Unique Actor of the Week: Daniel Day Lewis

Daniel Day Lewis: born in April 1957. Raised in London, England by his mother (an actress) and his father (a poet)

I've recently watched There Will Be Blood featuring Daniel Day Lewis taking on a character that blew my mind. Taking place in the early 1900's, Lewis plays a power-hungry oil prospector willing to overcome any obstacle preventing him from obtaining his dominance and his obsession with the suffering of his competitors. Although this is the only film I've watched featuring this phenomenal actor, I've developed such a respect for his talent. The film alone is exceptional, my eyes were drawn to the cinematography, the minor plot, and most importantly the characterization.

All of Lewis' acting is portrayed through his facial expressions and mannerisms. From start to finish, the plot is extremely minor. What makes this whole movie is the style in which Lewis displays the effect that the events had on his role. It takes a lot of dedication and determination to succeed in this type of character. His role interpretation is not only unique, it follows a path of connecting the actors pessimistic view on the world with the build up of hatred and anger through the actual dialogue. As I look back on the movie, I cannot help but to remember this mans ability to feed off of his supporting actors, use them to form a specific meaning and purpose behind every line. It is obvious that behind every bit of dialogue, Lewis developed a mindset of frustration and anger taken from past experiences. My past acting coaches have stressed this technique on me because it helps the audience feel what you feel, not what they are intended to feel.

Just like the repeating exercise, Lewis would sometimes take a question or a statement and repeat it two times to bounce it off the opposing actor and obtain different reactions. The second time, his emotion would reach its highest point or sometimes contrast with the original tone it portrays. "I am the third revelation, I am the third revelation." Overall, Daniel Day Lewis' purpose throughout the movie is to inform viewers not to let their ego or superiority guide them through life, it is passion and open-minded determination that helps an individual succeed. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it. Hopefully, you can get as much out of it as I did.