Throughout the history of cinema, there really haven’t been many films made about the oil industry, the only other one I can think of is George Steven’s epic Giant. Where that is a shiny 50s melodrama similar to a Douglas Sirk film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood has more in common with the gothic horror cinema of Val Lewton or a noir western like High Plains Drifter. There is an inherant darkness and dread that hangs over the atmosphere even in the blazing sunny countryside of early 20th century California where the story is set. Based on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel Oil! Anderson adapted the basic idea of the birth of the oil business in the USA and weaved his own tale around it about a man named Daniel Plainview. The part was written specifically for actor extraordinaire Daniel Day Lewis who then worked with Anderson on finding the framework and direction of the character. After some minor problems in developing the part, they finally arrived on what kind of persona Plainview would have and created a truly remarkable and memorable screen personality.
1898, New Mexico: A silver prospector Daniel Plainview (Lewis) is injured after finding a cache of the precious ore and must drag himself to town. After the silver is all gone, oil appears on the same site. Plainview immediately decides to change his profession and move into the burgeoning “black gold” business. As he establishes his new venture, he adopts a baby, the son of one of his workers who is accidentally killed while they’re drilling. He names the boy H.W. and as he gets older, the two become business partners. H.W. (Dillon Freasier) acts as Daniel’s mascot, an innocent front to mask his true agenda as he informs potential clients on how he can help make them rich from drilling on their land.
During a dry spell in their prospecting, some good fortune arrives in the form of Paul Sunday (Paul Dano), a young man from Little Boston, CA who inquires about the oil drilling and offers to show Plainview his land. In return, he would only want a small sum of money. Plainview agrees to pay him and visits the farm. He and H.W. pretend they’re just vacationing quail hunters but are really looking for any sign of the oil. They soon find it and make their business intentions known to Paul’s father Abel Sunday (David Willis). Plainview explains the drilling process to Abel but he must also deal with Paul’s twin brother Eli (also Dano) who is an aspiring evangelical preacher that seems suspicious of the enterprise. Everything related to their conversation is connected to his religious beliefs and God. Daniel, who takes an immediate disliking to Eli, tries to humor him enough to keep him happy. After getting the go ahead from Abel, Daniel succeeds in making an oil strike in Little Boston, and things look very promising to everyone including the townspeople.
One of the most interesting details in this story compared to The Treasure of The Sierra Madre (a major influence on this film) is how Plainview seems to be unmoved in regards to the riches he unearthes. The visual sense of joy from discovering the treasure that is oil (another kind of gold) is completely missing from this movie. Even when the geysers shoot up from the earth, Plainview’s emotions stay buried. If he does have those feelings, they just aren’t shown to us.
One day a man appears at the site claiming he is Daniel’s half brother Henry (Kevin O’Connor) from his hometown of Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin. After showing some identification and a letter his sister wrote him, he explains about his life before he arrived. Daniel seems convinced Henry is on the level and gives him a job and over time comes to trust him as a friend. As the drilling continues, a terrible tragedy occurs when H.W. loses his hearing after an oil derrick he is sitting near explodes. Daniel is deeply distressed by this and does his best to console the poor kid but finds he is practically unable to take care of him. One day he takes out his anger on Eli, who he beats like a mangy dog. Enraged, Daniel mocks Eli’s “healing powers” and asks him why couldn’t he make H.W.’s hearing return to him. One night H.W. nearly sets fire to their camphouse as they are all sleeping. Daniel decides his only option is to send H.W. away so he puts him on a train and abandons him.
Meanwhile, the saintly Eli has used the money from the Sunday oil strike to open the new “church of the third revelation” where he drives his congregation into frenzies with his imbecilic screeching at the Devil from his pulpit. Simply put, Paul Dano’s portrayal of Eli Sunday makes you want to become an atheist. He’s such a greasy little snot. When it comes to those types of religious zealots, consider me on Daniel Plainview’s side.
On one hand the film is about the search for oil, but on the other it’s a character study of this man Daniel Plainview and his deepening hatred of other human beings. As he gets richer and more powerful, he simultaneously becomes more resentful and dangerous. I couldn’t help but see similarities between Plainview and Tony Montana in Scarface and their shared journeys which have a strange kind of parallel. Both are ambitious people who come from nothing, obtain everything and ultimately self destruct. Where Montana’s vice was cocaine, Plainview seems to love guzzling vodka and chomping on steak.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s inspired, expressive direction along with Robert Elswit’s vividly captured outdoor cinematography and Jack Fisk’s authentic period set designs are simply outstanding. The film has such a visual elegance even though it’s almost constantly saturated in sand, dust and oil. Many of the shots look like paintings in a gallery. I also have to mention the eclectic score by Johnny Greenwood which reminded me alot of Ennio Morricone’s groundbreaking work in the opening sequence of Once Upon A Time In The West. Although it’s not made up of naturalistic sounds like that film, many of the cues create the same kind of building tension that just emphasize the moods of each of the scenes wonderfully.
There Will Be Blood is a very ambitious cinematic vision and a true work of art by PT Anderson. Daniel Day Lewis once again submerges himself so deeply into his character, he is able to make you laugh even when Plainview is at his most deplorable and hateful. He’s the kind of actor who can find humanity in even the villains which is a testament to his tremendous talent.
FURIOUS FILM TRIVIA
– Paul Thomas Anderson stated that he watched The Treasure of the Sierra Madre every night before filming this movie.
– While on location in Marfa, Texas, No Country for Old Men was the neighboring film production. One day, director Paul Thomas Anderson and his crew tested the pyrotechnical effects of the oil derrick fire, causing an enormous billowing of smoke, intruding the shot that Joel Coen and Ethan Coen were shooting. This caused them to put off filming until the next day when the smoke dissipated from view. Both this film and No Country for Old Men would eventually become the leading contenders at the Academy Awards a year and a half later.
– The main character Daniel Plainview was modeled loosely after famous oil man Edward Doheny and his characteristics were based on Count Dracula. Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills was used at the end of the film; this house was built by Doheny for his son, Edward L. Doheny, Jr. (Ned).
– Paul Thomas Anderson planned to have the restored bowling alley (used at the climax) located at the Greystone Mansion to be entirely painted in white to give some Kubrick symmetry and menacing quality (also a nod to A Clockwork Orange). However, he changed it to its original state when it was later decided that the bowling alley was to be given away for ownership after filming.
– Every Wednesday night during editing, Paul Thomas Anderson and co. would have just steak and straight vodka for dinner to keep in the mindset of Daniel Plainview.
