First of all, this is not a “movie” it is a piece of art, a visually scintillating cinematography experience. Every scene looks like a painting. The score is haunting; it feels like the sound track to a Horror movie. Its purpose is to build tension & then snap at the right moment, which it does perfectly.
Daniel's performance is… Well I don't have to say – he did win the Oscar for Best Actor! Paul Dano as Eli Sunday, the young reverend of the local church, is brilliant – especially when he gives his freaky sermons at the town's church. With a title like “There will be Blood”, one would assume there might be quite a bit of blood, but there isn't – I will say however that the title doesn't lie completely. There are a few shockingly violent scenes that will keep you alert in your chair. Oh yeah… This is a long film (3hrs) so you do need patience. For example, in the first 15 minutes there is no dialog.
I loved this film a lot. I felt a variety of emotions watching it. Even though it did drag, and it was slow at times, the pay off at the end is well worth it. I watched it with four other mates, which was good as there was plenty of time for discussion.