Review: There Will be Blood
While my wife was doing real ministry--pouring her energy and talents out for our teens at the Word of Life "Superbowl"--I did a load of laundry and watched "There Will Be Blood," starring Daniel Day-Lewis. (I find Louis to be a fantastic actor because I hate his characters so much--both in this movie and "Gangs of New York.") I hated this movie and for all the reasons it wanted me to. So, it was really good, but I would never buy it, rent it (again), or recommend it to anyone.
Why this hatred, you ask? Because it tells a story of an oil man, Daniel Plainview, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's important to note this is the story of an oil man because they are the first words spoken in the entire movie, coming after about 15 minutes without speech. Plainview finds coal, starts an oil company, and builds his empire. Along the way he uses people, hates people, and kills people. He uses his alleged son, H.W., and his "sweet face," simply to advance his oil business by appearing as a family man. When Plainview takes his son's own business development as competition, he forces his out of his life repeatedly calling him a bastard from a basket.
Plainview kills the man who presents himself as his brother, though he was the only friend Daniel ever had. The movie lets you know that the title is a semi-prophecy because even in this violence there is no blood in the shooting. The death that finally brings blood is that of the false preacher from the church of the Third Revelation, Paul Sunday, who tries to sell Plainview a tract of land that used to belong to a member of his congregation. Plainview's anger rises through this conversation until he finally beats Paul to death with a bowling pin, saying to his approaching, unaware servant what the movie has been affirming all along, "I'm finished!"
The movie is a realist and critical portrayal of our world from a Nietzschean perspective. All of Plainview's life is about his use and manipulation power--figuratively (in his relationships) and literally (with his oil business). Even the one who should reject and reform power, the preacher, uses it to achieve an identity in the town and overpowers his own father during one supper. Indeed, Plainview, during his violent reaction to Sunday's groveling offer, yells over and over, "I am the Third Revelation!" There is no room for religion to transform anyone. All there is in this movie is power--some who live by it and others "too weak to seek it." Barf. (It occurred to me that the phrase, 'too weak to seek it' is one that I've picked up from somewhere before, quite possibly my brother Tim. It should have been quoted from the start, as a result. Sorry 'bout that!)
Why this hatred, you ask? Because it tells a story of an oil man, Daniel Plainview, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's important to note this is the story of an oil man because they are the first words spoken in the entire movie, coming after about 15 minutes without speech. Plainview finds coal, starts an oil company, and builds his empire. Along the way he uses people, hates people, and kills people. He uses his alleged son, H.W., and his "sweet face," simply to advance his oil business by appearing as a family man. When Plainview takes his son's own business development as competition, he forces his out of his life repeatedly calling him a bastard from a basket.
Plainview kills the man who presents himself as his brother, though he was the only friend Daniel ever had. The movie lets you know that the title is a semi-prophecy because even in this violence there is no blood in the shooting. The death that finally brings blood is that of the false preacher from the church of the Third Revelation, Paul Sunday, who tries to sell Plainview a tract of land that used to belong to a member of his congregation. Plainview's anger rises through this conversation until he finally beats Paul to death with a bowling pin, saying to his approaching, unaware servant what the movie has been affirming all along, "I'm finished!"
The movie is a realist and critical portrayal of our world from a Nietzschean perspective. All of Plainview's life is about his use and manipulation power--figuratively (in his relationships) and literally (with his oil business). Even the one who should reject and reform power, the preacher, uses it to achieve an identity in the town and overpowers his own father during one supper. Indeed, Plainview, during his violent reaction to Sunday's groveling offer, yells over and over, "I am the Third Revelation!" There is no room for religion to transform anyone. All there is in this movie is power--some who live by it and others "too weak to seek it." Barf. (It occurred to me that the phrase, 'too weak to seek it' is one that I've picked up from somewhere before, quite possibly my brother Tim. It should have been quoted from the start, as a result. Sorry 'bout that!)
posted by Aaron Perry at
11:08 AM
1 Comments:
The Last of the Mohicans is a popular Daniel Day-Lewis film. I like it mainly for the music, but lots of people like the story too. But again, there's not a lot of dialogue.
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