10 Greatest Moments In Paul Thomas Anderson Movies

2. The Oil Derrick (There Will Be Blood)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ij_TEK_MM This scene is nothing short of absolutely brilliant from every stand point. The explosion of oil sets in place the deafening of H.W. which runs through the narrative of the rest of the film, but also drives a lot of the narrative forward allowing for amazing character development in H.W. and Daniel. From a directing and cinematography stand point, this is the scene that should have sealed Anderson's Best Director Oscar (although No Country For Old Men was fantastic, so I'm just happy the Academy awarded an amazing film that year if There Will Be Blood wasn't going to win). The scene is expertly directed, especially when Daniel rescues H.W. from the explosion as the camera follows in one continuous take. Robert Elswit's cinematography is visually stunning and frightening while also being incredibly beautiful. The orange hue that surrounds the screen as the oil derrick burns in the dark is one of most haunting images ever captured on film.