There Will Be Blood thread

[electricdunnahoo]

Just caught it yesterday. Amazing film. In my opinion, probably the best American film in the past three years. Is it just me, or do you think this film could've been stretched out into an HBO series? It would need more characters to keep it going of course, but I definitely felt that it could work as such.

[Oogie]

The only good part is when the preacher kid beats Daniel Day Lewis to death with the rolling pin.

*SPOILER*
The film's directed by Wes Anderson.
*END SPOILDER*

[A.M. Thomas]

I loved it.  Maybe not flawless, but an incredibly eerie and unusual film.  I think Hollywood really worked its magic by creating the oil tower and all that oil.  And I refuse to believe that Paul and Eli are not the same person.

[electricdunnahoo]

Apparently the original actor who portrayed Eli was fired, and Anderson stated that casting Dano in the role explained that Paul and Eli were twins.

[B_Buster]

I thought it was a great movie until Anderson botched it completely with that last, ham-handed scene. That last scene didn't even feel like it belonged to the same movie. The tone was completely different and the jokey violence was like something out of a Tarantino movie. And to build all that up just to slam religion (literally)?  Man, what a let down. Not as bad as the raining frogs in Magnolia, but close. I think Anderson would be better off if he quit trying to inject "big ideas" into his movies. Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Punch-Drunk Love were much more effective because they weren't bogged down with some profound statement Anderson was trying to make (the other problem being that Anderson's profound statements aren't all that profound).     

[A.M. Thomas]

I thought it was a great movie until Anderson botched it completely with that last, ham-handed scene. That last scene didn't even feel like it belonged to the same movie. The tone was completely different and the jokey violence was like something out of a Tarantino movie. And to build all that up just to slam religion (literally)?  Man, what a let down. Not as bad as the raining frogs in Magnolia, but close. I think Anderson would be better off if he quit trying to inject "big ideas" into his movies. Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Punch-Drunk Love were much more effective because they weren't bogged down with some profound statement Anderson was trying to make (the other problem being that Anderson's profound statements aren't all that profound).     

I liked the ending.  I agree that it was a little out of place in terms of tone, but it only made Eli's character more interesting.  Being a combination of a sort of mystic and a greedy con-man is an awesome dichotomy.  I didn't think that Eli's statements were meant to bash religion, but to deride his character.  There Will Be Blood is about the lengths greed will drive you to, and what you will do to stay on top once you arrive.  What do you mean by trying to make a profound statement? 

[A.M. Thomas]

Apparently the original actor who portrayed Eli was fired, and Anderson stated that casting Dano in the role explained that Paul and Eli were twins.

Yeah, I read that, but the movie still kind of makes plenty of sense if Paul and Eli are the same person.

[pupscout]

When I was watching the film, I assumed Eli and Paul were the same person. So Paul sold his family out?

That changes a lot. It's like Fahrenheit 451 all over again.

[Oogie]

I thought it was a great movie until Anderson botched it completely with that last, ham-handed scene. That last scene didn't even feel like it belonged to the same movie. The tone was completely different and the jokey violence was like something out of a Tarantino movie. And to build all that up just to slam religion (literally)? 

On one hand, I kind of like that the whole film was a sort of set up for a typographical punchline... Like, remember the totally ridiculous and pretentious trailer for the film?

Very elaborate and expensive joke.

I did leave the theatre disgusted that PT Anderson had just wasted my time with a three hour slam on a nonsense religion (since when do Pentacostals make the sign of the cross at their wedding?) but once I got past the basically shrill and moronic "religion" of the film (which is either a function of PT's own ignorance and some steaming turd left by Le Douche Sinclair) I liked that the whole thing went so topsy-turvy at the end.

It was like a flip on the NC4OM ending. Instead of meandering off into the desert to die, the catharsis in this film was ramrodded right up my ass by a clown car full of burning muppets.

Peace be with you, Paul Thomas Anderson

[pupscout]

you would really consider the whole film simply a slam on the pentecostal faith? i hardly think that's the focus. Eli's role doesn't act as a criticism of pentecostals so much as it's a testament to how greed can erode even the strongest convictions.

with that said, i thought the ending lines were pretty heavy handed. i think a lot more could have been done with the end... the "i'm finished" line was ridiculous.

[electricdunnahoo]

Im having a hard time with the anti-religion message as well. To me, it didnt seem to be slamming it at all. Eli's character just happened to be a poor preacher. Plus, if you take Magnolia into account, with all of the references to the Bible and what have you, it would be a drastic ideological switch from Anderson.

As for the ending, it made me laugh and was more conclusive than No Country for Old Mens ending.

[A.M. Thomas]

Im having a hard time with the anti-religion message as well. To me, it didnt seem to be slamming it at all. Eli's character just happened to be a poor preacher. Plus, if you take Magnolia into account, with all of the references to the Bible and what have you, it would be a drastic ideological switch from Anderson.

As for the ending, it made me laugh and was more conclusive than No Country for Old Mens ending.

Exactly.

[zonny the nun]

This is a good discussion so far.

I don't think there's any doubt that the doubling of Paul and Eli is unnecessarily confusing. If it had to be done, the word "twin" somewhere in the dialogue would have helped. As it is, Eli and Plainfield look positively conspiratorial when they meet.

I don't think there was a statement against religion in the film. In fact I rather wish the film did make more of a statement of some kind. On the other hand, I did see it three times already, so I guess overall I liked it.

I'd like to see an Alien-vs-Predator-style matchup between Daniel Day-Lewis in the final scenes armed with pistol and bowling pin against that other great PT Anderson dissolute, coked-out Alfred Molina from Boogie Nights, carrying his shot-gun.

By the way, I discuss a couple of personal encounters with Daniel Day-Lewis in my online diary: http://diary.typepad.com/alan_horns_diary/2008/01/january-7-2008.html.

[samir]

I did not realize at all that it had been two and a half hours when the credits rolled.
Also, the PFT cameo wasn't too blurry, he even got a line!
Thought it dragged a bit in the final act - the scene with adult H.W. seemed to go on and on.
But overall, well, they promised blood, and by Jiminy, they delivered it.

[Matt]

I'm going to see it tonight.

I'm very excited.