There Was, In Fact, Blood

Because of logistics, Andy and I watched "There Will Be Blood" in two installments. We both liked it, and we both enjoyed watching Daniel Day-Lewis, but we also both felt considerably less than whole-heartedly that this was an Oscar-worthy performance.

My biggest problem was that I couldn't once shake the awareness that I was watching Daniel Day-Lewis acting, and the main reason was the way he spoke. He managed to cover up his British accent well enough (although I noticed numerous occasions when he let it slip in), but I couldn't quite figure out what sound he was going for. Here was a character who was used to living alone, off the land, trying to find gold or silver in blasted-open mines in the desert. So, when he finally struck it rich as an oil man, I wasn't prepared to hear him sounding so proper. I've read reviews that suggest he was channeling John Huston, and I regret that I'm not terribly familiar with most of Huston's work, but perhaps that is the case. As for me, I kept thinking, "Who is this guy pretending to be a man of the land who suddenly came into some money?"

And another thing: I could never quite figure out his relationship with his son. Did he really love him? Was he just using him? There were countless arguments to be made on either side. Maybe that was as it was meant to be, but I don't think Day-Lewis's character was all that complex.

All that being said, it's a pleasure to watch Day-Lewis—he really does fill the screen and suck you in. I also thought Paul Dano was terrific, as the unscrupulous preacher who butts head with Day-Lewis. And the time period and setting sure were evoked convincingly. But all in all, I found it to be less than the sum of its parts. I neither recommend you see it nor recommend you don't see it—it is neither a waste of time nor a must-see. It's worth seeing, but it should've been better. I wish I knew more about filmmaking, because I would perhaps know whether to blame the scriptwriter, the director, the actors, the producers, or the dolly grip and best boy.

Comments

[scott]

Your last line goes for me on many occasions.

I haven't seen this film, but I kind of meant to eventually.