Spoilers.
This is a bleak movie. Right from the get-go, a creepy string arrangement signals the discovery of oil with as much horror as there is excitement. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) starts out as a reasonable businessman. He is practical and loves his family. But we then witness his progression into one of the worst movie villains in recent memory.
Eli's church is a rather wacky one, resembling the miracle healers we see on TV today. The dynamic between Eli and Daniel reflects the entanglement of Church and Enterprise. You can definitely feel how annoyed Daniel is by Eli's plans. Daniel's first wrong step is when he beats up Eli when he asks for his $5000. Sure, Daniel was peeved that his son had lost his hearing and Eli was a miracle healer, but it was a small concession and part of a contract. Daniel's ambition and competition are what consume him. He has a chance to become a millionaire by selling to another company, but he opts to build his own pipeline to become even more filthy rich. Then in a conversation with his half-brother, he admits that he is competitive, not just wanting to win, but wanting others to lose.
As the greed surges in Daniel, the humanity slips away. He first alienates his son by sending him away, when he was in need of help the most because of his lost hearing. The man who claimed to be Daniel's half-brother turns out to be completely innocent, but that doesn't stop Daniel from killing him. And of course, at the end he has become a wretched, old, and lonely man, but it is his prerogative to humiliate and then kill Eli.
This is a tough, challenging movie, but it reveals some truths about our culture today, particularly about greed for more money than one really needs, and how that can lead to political and personal exploitation. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing and the movie is exceptionally well-crafted, so it's definitely a must-see.
This is a bleak movie. Right from the get-go, a creepy string arrangement signals the discovery of oil with as much horror as there is excitement. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) starts out as a reasonable businessman. He is practical and loves his family. But we then witness his progression into one of the worst movie villains in recent memory.
Eli's church is a rather wacky one, resembling the miracle healers we see on TV today. The dynamic between Eli and Daniel reflects the entanglement of Church and Enterprise. You can definitely feel how annoyed Daniel is by Eli's plans. Daniel's first wrong step is when he beats up Eli when he asks for his $5000. Sure, Daniel was peeved that his son had lost his hearing and Eli was a miracle healer, but it was a small concession and part of a contract. Daniel's ambition and competition are what consume him. He has a chance to become a millionaire by selling to another company, but he opts to build his own pipeline to become even more filthy rich. Then in a conversation with his half-brother, he admits that he is competitive, not just wanting to win, but wanting others to lose.
As the greed surges in Daniel, the humanity slips away. He first alienates his son by sending him away, when he was in need of help the most because of his lost hearing. The man who claimed to be Daniel's half-brother turns out to be completely innocent, but that doesn't stop Daniel from killing him. And of course, at the end he has become a wretched, old, and lonely man, but it is his prerogative to humiliate and then kill Eli.
This is a tough, challenging movie, but it reveals some truths about our culture today, particularly about greed for more money than one really needs, and how that can lead to political and personal exploitation. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing and the movie is exceptionally well-crafted, so it's definitely a must-see.
