The Movie: Oscar No. 2 for Daniel Day Lewis. Playing Daniel Plainview, a simple prospector transformed into massive oil baron, it could easily be the typical story of greed, but the genius Paul Thomas Anderson doesnt stop there. A key thread through the film is the conflict between Plainview and pastor Eli Sunday (a tricky rivalry to which Paul Dano gives his all), giving rise to an excellent religion-contemplating subplot. Years later Sunday finds Plainview and they discuss bowling and milkshakes and then the former gets his head beaten in by a bowling pin. What The Title Gives Away: The film is based on the more obviously titled novel Oil! and the shift in the titular liquid from black to red leaves an intriguing air over the film. Instead of simply providing an overview of the focus, the films title gives away nothing about the overall plot (I suppose it metaphorically hints the brutal inevitability of Plainviews corruption) and everything about the final scene. Its a really smart move; it merely serves to build our expectations to some undetermined violent event and from a contextual standpoint highlights the different approach Anderson brought to the original story. Which film titles do you know that have massive spoilers? And did any of them affect your enjoyment of the film? As always, let us know down in the comments.
