There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson et le directeur de la photographie Robert Elswit sont des scientifiques du cinéma, Daniel Day-Lewis est un acteur formidable et leur film There Will Be Blood deviendra très probablement le Citizen Kane de ce siècle. Une représentation cynique, originale et épique de l'Amérique capitaliste. Chef-d'œuvre. (20/03/2008)

There Will Be Blood repose entièrement sur la performance de Daniel Day-Lewis. Sans lui, ce film n'aurait absolument rien à offrir. C'est un avis purement subjectif, car le monde du forage, du pétrole, des magnats et des magouilles étant bien loin de mes préoccupations, me farcir deux heures et demie de l’enrichissement d’un sale merdeux agressif, vulgaire et sans personnalité, j’aurais franchement pu m’en passer ! La prestation de Daniel Day-Lewis est incroyable, mais ce n’est pas étonnant, vu qu’il joue toujours remarquablement bien. Par contre, j’avais plus à cœur ses rôles dans Le Temps de l’innocence et dans La Chasse aux sorcières. Paul Dano a assuré, lui aussi. Pour ce qui est des éléments positifs, mentionnons encore la composition musicale finale. Donc, ça nous fait cinq étoiles pour Lewis, une demi-étoile pour Dano et la musique, et encore une demi-étoile pour l’histoire. (18/11/2009)

Masterful craftsmanship without artistic compromise. A perfect study of an ambitious, egocentric soul, in whose bearer – the oilman Plainview – the film world has one of the juiciest characters in its history. The gripping first half, when the plot revolves more around the building of an oil empire, is almost visually hypnotic (the scene of the oil rig fire accompanied by rhythmic percussive music has a kind of horror-apocalyptic feel). The second half is more intimate, with the narrative focusing more on the oilman's troubled relationship with his son and the sycophantic religious fanatic Ali (Plainview's "confession" at the baptism gave me chills). It seems as if no one played Plainview, that this slightly stooped man with a distinctive moustache was brought in by Anderson in a time machine from a hundred years ago and filmed with a hidden camera, letting him live out his story… No, really. Daniel Day Lewis… There are no words to describe my fascination with his performance; the facial expressions, the complete change of voice (which doesn't seem mannerist at all), the slightly hunched posture, the imposing appearance. That's no longer acting, that's reincarnation, which perhaps only Day-Lewis is capable of using his famous 'Stanislavsky method'. Daniel and Paul, you have my applause. When Day-Lewis accepted his second Oscar this year with his aristocratic appearance and massive earrings, he looked like a being from another world. And so does this film. (09/03/2008)

If is it was less protracted, it would be great. I have to admit that in terms of filmmaking, There Will Be Blood is close to perfection, but I prefer films that are a bit more human (not so dry). Oscar here, Oscar there, but I just got bored and it be couldn’t avoided, even with Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance – anywhere else, I’d probably be unable to take my eyes off him. 3* for me, but it’s certainly worth watching. (03/10/2008)

An epic fresco, in which Anderson's purposeful filmmaking is matched by the riveting acting of Daniel Day-Lewis, who once again gets to the heart of his character and doesn't act, but simply is that character. The two-and-a-half-hour portrait of a tough egotist who managed to fulfill the American dream without faith and family may not be to the liking of many American churches, but at least it creates a functional subversion of the established rules. This is the essence of perfect filmmaking! (15/03/2008)