This movie is a combination of two elements . . . one excellent and the other flawed. The excellent portion is the portrait of mans quest for oil riches at the turn of the century in California. This includes the search for drilling money, and the grime and grit and of oil drilling. It also depicts the lives and religious beliefs of people who live in the hardscrabble towns where discoveries of oil are made. This part gets an A
The flawed portion of the movie is the incomplete life story about an oil entrepreneur, Daniel Plainview (played by Daniel Day Lewis) who takes advantage of the opportunities available, and becomes wealthy and crazier and crazier each day.
Unfortunately, his life and his form of mental illness doesn't sustain itself as a movie plot. It's the story of a hard charging nut-case. The movie provides only minimal insight into his motivation. This part gets a D.
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