Louis CK reacts to Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 masterpiece There Will Be Blood with Daniel Day-Lewis. Source: Joe & Raanan Talk Movies Apple podcasts.apple... Spotify: open.spotify.c...
@@ewoknroll the book was more of a jumping off point for the movie, the two are actually quite dissimilar, especially as the story progresses. The ending of the movie is 100% PTA, not Sinclair.
I'm not the deepest person and I've read a lot of analysis about TWBB, but Louie put it in such a way that made you truly feel the movie envelop you. I can't wait to watch it again.
Definitely watch it again! I remember after the first time seeing it feeling like something I couldn't pinpoint had happened to me, but it was kind of haunting and I knew there was more. I watched it again a few years later and it completely blew my socks off. In other words: second time's a charm 😉 Come to think of it, it's probably time for a third round pretty soon here.
I agree, imo it's the greatest downward character arc in film history. Daniel starts out gaining our respect for how much he had to go through just to live and then gradually builds this callus against people the more money and power he accumulates. He's not a bad guy at the beginning, but his base instincts that got him his fortune rise to the surface and completely replace his humanity until he becomes essentially a caveman clubbing his enemy to death.
@@judbaker5752 Let's not. It's a really fucking good movie, and really hard to find things wrong with. He's right about the dehumanization angle and this film is ripe for interpretation
@@poopamultimatepoopy look at the name of the person who wrote the original comment. Now take two seconds to look at the name of the person I was replying to. Not your brightest moment.
The hardest scene for me is when Daniel reads his brothers diary after killing the imposter. The overwhelming sadness, anger and despair he’s going through is one of the most haunting moments ever.
This is literally my favorite movie. I love how Daniel is just a shark. A force of nature that just wants and consumes almost mindlessly. It pushes him to do whatever is necessary, the only way he knows how to survive. He's just energy and raw drive to succeed at any cost, and it destroys him physically and socially. He has no one and nothing at the end but a big brick house, a grudge against a certain preacher, and some cold lamb chops. Excellent character-focused storytelling. What does it mean? Up to interpretation but it has so much to say.
I think that you can learn many lessons from the same story. Films which don't outwardly present their thesis and conclusion can be much more engaging as an audience member. I felt the same about the Lighthouse.
When Daniel drops to his knees in order to get his property from that guy and he has to go through the church and then he says "I've abandon my boy" is he telling the truth is he feeling something there?
I think it's pretty cool how the beginning of the film has no dialogue. I always thought that was PTA evoking the Kubrick apes or summarizing the ascent of man. Daniel begins alone and very primitive, literally in the dirt. He gradually learns the profession (the scene where he crudely sketches the derrick and transmits this idea, again wordlessly) to his partner. Raising his oily hand to show his tribe his power, his mastery. It's a promethean moment. It's like watching primates. Then he arrives in civilization, having developed his language skills in order to facilitate his ambitions. But he's still a primitive. He sleeps on the floor.
Absolutely is a film that grips you and rewards repeat viewing. Both central performances are outstanding. To me it's the Citizen Kane of the early 21st century.
I have never seen a better actor.Ever.The movie makes such an impact that you carry it for days internally digesting it which in my opinion is the ultimate achievement a film can make and leaves an impression that becomes permanent.
I saw this movie in theaters mistaking it for a runoff of the saw movies with a girl I was dating. At first I was embarrassed for my mistake and apologized to the girl and started to leave but decided to just sit and watch it even though she hated it. That movie has been my favorite movie since then, I loved everything about it.
I hope you decided not to see her again after she said she hated 'There Will be Blood' cause clearly she has doesn't know a great film when she sees it & has terrible taste in movies!
He's right. Daniel's character is trying to break free from human connection because he finds it so difficult. And at the end he finds freedom. Probably in prison.
@@mattweems7842 He ruined himself in that his humanity is now well and truly gone, but in terms of the practical things like being convicted of murder he will never have to deal with again. It ends on that moment because what happens after is inconsequential in that regard.
It's no surprise at all to hear Louis Ck have such well thought out opinions on movies and what their purpose is. His FX show "Louie", which I love, was a lot like that. There's moments in that show that to this day I still have in my head and whenever they pop up I think about them during any menial task throughout my day.
I watch this movie once every summer. I’m not sure what it is about the summer time that resonates with this movie, but I have watched this movie once a year since first seeing it in summer of 2015
I Watch it every thanksgiving to recalibrate and remember the American dream myth for what it is and prevent slipping into the numbing gluttonous festivity stupor, which I do enjoy, in all fairness
It's like you watch him in Gangs of New York, and that's the bar. Amazing. Then you see him in TWBB, and it's just a whole other level. That's his acting plus the writing. It's really powerful. I can't deny that it still haunts me...that slow, angry murder. I couldn't believe he actually killed the guy.
100% agree with Louis, I loved this film from day 1. No Country for Old Men, which was being filmed just a few miles away at the same time (that film actually had to halt production for a day because the oil fires from this film clouded the skies), seemed to get much more publicity, and also praise from critics, which it deserves, yet I think this is the superior film. Plainview is such a captivating character, and although he's an absolutely despicable person, it's impossible to take your eyes off him. It reminds me a bit of Scarface, where the central character is an equally unlikeable psychopath who is also fascinating for his sheer drive, ambition, propensity for violence, and complete and utter lack of morals. Both men were perhaps molded by tough upbringings, yet no doubt had an innate potential for violent behaviour. A masterpiece, a true 10/10 work of art.
Good comment, but I would add Tony Montana wasn't completely and utterly without morals. (If you were talking about the 1930's Scarface, sorry, my mistake.) Tony signed his own death warrant by refusing to carry out an assassination because it would have killed innocent kids.
2007 was a god year for movies. Check out *Michael Clayton.* My top 3 favorite movies are Michael Clayton, There Will be Blood, and No Country, all in the same year
In some way, I feel that Eli represents Daniel's conscience, which is nothing but an irritant to him throughout the story, and which he finally kills, hence why he's finished after killing Eli.
I interpret the movie as being about capitalism. Eli is the church/traditional society and Daniel is capitalism. Their clash in the movie represents the clash between capitalism and tradition.
@@Stereotype23 Religion trying to lift everyone up despite their background whilst capitalism grinding everyone down until you are so damaged you are broken.
@@Stereotype23 Then does that mean that church/traditional society is also a fraud? As Eli was? And that the aggressive, violent, compassionless striving of Plainview will triumph?
I don’t know if Dan Day-Lewis gave the greatest performance in movie history as Daniel Plainview. But I know you cannot have that discussion without him. It was a Mount Rushmore performance.
There is a case to be made that There Will Be Blood joins that very rare club in American art of which possibly only Cormac McCarthy’s Bood Meridian, Melville’s Moby Dick, Faulkner’s As ILay Dying, and a few short stories by Flannery O’Connor are the other members. It is one of the greatest films ever made by an American-in the company of The Godfather and Citizen Kane.
All tattered ends like an arm was torn off… Indeed. Unsettling. Uncomfortable. Upsetting. Yes like black mirror. There’s no closure because the filmmaker respects the audience enough to draw our own conclusions. What a gift! Thank you for this reflection
The only thing I'll add to that is the scene in the train when Daniel sheds a single tear over sending his boy off to the school for the hearing impaired. He showed something in that scene, not sure if it was love or if it was losing his child's face as something that creates compassion from his potential clients to appeal to their senses so that he could drill on their land.
It did require digestion and, then, re-viewing. Initially I was taken with how much this made me think of what John Ford would be making today, in all the best respect. It will remain a film I revisit again and again...
I feel like this film is above all of his other films. It's definitely mesmerizing. I feel like The Pawnbroker is like this. The character doesn't change and magically become a better happier person. Nothing in the film gets better, it seems to get worse for the main character.
It’s definitely by far his best. However, The Master has some of the mesmerizing aspects and Boogie Nights also does an excellent treatise on the darkness of the American Dream. Those are his top 3 imo.
Daniel Day-Lewis is just amazing. Not two ways about it. His ending in the crucible was also just astonishing. When he chose to be hanged. “Leave me my name!” he exclaims as the church has him completely humiliated, and willing to say anything to get out of trouble. He just couldn’t continue to sully his name on paper and have it paraded around. That ending in particular I go back to, and rewatch frequently. And the whole of “There Will be Blood“ I watch as well every so often.
Incredible articulation of this film. I personally felt that There Will Be Blood was the closest I’ve ever come to being transported into another time by a film. It’s the most believable period film ever made in my opinion, and DDL ‘s performance really secures it.
Louie is an incredible speaker. Just watched this movie twice, and Louie is my favorite comic. Was excited to see what he said about PTA and his great films with Daniel D. Lewis
At work we were discussing favorite movie villains. A lot were predictable, like Hannibal Lecter. I blew everybody’s mind a little when I said Daniel from TWBB.
because CK understands human nature, which in turn makes his insights so good, he's so right about how this movie will make every person feel a different emotion
This isn’t my favorite movie of all time, but I always say it’s the best movie I’ve ever seen. Lewis’s performance, which I hesitate to even use performance to describe it because he simply….is Daniel Plainview, is for my money the single greatest ever put to film, nobody will ever convince me otherwise.
I've never seen any other "performance" as you say as his in this movie. It's just the most amazing use of the acting craft in any any media, in my view. So totally agree.
Once in a while a movie pops up that, although I'll never want to watch again, I still appreciate as great art. This is one of those movies. Really glad I saw it though. Somehow.
The movie isn't even an allegory! It's exactly what it shows: an early-stage-capitalist resources-devouring, wealth accumulating American par excellence who has very little, if at all, moral inhibitions, achieving his goal and losing whatever humanity he ever had in the way. It's not that he was an angel at the beginning, but you respect his motives and achievements at the beginning. Then, he inevitably becomes a monster. He's not the only one having this mentality. Almost everybody in his surroundings works under the same paradigm, he's just better at it and he's willing to go all the way. The movie just shows step by step what the essence of American value system is about , including of course the religious hypocrisy, and who is destined to win in the end!
Louis CK is by far my favorite comic. And I have now learned that he does amazing movie analysis. I heard this and him talking about Kubrick and now I need MORE.
Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal, was big inspiration for Dutch in Red Dead Redemption 2. They make us like & respect him before his inevitable downward spiral.
Anderson makes films this like a painter. If you were to see an oil painting of Eli today, you wouldn’t be jealous of or envy him, you’d have a curiosity of his demise, his fractured story.
I think people forget how smart Louis is. The relatable idiot act on stage is meticulously crafted and deliberate. So much so that people think that's who he really is.
Have you ever seen his stand up? I get what you’re saying in general comedy act terms like a Gallagher or something, but he doesn’t have an “idiot act” he’s himself onstage. One of the great satirist of our times my dude.
@@Dannynoonan229I think he was saying that he plays certain things up and dumbs certain things down. Example: Louis does this thing where when he has a bit that is really intelligent, he often makes it appear as though he’s stumbling through it as though it’s just occurred to him and I think not only does that make it funnier but it’s also like him trying not to play up the ‘look how smart that thought was’… which he could do and the ideas are often strong enough that he could absolutely make them appear more confident, but I think both for the sake of the joke and the way he’s crafted his stage persona, he makes a lot of things seem fluid and accidental. That’s what he’s referring to. That plenty of people might not assume that he’s as literate or as “intellectual” a dude as he seems to be off stage.
I’ve never once saw Louis standup and thought to myself “what an idiot” I’ve seen many interviews with Louis talking to people, late night shows, podcasts etc….not once did I have the thought “oh man he’s a lot smarter than I thought he’d be.” Louis’s “act” in reality is just as you said, an act. He talks about himself and makes fun of his life in terms of just being a guy, another human being dealing with life. I knew when since I first saw him years ago that he had a great way of articulating feelings and thoughts with the right words. Usually in ways no one would think to say. I’ve seen Louis talk to 20 year olds that other people think are funny and make him look completely stupid and then proceed to pivot and make next level comedy in the situation because he’s so good at it. One of the best comedians out there and clearly a great film critic
PTA helps viewer realize the trueness, the reality of the character No platitudes, no softening... Warts and All, as they say Welcome to the planet "Earth" Brilliant!
It's the relentless pursuit of more that is fascinating to people because there is only a small percentage of the population who can actually discard emotions like that. It's why athletes like Michael Jordan are such alluring figures. They can't switch off that competitive drive, even if they win everything all the time, even if they retire.
I never thought too much about what I loved about that movie but this is really at the core of it. That same year, I felt No Country for Old Men was another example of characters who are too authentic to have some kind of character arc with the exception of them dying or maybe the sheriff 'and then I woke up' coming to the realization it never stops, he can just be finished with it, a compliment to the permanence of anton chigur as a force larger than life.
One flew over the cuckoo's nest, five easy pieces, Missouri breaks, the indian runner, killer of sheep... Some films that come to mind that did a nice job with the tattered edges...
I felt love for "The Master" in the same way. Louis describes it perfectly when he speaks about the tattered ends, and the amputated arm with blood squirting in the wind. PTA doesn't write a movie that you seamlessly fall into then remove yourself from. It's more abstract than that. What he writes has all the details it needs for a perfectly layered, complete picture. It's left for you to pick up on them. Some people don't have patience for movies like that, though.
The Master, for me, was not that good. TWBB was better, even Punch, Drunk, Love was better vs The Master. Good acting tho, but the movie has no direction what so ever.
@@bertusbrutus2121 I urge you watch it again, and if it doesn't stick, watch it again. The Master is a masterpiece that rewards upon repeated viewings. I prefer it to TWBB. Much more nuanced psychologically. The first time I watched it, I thought it didn't go anywhere. I compared it to a motorcycle doing a doughnut. But when I watched it again, I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. The story is in the characters.
