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Now On DVD: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

Photo Credit: Circuit City

by Freeman Montaque
04/09/2008

Sometimes great films just don’t translate into great DVDs. Either the section for extras is relatively bare and underwhelming, or there are no extras at all. You might think that There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest gem, would follow in the footsteps of Boogie Nights and Magnolia, two of the writer/director’s other films that stand out as good movies and good DVDs. Unfortunately, the 2-Disc Collector’s Edition, while it might look nice, doesn’t offer as much as it should.

The film itself is a modern masterpiece. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) is an oil man looking to advance his profits by expanding his claim on as much as land as possible. His only immediate problem is Eli (Paul Dano), a young preacher who’s willing to help Plainview out if he incorporates religion into his personal life and in his profession (he asks to bless the well and pray with the workers). Things gradually become heated between the two as Eli’s patience with the oil tycoon lessons and Plainview grows more corrupt with power. The film tied with No Country for Old Men as the most nominated film of the year 2007 with 8 nominations including Best Picture. It won 2 (Actor for Day-Lewis, Cinematography for camera man Robert Elswit), and it deserved each and every accolade thrown its way.

Looking into the DVD specifically, the first feature on the second disc is called “15 min: Pics, Research, Etc.” Doesn’t sound like a lot of thought went into naming that, did it? Well, apparently, about as much work went into actually creating it. What this is is a sort of half-hearted attempt at a “making-of” feature. What it actually is is pictures we can assume influenced certain scenes, those scenes recreated in the film, and Johnny Greenwood’s score resounding as the only type of vocal guide for this collage. It really should have been called “Pics, Research, and Crap Like That,” because that’s what you’ll be thinking as you watch it.

Also included are the promotional teaser trailer (which is something, considering how hard it is to find online now) and the domestic theatrical trailer. You may recall a trailer that came right before the domestic preview that was just as fascinating to watch. It’s not on here. It should have been.

The deleted scenes (‘Fishing,’ ‘Haircut/Interrupted Hymn’) are actually quite good, but you wish there were more. One scene in particular is notably missing, which found the Plainviews along with Eli and his father sitting around a campfire talking about religion. This is still available to see online, but it would have been a nice touch to see it on the DVD. There’s also a segment titled “Dailies Gone Wild,” which feels like a deleted scene until you get to the end (I won’t ruin it for you). It just goes to show, in case you didn’t realize before, how good Day-Lewis is when he’s on his game.

The last feature is a silent film titled “The Story of Petroleum.” If that doesn’t sound like something that would get you excited, I might advise skipping it. It’s interesting, I suppose, when you compare it to the film, but if nothing else, it will probably cure your insomnia.

So it’s with a heavy heart that I must inform you of how underwhelming the There Will Be Blood 2-disc DVD is. Save a few deleted scenes, I’m not sure that it’s a great investment. Had commentary by Anderson, Day-Lewis, or really, anybody in any way involved with the film had been included, that might be a different story altogether. But what we get is a far cry from what we got with Anderson’s aforementioned works. In any case, whether you purchase the single disc or double disc set, get your hands on the film. While it might seem a mistake to spend five or so extra dollars on mediocre features, foregoing the film itself would be your biggest misstep.

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