DVD : There Will Be Blood (2 disc Special Edition) [2007]

Rating: - Study of Greed and Paranoia
More than an epic tale of an early 20th Century oilman, this is a fascinating study of the greed for power and what it does to a man.
We meet Daniel Plainview down the bottom of a mine, exerting himself in mind-numbingly monotonous and backbreaking work, looking for gold or silver. He is a man willing to endure pain and humiliation to grasp more money, or more power. As he quickly moves from gold to black gold, he becomes more powerful, and his ruthlessness and underhandedness become more and more apparent, combined with the charisma required to persuade landowners to part with the mineral rights of their property. We learn about how he sees other people when he adopts a boy who he finds useful to put a kind face on his activities, and how he treats a man appears claiming to be his half brother. The movie kicks into gear though when he meets an equally power hungry man in the unlikely form of the young faith healer and preacher, to whom he takes a seemingly instant dislike. With the relationships with these three characters, we see his dilemna- his power is only something if he can pass it on, but when he sees only the worst in other people, how can he? Who will be worthy of the three to take on his mantle..?
The style of the movie has some stunning direction which tells us much of the story through scenes and images, rather than words, yet this is married with an intelligent, absorbing and uncompromising script. The music is daringly inventive, although with me the jury is out whether it is a success or a distraction.
Daniel Day-Lewis turns in yet another 100% authentic and believable performance, creating a chilling and yet at times charismatic character, and Paul Dano is remarkable as the young preacher.
Sure, women are given little to no role in the story, and it is unremitting in its bleakness, at times feeling like it has been designed to within an inch of its cinematic life. It's not going to be to everyone's taste.. However the authenticity, stunning performances and script that demands the viewer engage in some thought, have created what might just be a bona fide masterpiece, even with its flaws.

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Rating: - "I have a competition in me"
This will be a review of the film and not the extras on this two disc edition which are frankly disappointing.Also,if this was a review about the DVD casing it would probably get one star.Flimsy,made of cardboard and mine already has a tear in it!

Still,the movie itself is excellent.It does seem to divide opinion with amost as many people awarding it one star as opposed to five.But for me it is worth full marks because the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis is fantastic.He is at times manic,almost sympathetic and nearly comic but it is rivetting and one of the finest performances of recent years.The character of Daniel Plainview could have very easily descended into farce,but Day-Lewis keeps things in check right to the very end.I suppose that the story is pretty thin when you consider that it is spread over nearly three hours but it is always compelling.

The cinematography is great also and though I wasn't sure about the music at first,on second viewing it does fit the mood of the film very well.It is by no means a one man show as there are many other good performances.But really this is a movie that will be remembered for a towering piece of acting from an extremely talented artist.

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Rating: - Undecided
I was told how great this film was by a few people prior to watching it. So it was with great anticipation that I fed it into my DVD player and started it up. I was really hoping I would marvel at this film and be spellbound by it. It started well with Daniel Day Lewis trapped in a mine shaft after falling and breaking his leg and I thought 'I'm going to enjoy this'. But then, I just didn't. Well, that's a slight lie, I did like it, just didn't love it. Out of the two films released at the same time to Oscar fanfare I much preferred the Coens No Country For Old Men. It may be that this film was a little slow paced, which isn't a bad thing at all (see my review of The Assasination of Jesse James) but in this setting it just didn't capture my imagination. Maybe I need to watch it again? I cannot dispute the fact that Day-Lewis gives an outstanding display of acting talent (Much the same as his star turn in Gangs of New York) and that Paul Dano (strangely playing two people in this?) plays a crazed preacher very well indeed! I kind of wish that Day Lewis was MORE menacing throughout the film, more like he is in the last scene. I preferred the 'plunging to the depths of paranoia and madness' that Al Pacino depicted in Scarface. I don't think anyone could say that this is a bad film but, maybe due to my expectations being lifted due to the acclaim it received, it just didn't totally do it for me.

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Rating: - One for the Fans
Hmmm, for all its accolades and 5 star reviews, I have to agree with the minority that don't quite get it. As stated elsewhere, it is a slow-burner...and over long. It is an odd subject matter, not really etched within the British psyche. Though not particularly engaged, I did keep watching to see what would happen but the story didn't really go anywhere and, ultimately, seems to have little point. Sure, you get to see a driven man who becomes more of a despicable man as the film progresses. Powerful performances? Well, DDL fans will enjoy his performance...and the preacher had his moments but, all in all, it is not something I could recommend.

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Rating: - What on earth was that about?
I noted the 28 5 star reviews for this film and so looked forward to its arrival from Amazon...what a complete load of rubbish - music drove me nuts and I spent 2 hours waiting for something to happen which might bring the whole thing together - give the film some meaning...nope...it never happened!
I just did not get this film and frankly wonder if those that have given it a rave review were watching something else?
Dont bother with this is my advice but if you still want to see it, I have a very cheap one for sale!!