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