There will be Thoughts
Finally got around to watching There Will Be Blood and was blown away. From start to finish, I really loved this film. From the non-dialogue opening sequence to the bizarre bowling alley ending, I can honestly say I enjoyed every frame of this movie.
Reading some of the trivia today on imdb.com revealed to me a few clues as to why I felt something for this film - Paul Thomas Anderson (the director) - worships Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman. These are two directors I idolize as well. I had seen a few earlier works by Anderson, "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" - I loved Magnolia with its wonderful weaving of plots and characters in an Altman like fashion. When I was a kid, I remember seeing Altman's "Nashville" and being blown away. It made me want to be a film maker even more. As Truffaut once stated he would ask himself during a shoot, "How would Hitchcock shoot this scene?", I sometimes ask myself, "How would Kubrick..?" - it was fascinating to read that Anderson models his style in the same way.
Yet that is not to say, when I was watching "There Will Be Blood" that I thought "Oh that framing is so Kubrick" - Anderson molds his own spin on things and leaves a subtle nod to his idols lurking in the shot. I try to do the same by nodding to my idols, Kubrick, Godard, Renoir, Malick, etc... when I shot something.
Daniel Day Lewis' performance was certainly worthy of the Academy Award, although I kept thinking throughout the film, who does he sound like? I read that he based his voice on John Houston. Of Course! That's who he sounded like! Plus he does an incredible scene near the end where he eats from a plate while acting, not since Brando pulled that off so well in "Streetcar" has I seen eating/acting come across so natural.
I probably can't rave enough about his film other than to highly recommend it. The cinematography by DP Robert Elswit is breathtaking with nothing more to frame sometimes than barren dusty landscapes dotted with oil wells. Wonderful use of "Golden Hour" lighting from the setting sun. The art direction and and... an incredible work of art all the way around that could be held up with Kubrick or Altman's finest films.
All right, I'll calm down now.
Reading some of the trivia today on imdb.com revealed to me a few clues as to why I felt something for this film - Paul Thomas Anderson (the director) - worships Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman. These are two directors I idolize as well. I had seen a few earlier works by Anderson, "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" - I loved Magnolia with its wonderful weaving of plots and characters in an Altman like fashion. When I was a kid, I remember seeing Altman's "Nashville" and being blown away. It made me want to be a film maker even more. As Truffaut once stated he would ask himself during a shoot, "How would Hitchcock shoot this scene?", I sometimes ask myself, "How would Kubrick..?" - it was fascinating to read that Anderson models his style in the same way.
Yet that is not to say, when I was watching "There Will Be Blood" that I thought "Oh that framing is so Kubrick" - Anderson molds his own spin on things and leaves a subtle nod to his idols lurking in the shot. I try to do the same by nodding to my idols, Kubrick, Godard, Renoir, Malick, etc... when I shot something.
Daniel Day Lewis' performance was certainly worthy of the Academy Award, although I kept thinking throughout the film, who does he sound like? I read that he based his voice on John Houston. Of Course! That's who he sounded like! Plus he does an incredible scene near the end where he eats from a plate while acting, not since Brando pulled that off so well in "Streetcar" has I seen eating/acting come across so natural.
I probably can't rave enough about his film other than to highly recommend it. The cinematography by DP Robert Elswit is breathtaking with nothing more to frame sometimes than barren dusty landscapes dotted with oil wells. Wonderful use of "Golden Hour" lighting from the setting sun. The art direction and and... an incredible work of art all the way around that could be held up with Kubrick or Altman's finest films.
All right, I'll calm down now.
