Soundtrack to "There Will Be Blood" composed by Johnny Greenwood (Nonesuch) - Out now

The opening shots of Paul Thomas Anderson’s much-acclaimed film “There Will Be Blood” are of a sprawling Texas landscape.

The shots are visually stunning, but it’s the accompanying music that sets the mood.

As the film fades in, a wall of dissonant sound greets the audience.

The strings are off-putting and jarring, which sets the tone perfectly for the film, which focuses on the life of Henry Plainview (played by Daniel Day Lewis), an oil tycoon in the early 1900s with a serious me-against-the-world complex.

The combination of Anderson’s artful directing and Lewis’ brilliant performance helped the film stand out as one of the best of 2007. But the music, composed by Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood, also deserves credit.

This was Greenwood’s first production for a major film, and the haunting music was a perfect fit for “There Will Be Blood” and Plainview’s character.

Some people I talked with who saw the movie complained about the music, but I found it to be one of several outstanding things about the film. 

Most of the soundtrack features strings, performed by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Berlin Philharmonic, but there is also the occasional – and effective – use of percussion and piano.

The film garnered eight Academy Award nominations, but Greenwood was not acknowledged for his work on the soundtrack.

However, it’s not that Greenwood’s music wasn’t worthy of consideration, but it was deemed ineligible by the Academy because Greenwood had composed some of the material prior to the film.

Most of the songs are more slowly paced, like the opening track, “Open Spaces,” a call and response piece. “Proven Lands” sticks out in a good way, with its fast-pace and more staccato rhythm.

There is nothing here that will interest those looking for the kind of lifeless music that accompanies most Hollywood blockbusters.

But it is a great CD to own for anyone who enjoyed the film, and works well as music to put on when going to bed – especially if you want to have some particularly disturbing dreams.

Download this track now: Open Spaces