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Paul Tomas Anderson saw this one for sure (SPOILERS)

posted 16 years ago by dustdevil04
4 replies | jump to latest

There will be blood was influenced surely by this one. I know that P.T. Anderson based his movie in Upton Sinclair`s novel but there are similarities for sure with Roeg`s film. For instance the begining of the movie -both tough self made men alone against nature find gold and oil in each case. The way this is shown to the audience is very similar and in both cases there are almost no dialogue in this secuences. The transformation of both characters and the way the become selfish and have bizarre behaviours is pretty similar too. The way they are portrayed at the end of their lives, isolated in their mansions. The problematic relations with their sons. And there is a very similar tone at the end of both movies, with a very violent and shocking twist, strange and I would say pretty postmodern.

[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

That was a real "Eureka" moment, dustdevil04!

This would be a very good companion piece to "There Will Be Blood." In addition to the plot similarities you mentioned, both films feature excellent performances and visuals, both feature a megalomanic lead character, both have surreally violent twists, and both are downright incomprehensible at times.

Truth be told, I found both rather long and tortuous, but I admire the imaginative excess of Nicolas Roeg in "Eureka" and of Paul-Thomas Anderson in "There Will Be Blood."

[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

I don´t get how can one call TWBB "excessive" - it´s very tightly reigned in compared to PTA´s earlier movies. Also, what´s so difficult to understand about it?

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] ciprianl 9 years ago

The only thing that There will be blood misses is the incoherency that plagues this film. There all the elements of the story have the uncanny attribute of making sense (even the bizarre behaviors). Here the bizarre seems to exist purely for its own sake.

[–] naples-884-346409 8 years ago

I came here to write the same thing…

The plot of "Eureka" and some sequences are very similar to "TWBB".

I don't know Upton Sinclair's novel, but it's possible that this movie was an inspiration, too.

Anyway, this is a DEEPLY flawed movie, while "TWBB" is a masterpiece.