The film There Will Be Blood was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starred Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. The movie was a phenomenal success, widely acknowledged both by the critics and the general public. It won 119 awards in total, notably winning Oscars for Best Actor and cinematography.

 

The movie's plot is rather simple, realistically depicting the story of an oil prospector named Daniel Plainview as he expands his business in late 19th century America. As his oil enterprises gradually develop, Daniel's insatiable thirst is aggravated, leading him to completely alienate himself and to exploit others to protect his dominion of wealth and power. Nevertheless, when Eli Sunday, a local preacher and faith healer, comes to claim his own fortune in the oil-rich land of California, the tension builds between him and Daniel, until their true selves, smeared with ruthless greed, come to the surface.

 

The film's plot progresses by presenting the intersecting lives of Daniel and Eli rather than solely focusing on Daniel, the main protagonist. From beginning to end, the two conceive a profound hatred for each other, each considering the other a menace to their respective empires of religion and capitalism. As the characters clash to secure and expand their financial interests, the incredible similarities between the two became evident; Eli insults his father for poorly negotiating the sale of their family land while Daniel abandons his son, H.W., when he becomes deaf and unable to help him.

 

This conflict between the two is unique as it reflects the history of avarice itself. Eli symbolizes the brutality of Christianity that pursued its own benefits rather than fulfilling the realization of agape. On the other hand, Daniel serves as the upcoming era of capitalism that stimulates human's avidity for wealth. When Eli eventually succumbs to Daniel's wealth at the end by pleading to Daniel to buy his land, the movie succeeds in mirroring the turn of the century when capitalism gradually established itself as the new religion, the conceited conviction of the modern world.

 

Not only the characters, but the film's music holds a dire symbolism. The music is a compilation of monotones using the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument. These repetitive sounds provoke an ominous atmosphere as the story proceeds; while the jet-black oil oozes out from the ground, the music, sotto voce, is distantly heard like the hollow echo of a forbidden dream. Here, the vocal quality of the instrument evokes an image of the ghastly landscape owned by Daniel, all the more reflecting his desolate state as greed gnaws upon him.

 

This culminates in a memorable scene which masterfully depicts the appalling void of Daniel's greed. One day, the oil machinery explodes, injuring a few crew members and H.W., who, as a result, loses his hearing. While those around the oil rig shiver with panic and fear, amidst the chaos, Daniel alone smiles at the fountain of oil soaring toward the sky. From his charcoal eyes, his deaf son and the wounded elude observation; only the black river of oil, the torrent of wealth, remains visible to his lustful gaze. As Daniel whispers "It's mine," the music is heard and the grim melody captures the madness lurking behind his shaded eyes, shadowing the sense of a man who is about to walk the path of an isolated, reliefless fate.

 

As the film so explicitly illustrates through the life of Daniel, when avarice conquers both body and soul, one is destined to fall into a pit of isolation, dismissing everyone as competitors. In the end, such persons are left abandoned, living a wretched life never knowing what it is like to love and be loved. H.W., who was the only family Daniel had, eventually forsakes his father and leaves for another country. In the 21st century, at the peak of capitalism, many people are living in an age of excess where new of technologies provoke reckless overspending. For those tempted to follow a path similar to Daniel's, There Will Be Blood may be either a warning to change course or a foreshadowing of a sanguinary future.

 

Film Information

Title: There Will Be Blood

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Running Time: 158 minutes

Release Date: March, 6, 2008 (Seoul)