There Will Be Blood star Daniel Day Lewis speaking to the N.Y. Observer‘s Sarah Vilkomerson about the film’s startling ending: “To me, the symmetry was absolutely right. It may be outrageous, that last scene, but to me it seemed absolutely right. I love that there’s an exuberance to it.”

Exuburance…absolutely. But this scene wouldn’t work without that final period, that final “Day in the Life” chord, that All The President’s Men typewriter-key wham: “I’m finished.” (And no, this is nothing like a spoiler. You can say these words when you’ve finished eating or watching a film, when you’re ready to go to bed, when you’ve fucked up royally or when you’ve finally completed a great task. Context is everything.)
And this: “Paul [Thomas Anderson] thought we were making a blockbuster. I thought we were making a film that would have us sort of drummed out of town with bell, book and candle. So I feel we’re going to achieve some kind of middle ground. It’s just so great Paul thought that. I just love it: There’s no woman, no romance, no nothing — just fucking filthy guys digging holes in the ground.”