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There Will Be Blood


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I agree. The trailer looks absolutely fantastic. There are four things that make me happy about this movie: Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Day Lewis, Robert Elswit and that malickian style that reminds me of Days of Heaven.

 

I can't wait.

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  • 1 month later...

yeah this film will be amazing. the trailer is very brooding..... I've read 2 script reviews thus far and all signs point to iconic cinematography, amazing character studies (dark), socio/political/religious overtones... should be one of the best films made in awhile

 

absolutely cant wait

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  • 3 months later...

Just saw it tonight. A truly brilliant film. On top of the performances, the direction and cinematography being top notch, Jonny Greenwood was a perfect choice to do the stomach wrenching score that so beautifully portrayed the underlying emotions of the characters.

 

Without spoiling it, I'm still scratching my head about the ending. Not because it was confusing at all, but I'm still trying to really understand WHY that scene was written and kept in? It just should have ended a scene earlier...which is all I'm gonna say.

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Oh right, I also wanted to mention some of the great DoF work done in the film. Especially in one scene between Eli and Daniel when they're having a conversation in the doorway of the church. The camera moves back but zooms in as the scene progresses so the background becomes progressively out of focus to draw us into the exchange. A brilliant scene.

 

And the scene where Daniel is carrying H.W. away from the geyser of oil. It looks like the background was blurred in post, but it worked incredibly well with the music and it really brings us into the moment of a man rescuing his boy.

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*Potential Spoiler*

 

Jonathan re: the ending here are my thoughts:

 

If Daniel Plainview is the embodiment of the thematic elements of the screenplay and Eli Sunday is the equal but opposite, then what other logical conclusion can there be?

 

Did Daniel Plainview's behavior up to that point lead me to believe he was capable of that action, indeed, capable of nothing less?

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

*End spoiler alert*

 

It was a tough ending. It stayed with me. But nothing in the film allowed for comfort, the sound design and score cued us in to that pretty quickly as did the opening sequence.

 

If you weren't comfortable with the ending (as I think most people weren't) ask yourself if you were dissatisfied by it? What would have been a more truthful ending?

 

As I know you're well aware, good art asks questions in indirect ways.

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I saw it on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great camera work, a top tier score and lovely acting. This film presents a inquiry on the whole "westward bound" train of thought. Individual power, weakness and self serving justice play a large role in the major characters identity, rendering each character, especially Plainview and Eli, likable yet despicable fools. The score added much to this and it should be seen and heard in the theater. As for the end scene, almost like a 19th century farce that invites one into the madness and absurdity of these characters, it closes appropriately incredulous.

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There were so many negative comments by critics about the "distracting" score that I worried that it was going to be anachronistic, like a rock score for a period movie. I was pleasantly surprised -- what the score reminded me the most of were the ones that Kubrick assembled, particularly for "The Shining", a lot of semi-Bartok, Ligeti-like disturbing musical effects.

 

The influence of Kubrick could be seen here and there throughout, but particularly in the final scene.

 

The photography was great, wonderful low-key anamorphic work with a brutal, harsh yet lyrical quality.

 

I also liked PT Anderson's staging, how some scenes would play only in wide shots and others only in tight close-ups, but generally, conventional coverage was avoided.

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There were so many negative comments by critics about the "distracting" score that I worried that it was going to be anachronistic, like a rock score for a period movie. I was pleasantly surprised -- what the score reminded me the most of were the ones that Kubrick assembled, particularly for "The Shining", a lot of semi-Bartok, Ligeti-like disturbing musical effects.

 

The influence of Kubrick could be seen here and there throughout, but particularly in the final scene.

 

The photography was great, wonderful low-key anamorphic work with a brutal, harsh yet lyrical quality.

 

I also liked PT Anderson's staging, how some scenes would play only in wide shots and others only in tight close-ups, but generally, conventional coverage was avoided.

 

Awesome - music to my ears. Can't wait to see it. It's not out yet back home, but I'm in LA from tuesday, so hopefully will catch it during the week.

 

btw re: The Shining, the music in question is mainly Krzysztof Penderecki, which PT Anderson has said was an influence when he was writing There Will be Blood. He talks about it a bit here:

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  • 5 weeks later...
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Loved the cinematography of the film, especially the flares which felt lovely. Not your typical intermittent Primo flare, but much more organic. Especially that one shot with DDL on the phone and the window behind him bleeds into his face, but still he is sharp. The nightscenes were really good too, the orange firelight on their sweaty faces looked great. Kudos for shooting these on 200T stock.

 

As for the film itself, it didn't really draw me in. It didn't have the same rhythm as 'Boogie Nights' or 'Magnolia'. I though DDL was mostly horrible, too theatrical, he spoke too well and pronounced word too clearly for someone of his background and upbringing. The other actors were much better, more natural and less mannered, especially Paul Dano.

 

I hated the score, felt like someone had seen 2001 and said: 'I want that rising string effect too', but here it felt totally unmotivated. I was waiting for the black monolith to pop up any minute.

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I too was somewhat dissapointed. And the score really grated and reminded me of those THX sound swells to the point that I huffed (softly) 5 minutes later when the score "swelled" again.

 

"Assassination of Jesse James" had it all for me this year.

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The score and Lewis were my favorite parts. The score was so chaotic and creepy, it lent an air of strangeness to the picture that matched its odd, psychological subject matter.

 

A couple of the scenes had me roaring with with laughter, too. When Plainview was "converted" in the church, but then mumbles something about "pipeline" at the end I was howling. Same thing with the "I drink your milkshake!" line.... hahahaa. :lol:

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A couple of the scenes had me roaring with with laughter, too. When Plainview was "converted" in the church, but then mumbles something about "pipeline" at the end I was howling. Same thing with the "I drink your milkshake!" line.... hahahaa. :lol:

Yep, those were the two best scenes in my eyes also. Don't get why people complain about the ending, it is a direct reversal of the conversion scene in the church. Apparently 'I drink your milkshake' has become a cultphrase already.

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I don't know why, but it didn't draw me in, which is quite funny, since I liked a lot of things about it.

The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, the performances are so good, and you can "feel" PTA's top notch directing style. I'm still scratching my head trying to understand why i didn't like it as a whole. Maybe I need to see one more time.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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... I've now seen this twice and think it's a modern classic. Some really memorable shots, powerful scenes, a strong, dark, multi-layered and dramatic script and lots of interesting coverage of scenes. Elswit truly deserves the oscar gong and 'Day Lewis is pretty darn mesmerising in the lead... (Max - don't agree with you at all!).

 

It Made 'No Country' look like what it is - a very well crafted, clever but ultimately insubstantial film...

 

'Loved the opening scenes - pure cinema.

 

The rising strings has obviously reminded everyone of Kubrick but there was much more to it than that. I saw more of Terence Malick than Kubrick in this picture...

 

Go see it if you haven't already - if only more modern films were as interesting as this...

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