Plot
A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
Release Year: 2007
Rating: 8.2/10 (177,952 voted)
Critic's Score: 92/100
Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds
Storyline The film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview - a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and desperate need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life.
Writers: Paul Thomas Anderson, Upton Sinclair
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis
-
Daniel Plainview
Martin Stringer
-
Silver Assay Worker
Matthew Braden Stringer
-
Silver Assay Worker
Jacob Stringer
-
Silver Assay Worker
Joseph Mussey
-
Silver Assay Worker
Barry Del Sherman
-
H.B. Ailman
Harrison Taylor
-
Baby HW
Stockton Taylor
-
Baby HW
Paul F. Tompkins
-
Prescott
Dillon Freasier
-
HW
Kevin Breznahan
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Signal Hill Man
Jim Meskimen
-
Signal Hill Married Man
Erica Sullivan
-
Signal Hill Woman
Randall Carver
-
Mr. Bankside
Coco Leigh
-
Mrs. Bankside
Taglines:
There Will Be Greed. There Will Be Vengeance.
Filming Locations: El Mirage Dry Lake, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $25,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $302,845
(USA)
(30 December 2007)
(2 Screens)
Gross: $40,218,903
(USA)
(27 April 2008)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: 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.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Daniel and young H.W. are heading to the Sunday ranch for the first time, a large white camping roll can be seen strapped to Daniel's backpack. When we cut to the shot of them from behind, walking to the ranch, the large white camping roll is strapped to a bag Daniel is carrying in his right hand.
Quotes: Eli Sunday:
Oh, Daniel, please... I'm in desperate times. I need a friend... I feel the walls closing in. I've sinned! I need help! I'm a sinner! I've let the Devil grab hold of me in ways I never imagined! I'm so full of sin. Plainview:
The Lord sometimes challenges us, doesn't he? Eli Sunday:
Oh yes he does! Yes he does! Oh! He's completely failed to alert me to the recent panic in our economy and this! I must have this! I've invested... my investments have... Oh, Daniel, I won't bore you, but I... If I could grab the Lord's hands for help I would, but he does these things all the time, these mysteries that he presents and while we wait, while we wait... wait for his word...
[...]
User Review
Remember Those Hollywood Studio Epics? Me Either. But We're Covered.
Rating: 9/10
The year I was born was the same year Predator and Robocop came out.
When I was finally old enough to appreciate films, Little Nicky was in
theaters. I know, believe me, I know; rocky start. And often I would
watch older films, or specials on older films, and be dazzled. You know
the ones. Remember when they made Spartacus? Remember sitting in the
movies and watching Gregory Peck play Atticus Finch in To Kill A
Mockingbird? Remember the first time you heard "I could've been a
contender" through theater speakers? Well I sure as hell don't. But
I'll tell you what, now I feel somewhat caught up. Let's begin with the
obvious. Daniel Day Lewis. No one's arguing about this. The man is a
veritable God among ants on the screen. He takes his role by the reigns
and I don't doubt him for a second. In fact, at times, I was downright
afraid of the man. Lewis gives what is easily, EASILY the best
performance of the past five years. But let's get serious about it.
Lewis' Daniel Plainview is the most convincing, awe-inspiring, and
downright mortifying character to take the big screen that I can
remember. Here, perfectly in his element and at his best, Lewis could
go toe to toe with Brando and Kinski, playing a part that oozes enough
skill and pathos to earn him a place among Hollywood's, and perhaps the
world's, greatest performances of all time. He gives those of us who
missed out on the craft, depth of character, and technique of classic
cinema a chance to admire a tour de force portrayal of a memorable,
identifiable, and completely despicable character, and it's so damned
refreshing that I can't stop singing the man's praises. Paul Dano has
been taking a lot of fire for this whole thing. People continue to
spout their disapproval of the film's casting, saying that Dano has no
business rivaling the seasoned Lewis on the screen. Listen, lay down
your swords a minute and consider the obvious. The guy was cast
opposite the performance of the decade, he's not going to outshine
Lewis and you'd be crazy to expect him to. In fact, I think that he and
Lewis' back-and-forths are the films highlights, as we see the
juxtaposition not only in the characters themselves, but also in their
acting techniques. And the cinematography? Welcome to the old days of
film. The glory days of Hollywood. Anderson gives us one of the most
beautifully shot and directed films in recent memory, truly at the top
of his craft on this one. Every moment feels more epic than the last,
until the film becomes such a towering cinematic spectacle that the end
leaves the viewer exhausted. It's truly an experience not to be missed.
Yeah, we missed out on A Street Car Named Desire. And Casablanca isn't
gonna be in theaters again any time soon. But in the meantime, There
Will Be Blood is just about as good, and will likely haunt our
generation as much as the Hollywood studio epics of the past...
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