Film of the Day: "There Will Be Blood" — One of Daniel Day-Lewis's Most Brutal Roles (and Best)

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Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" is dry, bleak, almost merciless cinema. But that's where its power lies.

This isn't just a drama about oil and money. It's the story of a man who loses everything human inside himself while chasing wealth. And he does it right before our eyes — slowly, inevitably, painfully.

What the film's about

Early 20th century. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a miner who, while searching for gold and silver, accidentally strikes oil. Suddenly he's not just a poor man with a pickaxe, but an ambitious oil baron ready to bulldoze anything standing between him and becoming king of this new world.

Now his target is black gold. And no morality, no faith, no person will stand in the way of his obsession.

How it was made

The film is based on the opening chapters of Upton Sinclair's novel "Oil!", but in the hands of director Paul Thomas Anderson, this became less an adaptation and more a nearly unique work.
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis in a brown hat standing next to a burning oil derrick
Poster and frame from the film "There Will Be Blood"
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According to Wikipedia, Anderson spent months collecting scattered notes, reading about real oil barons, and carefully constructing the drama — as if he wasn't writing a screenplay but drilling it straight from the earth.

The result is cinema that even in its visual language — with long silent scenes and an ominous soundtrack — feels more like meditation than your typical period piece.

Reviews and recognition

There Will Be Blood won two Oscars: Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Cinematography (Robert Elswit).

Critics unanimously call it one of the most important films of the 21st century. IMDb gives it 8.2 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes shows 91% from critics and 86% from audiences. Some call it boring, others call it heavy, but almost no one stays indifferent.
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis in dirty white clothing, next to a movie poster showing the actor in a suit and hat
Poster and frame from the film "There Will Be Blood"
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Film critic Deborah Ross from "The Spectator" wrote in her review for Rotten Tomatoes:

Day-Lewis's performance will just grab you and you won't be able to look away. The landscapes are harsh and vast, but he tears through them as if they were no more than your uncle's backyard.

If you enjoy films where there are no clear-cut heroes — There Will Be Blood will definitely work for you. And this isn't just a story about oil and capitalism, but about the darkness that grows inside when you stop seeing people as anything more than profit. And yes — that final scene will definitely stay with you. Even if you don't want it to. Earlier on zoomboola.com we covered the film "Cast Away" — the drama that made Tom Hanks gain 50 pounds.