There Will Be Blood (2007/Blu-ray/Paramount)
Picture:
A- Sound: B Extras: B- Film: B-
The
critical acclaim for Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (2007) did not translate into big box office,
but Paramount had at least thought the buzz and a few catch-phrases would make
the film a hit on DVD. It was also due
on HD-DVD at the time before they returned to Blu-ray format production, but a
2-DVD set was issued and we did cover it as this link will show:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6811/There+Will+Be+Blood:+2-Disc+Col
It is a
good film, but I still have my reservations about it and as more people I know
saw it, I realized that Anderson’s knack for getting his directorial identity
lost in several other giant’s works caused more confusion about the film and
what exactly he was trying to say. The
only thing I can add is the hold of big oil over the lives of those around
them, especially those who they puppeteer, can be chilling like that of any
other giant industry. That it is the
energy source that, along with endless scientific innovation including the
atomic bomb (not invented by the time this film ends) is the reason the U.S.
became a superpower is in itself good for another film.
I was not
totally happy with the DVD picture and with Robert Elswit’s cinematography
winning the Academy Award for his work, I had some reservations that any Hi Def
presentation might comer up short.
However, the 1080p 2.35 X 1 image on this new Blu-ray is stunning in its
detail, depth and richness, especially for a Super 35mm shoot. Any softness is in very minor spots and color
is very consistent, while anything stylized is rare in that it always works!
The Dolby
TrueHD 5.1 mix is a welcome upgrade from the weaker Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that
appears here and on the previous DVD, sporting improved dialogue and benefiting
the score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, which enhances the film nicely. The combination of the two make this film the
experience Anderson intended and for its picture in particular is demo
material.
Extras
are the same as the DVD set, but are now all presented in High Definition, but
we are amused by the reversible cover Paramount has included for the Blu-ray,
with graphics as nice as the chosen side.
In this version, the film may yet have the following expected, despite
its shortcomings.
- Nicholas Sheffo
