It is difficult to determine whether it is power that corrupts or the inherent greed of those who seek it; inherent or not, there is no question the man portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis (?Gangs of New York?) in ?There Will Be Blood? represents the dark side of great fortune.

Despite being set at the turn of the 20th century, this film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (?Punch-Drunk Love?) packs a contemporary punch, no simple retread of ?Citizen Kane.?

In the film, Day-Lewis? character Daniel Plainview and his adopted son make it big with the discovery of oil in a small town in the American Southwest after being tipped off by local evangelist Eli Sunday (Paul Dano, ?Little Miss Sunshine?). Once he strikes oil, Plainview?s greed grows out of control so quickly that no geyser of oil can quench his thirst for power, despite his deep resolve to keep control of it.

Unlike many other cinematic tales about the perils of oil, this one is not spun from the threads of corporate conspiracies or environmental ballyhoo, though it certainly resounds with such contemporary concerns. ?There Will Be Blood? focuses more on the effects power has on the minds of greedy individuals; thus, oil is mostly just a convenient vehicle to demonstrate this.

But it is no coincidence that oil is also a hot-button political and socioeconomic issue today, and it is often cited as the root source of conflicts around the globe. In ?Blood,? we see this on a much smaller scale because, as the oil flows, clever minds become paranoid and friends and family are forsaken in the name of control and power.

While the film does drag in parts, it is generally captivating to witness Anderson?s handling of the demise of civility among several unique characters. Daniel Day-Lewis has already won a Golden Globe for his near-perfect performance and will almost certainly earn a nod at the Oscars. Paul Dano’s performance has a force that belies his age. His zealous character repeatedly butts heads with the oil tycoon in a series of conflicts that seem to suggest even religion is no match for the power of greed. However, this and many other character clashes keep the film moving along steadily and smoothly.

Such frequent inhumane actions are also amplified by Johnny Greenwood?s jarring and cacophonous soundtrack, which ? sudden and distracting as it is at times ? seems to somehow fit perfectly with the plot?s cynical treatment of humanity.

A particular highlight comes at the end of the film in one of the best single scenes in recent memory. A barbaric confrontation between Day-Lewis and Dano seems to imply that almost nothing can save us from the savagery we undoubtedly see in our lifetime and that those cruelties are only amplified when power and wealth are involved.

While the thematic elements of ?There Will Be Blood? are grim and disheartening, they remain powerful and provocative, and they won?t go unnoticed during various upcoming awards ceremonies.

4.5 out of 5 stars