There Will Be Blood

[Szlia]

Shortened wikipedia bio:

In 1987, Day-Lewis assumed leading man status by starring in Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being[...] During the eight-month shoot he learned Czech and first began to refuse to break character on or off the set for the entire shooting schedule.

Day-Lewis put his personal version of "method acting" into full use in 1989 with his performance as Christy Brown in Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot[...] Playing a severely paralyzed character onscreen, offscreen Day-Lewis had to be wheeled around the set in his wheelchair, and crew members would curse at having to lift him over camera and lighting wires, all so that he might gain insight into all aspects of Christy Brown's life, including the embarrassments. He broke two ribs during filming from assuming a hunched-over position in his wheelchair for so many weeks.

Daniel Day-Lewis returned to the stage to work with Richard Eyre, as Hamlet at the National Theatre, but collapsed in the middle of a scene where the ghost of Hamlet's father first appears to his son. He began sobbing uncontrollably and refused to go back on stage[...] One rumour following the incident was that Day-Lewis had seen the ghost of his own father, although the incident was officially attributed to exhaustion. He confirmed on the top British celebrity chat show 'Parkinson' on ITV that this rumour was true. He has not appeared on stage since.


[edit] 1990s
In 1992, three years after his Oscar win, The Last of the Mohicans was released. Day-Lewis' character research for this film was well-publicized; he reportedly underwent rigorous weight training and learned to live off the land and forest where his character lived, camping, hunting and fishing. He even carried a Kentucky rifle at all times during filming in order to remain in character and learned how to skin animals.

[..][In] In the Name of the Father, in which he played Gerry Conlon, one of the Guildford Four who were wrongfully convicted of a bombing carried out by the Provisional IRA. He lost a substantial amount of weight for the part, kept his Northern Irish accent on and off the set for the entire shooting schedule, and spent stretches of time in a prison cell. He also insisted that crew members throw cold water and verbal abuse at him.[...]

[...] [In] Jim Sheridan's The Boxer [he played] a former boxer and IRA member recently released from prison. His preparation included training for two years with former boxing world champion Barry McGuigan.

Following The Boxer, Daniel Day-Lewis took a leave of absence from acting by putting himself into "semi-retirement" and returning to his old passion of woodworking. He moved to Florence, Italy, where he became intrigued by the craft of shoemaking, eventually apprenticing as a shoemaker for a time while his exact whereabouts and actions were not made publicly known. While, as a consequence, little of these events are known, it has been rumoured that Day-Lewis, in return for board and food, instructed the master cobbler in acting. It has further been suggested that, following Day-Lewis' departure, the shoemaker took up a career as a travelling Commedia dell'Arte performer - a profession which has seen his earning potential skyrocket. Day-Lewis has refused to comment on the subject, simply stating that "Laurencino [the shoemaker] was a man of many gifts".


[...] Day-Lewis returned to act in Gangs of New York, a film directed by Martin Scorsese [...]. In his role as the villain gangleader "Bill the Butcher" [...]. He began his lengthy, self-disciplined process by taking lessons as an apprentice butcher, and while filming, he was never out of character between takes (including keeping his character's New York accent). Day-Lewis' dedication to the role even threatened his life at one point during filming when he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He refused to wear a warmer coat or to take treatment because it was not in keeping with the period. However, he was eventually persuaded to seek medical treatment.[...]

[...] Day-Lewis' own wife, director Rebecca Miller, offered him the lead role in her film The Ballad of Jack and Rose, in [...]. During filming he arranged to live separately from his wife in order to achieve the 'isolation' needed to focus on his own character's reality.[...]

I am also pretty sure that in The Ballad of Jack and Rose his character lives in a house on an isolated island, so he built the house himself and lived there for a couple months before the shooting started.

Obviously this approach works for him and gives good results, but... still a nut job.

[Nakilos]

I saw it on Friday, easily one of the best films of the year. Even though it was relatively long I was riveted the whole way through, didn't even notice the time and I tend to in a lot of movies.

Soundtrack added so much to the film, and he was just awesome.

I'M FINISHED!

[Vehn]

stupid movie is only out in like 500 theaters... most are out in 3,500 wonder if they'l ever wide release!!!

[Rathgar]

Fantastic movie. It definitely deserves the praise it's getting, and the score was just as great.

Day-Lewis may be a fucking nutjob, but I hope he stays that way, because his performance was nothing short of perfect.

[Surlok TP]

I'll take a nutjub that is an incredible actor that picks fantastic scripts like Lewis,over a nutjob like Cruise any day.

[Thunderbane]

Yes!!

This movie was fantastic! And it just opened up in OKC theatres so I'm seeing it again tomorrow likely.

The score was absolutely magnificent.

The ending was fantastic.

And the pacing must've been done purposely, because like everybody is saying, I never had the need to check the time.

Daniel Day-Lewis is the man.

[brekk]

I was blown away. Had no expectations going in, and I hadn't heard much about the movie. (brother got me to go)

The acting was phenomenal. Daniel Day-Lewis was great, and Eli the Precher also had an excellent performance.


For such a dark film there were some genuinely funny parts in it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Daniel getting baptized, and the milkshake analogy discussion were hilarious

I was a little suprised how blasphemous this movie was. Anyone who's seriously religious may be heavily offended.

[meStevo]

Loved it.

[aychamo_aycono]

Originally Posted by Nakilos

Soundtrack added so much to the film, and he was just awesome.

I'M FINISHED!

The soundtrack was really intense, I always felt like something really bad was always about to happen. And I hope he wins best actor ever for his movies

[Ejukated]

I am going to have to make the two hour drive to Charlotte this weekend to see this movie. Waiting for dvd is no longer an option and its unlikely this will be coming to the one theater where I live.

Tis the great downfall of the small town...

[mattsb84]

This movie was excellent. It really is a shame DDL doesn't do more movies, but jesus, the ones he does do...amazing.

[Fungul]

The movie was awesome. I think No Country for Old Men was a better movie though.

But I have to say Daniel Day Lewis's performance was possibly the best acting I have ever seen.

[Vehn]

finally comes out tomorrow in my area, woot!

[Frantic]

Probably the best acting performance I have ever seen. Amazing movie. I never thought two movies as good as There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men would come out at the same time.

[kaid]

Given the way he prepares for roles in films I don't think he could survive doing more films than he does but when he chooses to put his game face on he is a hell of an actor.