Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
There Will Be Blood explores the ambitions and methods of a 1900’s Oil Man, Daniel Plainview. Formerly a mineral prospector, Plainview comes into contact with a whole “ocean of oil under [his] feet” after a young man, Paul Sunday, convinces him that Little Boston has oil sitting on top of the soil. The dream becomes a reality and Plainview promises Paul’s twin brother Eli a new church in exchange for the land rights of the town and surrounding areas. Within the frame work of the film, Plainview is baptized in order to create a pipe-line, H.W., Plainview’s only ‘son’, looses all hearing, and Eli commands the hearts and minds of Little Boston.
The two main characters (Eli and Plainview) of There Will Be Blood seem to be unredeemable. Through his cynicism and, even, hatred towards humanity, Daniel Plainview becomes the poster boy for Darwinism and The Empire. Eli Sunday, the pastor of an unconditionally devoted church uses properties of the Apocalypse to enthrall and build a congregation whose behaviors scream ‘cult’.
To Daniel Plainview, money is power and the means to gain wealth overpower family and religion. The oil man lies and bargains his way into the land of the unsuspecting people only to take all the resources and abandon his promises. Even the young son of a deceased worker becomes a way to show his ‘family side’ to future prospects. That son, H.W., a young boy, who he truly cares for, yet cannot let himself love because: “I have a competition in me, I want no one else to succeed.” (His son grows up and builds a rival oil business in Mexico) Plainview tears down his son and lives alone in his old age with all the wealth he has accumulated.
Eli Sunday, while using the Apocalyptic concept talked about in class, sought to destroy the will and ‘sucker punch’ people who he believes are a threat. This can be seen during the Baptism of Daniel Plainview. While the oil man only agreed to join the church to expand his wealth, Eli physically and mentally breaks his down in a grand show. Plainview is ordered to shout to the heavens the he is a Sinner and the He has abandoned his son. While both to varying extents were true, the show only gave the congregation more fuel to live burn a religious fire and brimstone.
There is so much in this Film...watch it ^.^
1. What other examples of oil can be found in today’s current society? Oil for certain is still highly prized but what has taken its place as an idol.
2. How can religious fervor become a ‘feel good drug’? Has it?
3. In the film, the pastor uses the oil money to create a new church. Does the means out way the outcome?
This is indeed a very interesting film, and i love how it uses the two main characters to build up a very powerful and dark story. Perhaps you were trying to allude to this, but I always saw Eli as a very weak and holier than thou character, even in the way he is portrayed - (childish face, slicked back hair and fanatically whiny voice) who will also do anything to further his own goals (in this way he is very similar to Plainview). Eli doesn't make Plainview repent because he actually cares for his soul or wants him to be right with God, but rather because Plainview had previously degraded and embarresed him. Eli seeks a personal sense of satisfaction and revenge through Plainview's public confesion of sin in front of the whole church, driving himself and the congtregation hysterical as the scene is turned into a spectacle, with Eli slapping plainview in the face hard and yelling for the devil to come out of him. Plainview only goes along with the religious 'cleansing' ceremony because he wants the land that Eli owns and this is the only way for him to get it. Neither character in my opinion show genuinely good traits, and there are alterior motives at every turn. At the end of the movie and many years later, Eli comes to plainview because he is broke and in need of cash. Plainview makes him shout 'I am a false prophet, God is a superstition' at the top of his lungs before telling him that he has no interest in buying the land due to seepage (the famous 'straw' scene) The movie is very dark and extremely interesting.. there is a lot in it as you said, and there are also no 'good' characters; Everyone has pretty evil intentions for the most part. That's not to say that we can't learn anything from this movie.. quite the opposite. It's one of my favorite films and could be analysed for hours.
ReplyDeleteHaving not seen this movie in a long time, i don't remember much from it. But having you guys explain it some, i seem to understand it a little more and am developing some views about it. The two characters Plainview and Eli can have many different views constructed of them. This movie can teach us lessons of revenge, greed, and also of the seemingly false church. Something i thought was ironic about the movie was the amount of blood. There was pretty much only one scene with a significant amount of blood in it. Having a title "There Will Be Blood," i would think more blood would be in it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good movie.