There Will Be Blood Visual Design Analysis

There's an old cliche that says, "A picture's worth a thousand words."  This holds true in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, where the brilliant visual design allows for the film's visuals to say more than any character ever could.  The film follows Daniel Plainview, an aspiring oil tycoon who rises to power in California at the turn of the 20th Century.  The film's opening scene is unique because it features no dialogue for nearly 10 consecutive minutes.  The scene uses beautiful scenery and design to introduce the film rather than dialogue, and it is executed masterfully.  The visual design of There Will Be Blood, specifically the setting, the lighting, and the color palette help the director give the film a dark, intense opening.

The first thing I observed about this scene was the incredible setting in which it takes place in.  The extreme long shot of the mountain range serves as an example of setting for sheer visual impact.  Not until that shot is shown does the audience really get a grip on how intimidating and vast this landscape-setting is, and it also represents how isolated the area is, as there is no civilization in sight. These details of the geographical setting give the viewer an idea of how grueling and intimidating the environment of which the protagonist is operating in is.  Another aspect of the setting I found interesting was the mine shaft that Daniel Plainview was working in.  While watching this shot, I couldn't help but feel claustrophobic as he ventured down deeper in the shaft.  I think the mine shaft was a perfect setting for the director to make the viewer feel a bit uneasy and uncomfortable.  Also, details from this setting also give a clue to the viewer as to which time period the film takes place in. The primitive technology at the mine shows that the film probably takes place at least a century ago. The details of the setting give some context to the viewer and is a good example of setting for verisimilitude, meaning it appears realistic to the time period.  In terms of setting, I thought this film did an incredible job in the introduction.  The film stunned me with its beautiful landscapes, and made me uneasy with its tight mining shots.  I felt the introduction to the film had a good balance of not only intriguing the viewer with its setting, but also giving the viewer information about the time period.  Also, the fact that the director did this without including any dialogue made the setting even more impressive.

Another aspect of the film's visual design that I found interesting was the lighting.  When Daniel is working in the mine, there is a lot of low-key lighting, meaning that the shot is very shadowy and dim.  I think the director chose this lighting to accentuate the dark conditions that Daniel is working in, and the bleak lifestyle he lives.  This lighting is effective at creating a gloomy mood that the viewer can easily identify.  Another interesting lighting technique is used when Daniel begins to ascend from the mine, and the light from the surface shines through the shaft.  This would be an example of high-key lighting, in which a lot of light is allowed to shine through.  I think the director did this to provide a contrast between the bleakness of the mine and the beauty of the above-ground land, and it portrays the land as one of more hope and optimism.

Finally, I really liked how the director used a specific color palette to help accentuate the mood of this scene.  The color palette featured a lot of grays and browns, and when color was featured it was very diluted and dim.  An example of this can be seen in this picture:

Notice how there is a wide variety of browns and grays used in this shot for much of the nature.

Also, even the blue sky looks dim and gray.  It is clear from this shot that the director did not want to have vibrant colors featured.  Another example of the color palette can be seen in this shot:

Even beautiful landscapes like this are made to look dull and bland.  Judging from both of these examples, it's clear the director wanted his colors to give the film a bleak, dim look.  The film's palette also matches the mood of the film, and the palette is effective in adding to the overall atmosphere of the film.

It takes a lot of detail and skill to effectively introduce a film without any words being spoken, but I believe There Will Be Blood pulled it off.  The opening scene's setting, lighting, and color palette all prepare the viewer for what is about to come.  Some may say a picture's worth a thousand words, but I think this motion picture's opening scene is worth a whole lot more.