Paul Thomas Anderson’s films usually evoke simple emotions: people either love them or hate them. This polarizing style belongs to Anderson’s amazing skill of crafting complex films. Much could be, and has been, written about Anderson’s previous four films: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love. Each film featured indelible images, distinct soundtracks, and great performances. An underlining thread in each film is the impact and idea of family. It should be no surprise then that this is so with his latest film, There Will Be Blood, which is probably the director’s most-polarizing work.

Everything else about the film, though, is a complete departure from his previous works. There Will Be Blood is a tense, acerbic epic that has lingered in my subconscious for over a week now. Seeing the film for the first time left me with a familiar sense of awe that’s inherent in the works of another brilliant film-auteur, Stanley Kubrick. There Will Be Blood spans the first three decades of the 20th century, focusing on an oilman’s greed and misanthropy, and his son.

The film’s story begins to gather steam when Daniel Plainview and his young son, H.W., are given a tip about a town named Little Boston, where oil literally seeps to the top of the earth. Plainview’s ambition and greed are piqued by the information, sending all of his instruments to the area to capture the oil. Once they reach the town, they are confronted by a charismatic, slippery young preacher, Eli Sunday.

It becomes apparent that Plainview is one to say and do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He works maniacally to reap the fruits of his labor, letting no distractions come in his way between himself and his quest for wealth. His response to the surprises and plot twists of the film’s second act expose the truth of his character, and forces the audience to confront the reality of this man.

Things reach a boiling point in the film’s last act when Plainview can no longer sustain the falsity that carries him through public. The film’s last two scenes are two of the most heartbreaking and harrowing moments in film that I’ve seen in quite some time.

If you think I’m being obscure and vague on the actual plot of the film, then you are absolutely correct. There Will Be Blood is not the type of film you want to be acquainted with before watching. Part of the brilliance, and unsettling nature of the film, is being unaware of what’s coming next. The film moves with a deliberate, exact pace that’s quite reminiscent of 2007’s other instant classic, No Country For Old Men. The difference with There Will Be Blood is the scope of the film and the boundaries that are continually pushed.

The film touches on numerous subjects including greed, family, religion, ambition, modern technology and consumerism, and obsession. Its main character is not the type of person you’d want to encounter or do business with, yet the character is so compelling and riveting that you can’t turn away from the trainwrecks he precipitates.