There are many films filmmaker Uwe Boll could’ve picked to discuss with us on the show, but the most recent film that’s affected him as much as some of his all-time favorites is Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 film There Will Be Blood. 

Before we dig into the film, we talk a bit about Boll’s career. Sure, he’s made some cinematic video game adaptations that weren’t received well by critics, but he’s also made some films that satirize modern society, whether in a comedic vein like Postal or a more serious tone like his Rampage films. There’s a change in society as to how people react to their buttons being pushed. That’s certainly reflected in films of the time. Who knows – some of that may come from the rise of the streaming services. Regardless, it all makes for a fascinating discussion.

From there, we jump into Anderson’s film. Boll has had some fairly unlikeable protagonists in his films, so we use that as a starting point with Daniel Plainview, the greedy, hateful protagonist of this film. Why is he still likable in some capacity? The film explores greed, capitalism, religion, family, and more. Everything stands out with the film as exemplary, from the performances (Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano are in top form) to Johnny Greenwood’s score to Robert Elswit’s cinematography. We look at the complex story and ponder that the film got made in the first place. A film that doesn’t have dialogue until nearly 15 minutes have passed? How did Anderson sneak it past the studio heads? 

It’s a wonderful conversation with an insightful filmmaker. Tune in!

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