plans, and the amount of time we spend with him seems perfect. We get just enough time with him with his family when he becomes abusive with his father to see his true nature, how he even uses his status as a man of God to condem his own father. Between that and his encounters with Plainview we have enough insight into his character to suit the story.

Early in the film we are shown how he is willing to walk away from money if he feels like he is not in control of the situation. Later Eli tries to use Plainview's oil plans as a means to establish himself as an important leader of the community. When Plainview intentionally prevents Eli from speaking I think it is partially the contempt he holds towards religion and mostly to prevent the perception that anyone has anything to do with this oil well other than Daniel Plainview.

Eli realizes he has control of the land Plainview needs for his pipeline and uses this in an attempt to both control Plainview and humiliate him. Plainview's desire to free himself from Union Oil is too great, and the pipeline too important to allow his pride to prevent him from allowing this display. As he ages his contempt for men in general seems to grow, and when he is given the opportunity to pay Eli back he cannot help but pay him back in spades. Plainview threatened to kill someone from Union Oil that only suggested he take a big payoff so he could spend time with his boy. Eli had done much worse than that. By the end of the film Plainview had destroyed the relationship with his adopted son and was living a miserable existance. That it all came out of him so expolsively when given the opportunity was no surprise.

[johnnysix]

stubadub.... totally on the same page dude. couldn't have said it better.