In the tradition of such great epic films such as Giant, Citizen Kane, and Elmer Gantry comes this unforgettable cinematic marvel, a turn of the century character study of an oil magnate, an evangelical preacher, and the people they influenced. Based on the 1927 novel Oil by Upton Sinclair, this film depicts the early years of the oil industry in America.
The story takes a journey into the life of a small-time gold, silver, and copper prospector named Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis). As he economically elevates himself from the depleting ore deposits to the plentiful supply of petroleum, he finds an abandoned baby boy and makes him his ward. Plainview names the boy H.W. (Dillon Freasier) and teaches him everything he knows about the oil business as time goes by. The hard-working Plainview does not have a problem taking risks in his ventures, because some of the drillings come up dry and he loses money. This only motivates him to make a success of his life as an oil tycoon by any means possible.
The film shows the hardships in this new industry when oil derricks come up empty. The multi-talented Day-Lewis turns in a praiseworthy performance as a selfish, self-driven, degenerate man set on becoming a tycoon. He projects a character who is very deceitful and clever. Ten-year-old Dillon Freasier, who plays H.W., is a pivotal character in this film. The role required a special 10-year-old who could portray a young man in a child's body in the early 1900s. In real life, young Freasier is a rodeo enthusiast who competes in roping horses and has won numerous ribbons in competition. Evidently his confidence around older people made the transition to film very easy.
Another actor who gives a fantastic, Elmer Gantry-type performance is Paul Dano. He portrays Paul/Eli Sunday, a charismatic, self-proclaimed "fire and brimstone" preacher who entices his small town neighbors to lease their land for a pulpit and a large sum of money to Plainview for oil drilling, which turns their quiet little community into a "boom town". This ultimately gives the preacher wealth and a national pulpit to preach from. Dano's character has many dimensions and his performance is nothing less than great.
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