Film: There Will Be Blood

[doesntmatter]

The actor who was originally cast as Eli left the production after a few weeks, reportedly because Daniel Day Lewis was too intense for him. Paul Dano, originally cast as Paul, then took up the mantle of brother Eli partly, I think, out of convenience and necessity, and partly because Anderson thought it might serve the dual purpose of giving the film a little more texture and ambiguity. I wouldn't read too much into it.

thats interesting. i think it worked out for the best.

 

[Beatlebot]

Yes, I want to see this.

 

[GreatSpaceCoaster]

Great movie, just a sliver away from being a masterpiece. Wild ending, and that milkshake line is destined to be a classic in cinema.

 

[Banquo]

Just awesome. I saw this in a semi-crowded theater today, and it was great to watch this with audience reaction -- especially during the big Plainview and Eli scenes. Having Paul Dano play the two brothers was kinda confusing.

 

[doesntmatter]

see, not knowing what benefit has pointed out i thought it kind of brought a depth to the story that i think would have been lost had there been two separate actors playing the role. it works on two levels, as a mild humorous twist, and as a sort of character definition or building block that enables the audience to hold a contempt or suspicion of eli earlier on in the movie, providing that little extra emotion for the viewer behind watching the latter scenes with eli and plainview. i mean knowing that the dudes a slight con man when he's performing that preaching scene, it just makes it that much fuller. i was really surprised to here that it wasn't intentional. however as i said i think it worked out for the best.

 

[supertrav77]

Let There Be Blood owes a lot to Citizen Kane and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

I was thinking about Citizen Kane the whole time I was watching it. Although I think this movie does a better job of connecting the dots than Kane. As far as explaining Daniel's motivations and whatnot.

 

[Pander Bear]

its a testament to just how great this film is that it can withstand mention in the same breath as citizen kane. :D

5 stars

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

I honestly don't know what to think about this film. I need to watch it again, but at the same time I don't really want to. I thought Daniel Day Lewis kicked ass, and I liked the overall cinematography. However, I felt there were about 15 unecessary minutes. All in all I loved parts of it, but came away feeling slightly disappointed. It may have just been my mood that day.

 

[L2R]

wow.
very nice film

very, VERY kubrickian IMO. i see lots of both 2001: A space odyssey and a clockwork orange in this film. A LOT.

and as such i WILL have to see it again.
4.5/5

 

[L2R]

i knew it!

Paul Thomas Anderson planned to have the restored bowling alley (used at the climax) located next to the Greystone Mansion to be entirely painted in white to give some Kubrick symmetry and menacing quality (also a nod to A Clockwork Orange (1971)). 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.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/trivia

 

[dshock]

Still would have been a great addition to the scene to have it all white like he wanted.
New owner be damned!! they prolly would have liked it anyways.

 

[mariacallas]

Fuck, was that a good movie or what
Excellent, excellent way to spend a Saturday night!

 

[pennywise]

WOW!

I just saw this, and I was totally blown away. I think it is a true testament to an actors skill when you forget who it is you are watching. After a while I forgot it was Daniel Day-Lewis and he totally became the character.

I think that the references to Citizen Kane, as well as L2R's mention that it evoked Kubrick, (especially in the opening scene and parts of the score, which reminded me of the monolith from 2001) were both spot on.

Also, I am glad that AmorRoark mentioned the two parts of the film that she did, as they confused me as well, but I came to the same conclusions as the other posters about them, so I don't feel as confused anymore. Thanks for clearing that up.

Was I the only one who was cracking up laughing during the last scene, with the milkshake comment and the bowling balls and all that? It was so absurd and showed the level of degradation and madness that the main character descended to that I couldn't help laughing. I was in the theater with a bunch of old people and I was the only one laughing, and when the lights came on a bunch of old ladies were staring at me like I was the devil.

Anyway, just a riveting and intense film with great acting, cinematography, directing, score, plot...a winner on all fronts. I saw No Country For Old Men too, and I have to say that it really could have gone either way for the Oscar. I would have to watch both of them again, and even then I might not be able to decide who really deserved it. Maybe they both did.

"I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!" lol

 

[mariacallas]

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,
And their like
It's better than yours,
Damn right it's better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge



I couldnt resist! bwahahahaha.

 

[xena]

this movie was great! amazing acting (he really became that character, so believable), great writing.

 

[Infinite Jest]

Speaking of cool comments, no-one's mentioned "I'm your brother from another mother" . The theatre cracked up when he said that.

OK; am I crazy or anyone seeing some kind of political allegory here? Texas, oil, religious fundamentalists, greed, blood, an idiot (in the film, idiot in the old sense of deaf and dumb) son named HW?

 

[L2R]

^nice observation

but i didn't like the "another mother" line. felt totally out of place for such a cheesy modern cliche.

 

[alasdairm]

saw this last night. incredible. i can't believe they gave the oscar to 'no country...'

alasdair

 

[Khadijah]

Wow. I aint all the way done with this, about 2/3rd thru it maybe. So i aint readin all the replies just yet. I got this movie just because I figured it would be sick. i had no idea what it was about, but i jus had the name of it burned into my mind from too much l;ate night TV watchin while high, all i could remember is "watch this movie".

So i got the shit and I got to say, WHAT THE FUCK is up with the soundtrack? God damn, it is annoying as shit. I wouldnt mind if they didnt repeate the SAME GODDAMN piece on and off for like a half hour.

Also, I really, really really really really really hope that stupid fuckin preacher piece of shit dies a horrible nasty dirty dishonorable death. What a little twoface rat fink piece of shit, I coudnt even bear to watch scenes with his fuckin pancake moonface in them, with that stupid lil smug grin he always got. Sellin o ut his family and then gettin all uppity to his own father saying hes stupid and sold them out!? Oooo I jus cant wait for him to die. I was cheerin like crazy when Plainview bitch slapped the shit outta him and threw his pussy ass in the mud.

Movies gonna be nutz, as far as i can see only this far thru, it can only get better.

 

[AmorRoark]

Weird. I loved the soundtrack. It's composed by Johnny Greenwood who is in Radiohead. There was a bit of an uproar that the score wasn't going to get an Academy Awards nod. From wiki:

"Although widely admired and thought of as a contender for the Academy Award for Original Music Score at the 2008 Academy Awards, it was ruled ineligible due to its use of pre-existing material. The score features elements from his composition 'Popcorn Superhet Receiver' and works from Arvo Pärt and Johannes Brahms."

LOL @ pancake moonface!