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HEART OF DARKNESS: OUR SCREENPLAY REVIEW OF THERE WILL BE BLOOD

"There Will Be Blood" is based upon Upton Sinclair's novel "Oil!"

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By Robert Cameron

"They should scratch around in the dirt like the rest of us."
                                        - Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood
 

The following article may contain spoilers

Film aficionados were recently treated to a glimpse of Paul Thomas Anderson’s chilling epic, There Will Be Blood. What they saw was an enticing, brooding, if not vague teaser courtesy of Youtube.com. The video was a meditative collection of images shadowed by the raspy narration of Daniel Day-Lewis’ character, Daniel Plainview. “Are you an angry man?” the menacing voice grated, a growl that borders on kitsch it is so aggressively harsh. This bizarre dialect continues, Plainview musing on his hatred of people and his desperation to escape the alienation of civilization. What people will take away from this teaser was the look of the film, which is in the vein of Terrence Malick; the tone, which is pitch-black cynicism; and that Day-Lewis has created a character which will either be a nightmarish icon or a bizarre embarrassment of a concoction. Although, considering his caliber, I’d bet money on the former.

That same raspy narrative during the teaser is in fact fractured excerpts from one of Plainview ’s few dynamic monologues cobbled together simply to give the viewer an impression of the character. I know this, because I have had the pleasure having read that monologue, along with the rest of Paul Thomas Anderson’s most ambitious script to date. A dark and contemplative saga of an oil tycoon and his battle of wits against a religiously powerful “prophet” may be the strangest film that the maker of Sydney, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love has yet tackled. His screenplay is a labyrinth of visual exposition and Shakespearean undertones, the story never fully taking shape until well into the picture.

Beginning in the punishing heat of New Mexico, we are wordlessly introduced to Daniel Plainview, a man seeking his fortune scratching into the earth in search of silver. His determination guides him past the death of his mule, the loss of water, and his suffering of terrible injury. The story then skips ahead several years later, where we find Plainview the partner of H.B. Ailman. Both of them are seeking their fortune searching for oil in an expansive field. They adapt their methods, building a crude derrick to plunder the field of its resource. When Ailman is tragically killed, Plainview decides to take his dead partner’s son, H.W., as his own. Once again the story speeds several years later, when Plainview has become a wealthy and distinguished oil man, seeking the next grand investment. It is presented to him in the form of Paul Sunday, a runaway child from California who has sought out Plainview to tell him of his family farm, where oil “seeps through the ground.” Along with his adopted son, Plainview ventures to the Sunday ranch and without difficulty buys the land and swindles the family out of the fortune, giving them a meager allowance of ten dollars a year. However, Plainview must contend with the zealous influence of fifteen-year old Eli, the “prophet” second son of the Sunday family and the pillar of the land’s religious community. What unfolds is an unsettling tale of tragedy, the life of Daniel Plainview deteriorating as he is consumed by his greed, ambition, and single-minded determination, as well as the downfall of Eli, who shall be played by promising newcomer Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine).

And so we wait hungrily to see what dark masterpiece P.T. Anderson may reveal. Well, it seems to me after examining his screenplay that it is not a question of whether or not There Will Be Blood will be good, but whether it is embraced. Suffice it to say, this is a very dark story, free of expository dialogue: in every conversation the characters get straight to the point and only say exactly what they mean. There will be the occasional “My cock doesn’t even work, how’m I gonna make a kid?” or “the oil-game is like heaven, everyone is called but few are chosen,” but nonetheless Anderson’s dialogue is precise and used sparingly. One benefit of Anderson writing his own material to film is that his script is allowed to be very visual, with camera angles and film techniques listed to give the reader a better context to envision the scene. Expect a film with mesmerizing imagery- Anderson seems intent on creating iconic images for the modern age. In my opinion, the best way to describe the essence of this film is that it will be Kubrickian. For those Anderson fans who have been waiting for five years- the trademarks remain intact- the camera follows characters in long-sustained shots, there are scenes of intense emotion, and by God there will be blood. I would not call the material overtly violent, but nonetheless the deaths and murders that the script describes are both horrifying in their graphic rawness and their dark intention. This picture will be a harrowing experience, and not just in its visuals. The character of H.W. Plainview (formerly Ailman’s son) will undergo a saddening journey, the young boy suffering a misfortune that will sever the symbiotic bond between him and Daniel forever. I have probably divulged far too much plot, but hopefully I have wetted the appetites of those who have had only a vague notion of what this film shall be.

In terms of themes, I’d say that this is a cautionary tale, detailing the life of a man and how his self-destructive path would in the end strip him of his humanity. And of course (this is an oil picture, after all) many will declare that politics are Anderson’s main agenda here. And why not? The story is after all about an ambitious businessman who dominates the dry and rocky land of a religious group who had failed to prosper, taking the oil for his own benefit. And of course this sparks a conflict. Such a story will be read as directly related to the United States’ relationship with the Middle East . However, Anderson has publicly said that he didn’t intend for his movie to be a political piece, so I will take his word for it and agree that There Will Be Blood aims to be more Citizen Kane than Syriana.

Nonetheless, it is difficult to estimate the quality of a film based on its script alone. One problem is that while There Will Be Blood is laid out in detail on page, what it aims to be remains only in Anderson s head. While visually potent, the script tends to be too technical, the auteur’s fascination with early 20th century oil-drilling demanding a lot of patience out of the reader. And he runs a great risk of his film becoming uneven, the film finally taking shape almost too late in the game. However, I believe that there will be a rhyme and reason to Anderson’s madness; he has never failed before. Potentially, the film can either be a dark masterpiece or a respectable failure. It’s certainly an impressive and intelligent epic of a screenplay, but it will need a surge of inspiration to give it electricity that will hold the viewer’s attention. And Day-Lewis may have his most demanding role yet- Plainview is an enigma. He is as secretive to the viewer as he is to his associates, a man who dares not reveal himself. It is not until he is exposed to the character of Henry Brands that we see Daniel Plainview divulge any of his inner thoughts or feelings (why Henry triggers this I cannot say, for it would only effectively piss of the folks who don’t want the plot ruined for them). But while Plainview will be a frustrating character, he also gives Day-Lewis the opportunity to tear the screen apart with his magnificent ability. This won’t be a ferocious beauty of a performance like Bill the Butcher, it won’t be as breathtaking a display of a physical handicap like Christy Brown, but it will be the work of a master. This character will rely of subtlety, the monstrous black heart that pulses in Plainview shown merely in glimpses until he is consumed by his ambitious greed and materialism. I predict that this character will become iconic. Not in the same way that the Butcher is idolized as a pillar of cinematic villainy, but as a man who symbolizes the turning point of the world. Forged by his experiences in New Mexico, patiently hacking at rock for silver, Plainview is a man who immerses himself in the spirit of the Industrial age. I look forward to seeing what Day-Lewis creates with this sympathetic monster.

While Plainview is a character of rigid menace, Eli Sunday shall be a force to behold. A bombastic, passionate, egotistical fifteen year-old with a Jesus complex, he has several scenes that will chill you the bone… if done correctly. Paul Dano, who perfectly portrayed teenage angst in Little Miss Sunshine, has a role on his hands that could very well transform him into one of the most recognized actors of his generation. Eli represents a corruption of power (in this case religion), bending an entire community to suit his will, his frenzied rants and threats of damnation making him a figure to be feared.

I feel comfortable in saying that There Will Be Blood will be a fascinating work. That it is cold and frequently disturbing may turn off Oscar voters and the public. At this point, that doesn’t really concern me. Now that I have personally experienced Anderson’s vision on paper, what interests me now is what will be included in the soundtrack. In an interview with Henry Rollins, Anderson revealed that he had been musing on using Krzysztof Penderecki (a composer renowned for his terrifying music- his compositions were used in most of The Shining’s soundtrack, to give you an idea of his work). After his bleak and haunting screenplay, I can only urge that Penderecki be used to fullest.

Oscar Potential

*Most likely for a nod

Best Picture (Paramount Vantage)
Best Director- Paul Thomas Anderson*
Best Actor- Daniel Day-Lewis*
Best Supporting Actor- Paul Dano*
Best Adapted Screenplay- Paul Thomas Anderson*
Best Film Editing- Tatiana S. Riegel and Dylan Tichenor
Best Cinematography- Robert Elswit*
Best Art Direction- David Crank
Best Costume Design- Mark Bridges
Best Original Score- Jon Brion
Best Sound Mixing- John Pritchett

More exclusive screenplay reviews coming soon!

Previous Script Review: "Charlie Wilson's War"

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