20 Things You Somehow Missed In There Will Be Blood
Revisiting Paul Thomas Anderson's timeless classic staring Daniel Day-Lewis.
Paul Thomas Anderson has made a name for himself among contemporary filmmakers as a true auteur with his powerful creative force. His swashbuckling style and oddball narratives about people trying to find themselves sets him apart. There Will Be Blood is perhaps his finest work. It stands distinguished for its stark mise-en-scene and a treacherous story that inspires discussions about greed, paranoia, and incorruptible human misery.
Of course, Daniel Day-Lewis’ leading performance adds to the charm. There Will Be Blood maintains its glowing allure for purists and mainstream viewers alike even today. It rests on the hallowed grounds of modern-day classics. PTA’s meticulous process can often make glaring details invisible to you. Watching the stories unravel can be so overwhelming that at times, even the most studious of viewers make this mistake.
Despite umpteen rewatches, missing out on these can dampen your viewing experience. But when you know they exist, the contra effect is very much visible. Be rest assured, we have done the legwork for you. Here are the finer (and important) details about the film you might have missed.
20. Daniel Day-Lewis IS The Film. Well, Almost
During his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, cinematographer Robert Elswitt quipped: "Thank you Paul (referring to Anderson). But we're really standing here on the shoulders of Daniel Day-Lewis".
As magnificent as the film is, it cannot be denied that without Day-Lewis, the show wouldn't have gone on. And it certainly didn't - almost.
The actor is present in every scene of the film except for two instances. In almost 143 minutes, we do not see him for just under 9 minutes. That number in itself is staggering, given how epic TWBB is on all technical fronts.
The first scene in question is when we see H.W. and Mary grow up and marry in a small continuation from childhood to adulthood. Plainview wouldn't have even wanted to be present after the "derrick" incident. The other one involves Eli Sunday, just after he is rolled in the mud by Plainview when he asks for money for the church. Eli sits at the dining table with his father, Abel, and climbs on him in anger for "letting the Devil in".