For a guy who goes by three names, like he assassinated someone, this Paul Thomas Anderson son of a bitch sure knows how to make a great movie. This is exhausting (in a good way). This is an experience.
It tells that uniquely American story of the self-made tycoon, his rise and spiritual fall. It’s full of American dust, American wind, American oil and an American sun that always seems way too hot. Lead character Daniel Plainview is SO American that, naturally, the best actor to play him is an Englishman. That’s Daniel Day-Lewis, coming out of reclusion to give heft and voice to an early 20th century searcher. He speaks loudly and clearly, like a man who knows exactly what he wants and doesn’t even know what indecision feels like.
At first though, he doesn’t speak at all and he doesn’t need to, thanks to Anderson’s staggering opening fifteen minutes of pure storytelling through imagery without a single word of dialogue (it’s more impressive than any long tracking shot circus trick). Daniel Day-Lewis starts off looking like a madman. He’s dirty, sweaty, bearded and solitary, breaking rocks and breaking bones looking for sellable ore. From there, he goes into oil, which is even more dangerous. He eventually becomes a success, which is the most dangerous thing of all. At least for a ruthless fucker like him. Funny thing is that we sometimes kind of like him, especially when he swats back a religious zealot who clings to him like a tick.
For all of his flaws, Daniel Plainview knows a grifter when he sees one.