There Will Be Blood

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: There Will Be Blood

The scene that really sealed the deal for me was the scene when Plainview is talking to his brother by the fire and saying how he only sees the worst in people - the lighting, facial expression, and dialogue in that scene was perfect. The finale was just icing on the cake.


I drink your milkshake!

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: There Will Be Blood

No, I never sympathized with Plainview at all. Yes, he did work really hard for his oil dynasty, but the man was Satan himself in my eyes. I loved his character, though, no matter how evil he was but I never felt sorry for him.

I think I need to add to this just a little bit. Not only did I not sympathize with Plainview, but I didn't sympathize with any of the other characters either with the exception of Plainview's son. I guess thats why I never really hated DDL's character except for the final scene with his son.

[pistoldill]

Re: There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood might be the best film of this decade. As a complete picture, it is completely and utterly flawless.

[Gibbz]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I haven't seen this yet, but I've been dying to. I think Daniel Day-Lewis is arguably the best actor around.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood might be the best film of this decade. As a complete picture, it is completely and utterly flawless.

I don't know about that, but it is very good. I don't call a movie that fails to acknowledge a character aging from 19 to 45 and being played by the same young man flawless.

[pistoldill]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I don't know about that, but it is very good. I don't call a movie that fails to acknowledge a character aging from 19 to 45 and being played by the same young man flawless.

35

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I don't know about that, but it is very good. I don't call a movie that fails to acknowledge a character aging from 19 to 45 and being played by the same young man flawless.

Not even that, but it rested on the shoulders of one character. A great movie, I would agree, but a flawless movie, not really.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: There Will Be Blood

35

Fair enough, but doesn't really change my opinion.

[pistoldill]

Re: There Will Be Blood

Fair enough, but doesn't really change my opinion.

whether Eli or Daniel are aged significantly is of no consequence, especially since the pair are both evil entities within the context of the story. He may be a younger actor, but at the same time he does look older than he does earlier in the film.

Especially with Eli Sunday...he is prophet...the one beautiful young boy from Little Boston, and as such, it makes sense for him to retain much of his youngish looks. Besides, the way motifs and metaphors are used make it more a piece of literature than a film.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: There Will Be Blood

whether Eli or Daniel are aged significantly is of no consequence, especially since the pair are both evil entities within the context of the story. He may be a younger actor, but at the same time he does look older than he does earlier in the film.

Especially with Eli Sunday...he is prophet...the one beautiful young boy from Little Boston, and as such, it makes sense for him to retain much of his youngish looks. Besides, the way motifs and metaphors are used make it more a piece of literature than a film.

I'm all for motifs and metaphors, and looking deeply into the meaning of a film, but come on. You're just pulling out BS to defend a movie that just isn't perfect. This is something that happened due to lack of budget or directorial ego. Same reason why Eli was played by the same actor as Paul.

Paul Dano was NOT originally cast as Eli Sunday. The original actor decided he could not tolerate Daniel Day-Lewis' method acting because he was too intense on and off the set. So he left. Paul Thomas Anderson needed a replacement and decided to re-write the screenplay with the Sunday brothers as twins so that Paul Dano could play both. It was not the original intention, it was changed due to the circumstances. For the most part, it worked, but it also confused a lot of people and created the problem of young Paul Dano trying to play a 35 year old. It doesn't kill the movie, but don't tell me it was intentional, because it's not.

[pistoldill]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I already knew about the Dano-identical brothers deal, and that it wasn't originally intended to be that way. However, you are trying to frame it as if it was like a post production slant and change. Not so. I mean, Dano had four days and played the new role, but it isn't as if the script rewrite would have changed the 35 year old issue seem to think is such a pressing deal.

Hell...Daniel Day Lewis didn't look all that much older...not for...what...sixteen years?

It's no more an issue than Anton Chigurh not walking with a limp through the rest of the movie after the self surgery portion of No Country For Old Men. Or the fact that nobody is going to notice a man getting out of a terrible car crash and not trying to stop him, especially with the other person in the car dead. You don't get to pick and choose when reality and how the natural progress of things takes place.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I already knew about the Dano-identical brothers deal, and that it wasn't originally intended to be that way. However, you are trying to frame it as if it was like a post production slant and change. Not so. I mean, Dano had four days and played the new role, but it isn't as if the script rewrite would have changed the 35 year old issue seem to think is such a pressing deal.

Hell...Daniel Day Lewis didn't look all that much older...not for...what...sixteen years?

It's no more an issue than Anton Chigurh not walking with a limp through the rest of the movie after the self surgery portion of No Country For Old Men. Or the fact that nobody is going to notice a man getting out of a terrible car crash and not trying to stop him, especially with the other person in the car dead. You don't get to pick and choose when reality and how the natural progress of things takes place.

I'm just saying the movie isn't perfect. I never said anything about No Country, so that's irrelevant. There is no reason for Paul Dano to play the older Eli, and it is a flaw in the film, however you look at it.

Just so you know what my opinion on these two movies is, if I gave No Country a 9.5/10, TWBB would be a 9.4 in my book. I loved both of them. TWBB just happened to be much more of a one man show, instead of a complete picture. But to each his own. I just don't think you can call a movie with a glaring flaw "perfect." It doesn't detract from the experience or anything, but it could be improved, hence, it is imperfect.

[Brankles]

Re: There Will Be Blood

I thought the ending of this movie wrapped everything up perfectly, with a slight twist and coming full circle with all of the characters. It doesn't leave you hanging, it just leaves you with your jaw dropped, piecing together all of the emotion and wrongdoing that has occurred.

And I thought they did a fine job of aging Eli. He has boyish features in the first place (Paul Dano was born in 1984 and still plays 16 and 17 year olds), is a clean-shaven pastor, and hasn't lived a rugged life the way Daniel Plainview has. Limps, scars, and even wrinkles or sun damage wouldn't make sense for his character to have.

Also, to those saying that the movie rests too much on one character's shoulders... a movie doesn't need 8 storylines going the way NCFOM or Crash did to be considered great. I think it allows for better singular character development, more time to build one-on-one relationships and to realize the impact of those relationships. It's not better or worse than those type of movies... it's just a different structure.

I liked NCFOM and TWBB about equally. They were both unique and thought provoking, with great acting, direction, and deep storylines.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: There Will Be Blood

A little random, but I just stumbled upon this t-shirt.


Awesome stuff.

I also learned the other day that this scene was filmed at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

[Chief Illinimac]

Re: There Will Be Blood

That shirt is really tempting, but 17 bucks seems steep. Maybe I'm just poor...