There Will Be Blood

Every now and then you sit down and watch something that is so phenomenal it rocks you to your core. You know what I’m talking about - the kind of film you don’t want to end. The kind you can’t get out of your head for weeks. The kind that changes the way you see the world or the art form. The kind that makes you redefine what a 5 star movie is.

I had one of those experiences Saturday night when I sat down to finally cross “There Will Be Blood” off of my watchlist. After seeing a masterpiece, I would normally wax poetic ablut the film. Like how well the film captures the shift in America from a country driven by religion to a country driven by the wealth & power of industry. Or how the real beauty of the film isn’t in it’s this not so subtle narrative, but instead can be found in the fringes & outskirts of every scene.

But it just feels silly to sit here and do that for a film as great as this one. There is nothing I can say to add to its greatness. It’s already been written at this point.

I can however do everything in my power to never forget the experience I felt watching the film, the conversations I heard afterwards, and the way I thought about it for days on end. The smile on my face after the first 20 minutes, knowing I got to spend the next 2 hours watching a masterpiece. The awe I felt watching the oil derrick explosion scene. The jolt I got in my chest after the closing scene. The sadness in my body when it ended. It’s an evening so memorable I couldn’t forget it even if I wanted to.

After all, it’s not just Paul Thomas Anderson’s best movie, it’s one of the best movies ever made.