A “masterpiece” period drama that won two Academy Awards is streaming now in the UK. There Will Be Blood (2007) is set largely in early 1900s California, and tells the story of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) a silver prospector and miner who breaks into the lucrative oil trade with an insatiable appetite for wealth and power.
His ambition transforms his finances, but ultimately threatens to destroy him. The cast also includes Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ciarán Hinds, and Dillon Freasier. It was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and loosely based on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel Oil!. It was critically acclaimed and won a number of awards, with Day-Lewis handed the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the tortured tycoon. Robert Elswit also won for Best Cinematography.
Fans have taken to review aggregator sites to heap praise upon the hard-hitting drama. One, writing on IMDb called it: “Quite simply the greatest movie ever made,” praising its score, cinematography and acting.
Another said it’s a “masterpiece to behold”. “The quality is pristine, the acting is phenomenal, the plot is intense and the soundtrack is experimental, yet ties the themes and tones of the movie together beautifully,” they wrote.
“The contention between the main characters could not have been more wonderfully acted out, and the character development over the course of the film always kept me guessing about what Daniel would do next for his oil.”
A third said: “This is a dark film, and a long one, but I never once noticed the running time because the movie just flows beautifully.”
A fourth added: “Mesmerizing…haunting…brilliant! The disturbing dissonance of the score is nothing short of masterful. Not enough can be said about Daniel Day Lewis’ performance.
“I’ve never seen an actor carry off the “ruthless, win-at-all-costs” type of character as flawlessly as Lewis has in his portrayal of Daniel Plainview.
“To be able to keep me wondering “is there anything redeeming about this character? Yes there it is! Oh, no there isn’t oh, yes, there is!” And then, “OH NO!” again. In fact, each and every actor succeeded in drawing me in to their gritty, desperate world.”
The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong bloody violence, so viewer discretion is advised.
There Will Be Blood was recently added to Amazon Prime Video. It’s also available to stream on Paramount+ or buy or rent on other platforms.
