The most viscerally raw and original piece of cinematic American fiction since David Fincher's seminal Fight Club , There Will Be Blood is a still, engrossing, performance-led picture.
Sure, it won't be to everyone's taste, but for those that can discern the truly great from the good, then a bona fide classic lies in store.
Loosely based upon Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil! , Blood is the story of turn-of-the-century oil prospector Daniel Plainview (played in screen scorching fashion by the irrefutably talented Daniel Day-Lewis) and of how he sells his soul for success.
Beginning almost as if it were a silent flick, for nearly 20 minutes not a word can be heard as Day-Lewis's Plainview takes us through a detailed insight into the old-style and dangerous process of prospecting for oil.
From there the story accelerates through time as we find Plainview looking for more oil and even more money. The opportunity to accrue both arises for him when he receives a mysterious tip about an ocean of oil oozing out of the ground in a western town called Little Boston.
Heading there with his son H.W. (Dillon Freasier) in tow, Plainview charms the townsfolk into letting him drill and summarily strikes rich.
However, as Plainview's money and power grows, so does his corruption, which leads to inevitable conflicts with all those around him and in particular with local celebrity Preacher, Eli Sunday (an impressive Paul Dano).
A powerful visual creation and a singular cinematic experience, Blood begs to be seen on the big screen.
Maturely and meditatively directed by the movie-brat influenced Anderson, static and long-lasting shots are the order of the day, which let us drink in both the striking parched panoramics and the blistering on-screen performances.
Malickian in its symbiosis with nature, Anderson's visuals skilfully elucidate characters' inner feelings and important plot developments.
In a similar vein to the Coens' No Country for Old Men , There Will Be Blood 's ending will polarise opinion however.
Whether it's an inevitable conclusion to the life of a megalomaniac or an outrageous operatic twist that doesn't quite fit is up to you.
What can't be denied is the sheer level of skill on display in front of and behind the camera in every department of this five-star masterpiece.
Five stars out of five
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