There Will Be Blood (2007)

DVD COVER/SIDE

Length of film:  158 Minutes 

Rated: R   

Genre: Drama

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds, Ken J. O’Conner, Dillon Freasier

IMDB Rank: 8.2/10

Part 1 Time:  108 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  50 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) kills Henry (Kevin O’Connor) following Henry confessing that he is not truly Plainview’s half brother.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: No dialogue, At a campfire, Plainsview looks through his half brothers journal, which was taken by Henry who assumed his identity.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Who is it?” Plainsview is woken the next morning at gun point by William Bandy (Colton Woodward).

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat, Plainview has just shot Henry who was impersonating Plainview’s half brother. How will Plainview deal with this deception? Has anyone seen the murder?

Which part is better?  This film begins slowly, but Daniel Day-Lewis’s betrayal of Daniel Plainview is a master piece as he is able to not only keep the attention of the audience but also makes you question some of his motives. The first part of the film shows Plainsview and his son H.W. looking for North American land to extract oil. Part two shows the success of Plainview, but at a cost to many. Although significant shorter, part two is given the edge as it closes out the Plainsview’s relationships of both H.W. and Eli (Paul Dano). The final scene between Plainview and Eli should not be missed.

Academy Awards: Best Leading Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Cinematography, Best Picture (Nominated), Best Director (Nominated), Best Writing-Adapted Screenplay (Nominated), Best Film Editing (Nominated), Best Art Direction (Nominated), Best Sound Editing (Nominated).