There Will Be Blood

In the late 19th-century oil-rich landscape of California, Daniel Plainview, a once-ruthless silver miner, sets his sights on the state's newly discovered oil reserves. Renowned for his tenacity and unscrupulous methods, Plainview travels the vast and isolated regions of California in search of lucrative oil strikes. His son, H.W., often accompanies him, and serves as the façade for a character Daniel portrays: a devoted father and responsible family man. Through this guise, Plainview masterfully manipulates local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for an outrageously low price, setting the stage for his oil empire to grow exponentially. However, beneath Plainview's carefully constructed façade lies a sinister individual, cruel and devoid of empathy. His drive for power and control knows no bounds, as he dissects the innocence of his surroundings and exploits them for his own gain. Among the rustic townspeople, only one person begins to question the legitimacy of Plainview's intentions: Eli Sunday, a mesmerizing and enigmatic local preacher. Sunday, charismatic and self-assured, harbors a shrewd awareness of Plainview's manipulations, and as their paths continue to cross, their paths seem to be headed towards an inevitable collision. As the conflict between them escalates, a tinge of absurdity dawns on their characters, further solidifying the tension that fuels the narrative of There Will Be Blood. Daniel's duplicitous persona clashes fundamentally with Eli's self-righteous demeanor. Sunday's strong sense of conviction positions him as a rival to Plainview's cunning nature, setting their stage for an epic conflict. Throughout the film, director Paul Thomas Anderson weaves together fragments of Daniel's twisted motivations, conveying the depths of cruelty and destruction embedded within his actions. Witnessing the crumbling consequences of Plainview's actions, Anderson shows that the gulf between his polished facade and the anguish of the people he has harmed grows wider and more menacing. Under his manipulation-stripped gaze, we are given the understanding of a master manipulator whose heart beats to one singular end - absolute dominance. Witness to the chaos triggered by Plainview, those with the chance are given glimpses into Eli's quiet life. Amidst a more deeply embodied experience, we come to understand Sunday's inner turmoil, from addiction and insecurity, to broken lives, shattered relationships, and the endless demands of personal responsibility. The underlying duality makes for compelling viewing, because the reader gets a view of their situation. Sunday's is an odyssey, and although at times it appears a fractured mirror image of Daniel's exploration of violence and power, it maintains an equal sense of tragic possibility, to grow as distinct and profound parts of There Will Be Blood. As the narrative continues to unravel, it highlights pivotal divisions that create deep repercussions, manifest into relentless conflicts that separate Daniel and Eli. Their stories eventually spiral towards a slow and frenetic dance with impending doom. Beneath their charismatic personas of self-deceit and self-righteousness, their true, authentic selves bleed into the unfolding chaos of There Will Be Blood. This unforgiving terrain serves as the ideal locale to subject Daniel and Eli to their ultimate tests - moments of supreme peril that expose the deepest recesses of their intertwined fates. Daniel's unyielding pursuit of dominance appears to be the epicenter of the unfolding turmoil, drawing near the lines of an apocalyptic outcome for his life and the lives of those connected to him. At the same time, their lives deepen, with deeper conflicts that push both characters towards an almost existential meeting with his entire being. In the profound devastation of There Will Be Blood lies a reflection, shrouded in an abiding mystery and profound contradiction. Beneath Anderson's fluid masterwork lies a harsh critique of America's age of crude opportunism, epitomized in the grasping capitalist culture that dominates Daniel's domain. Thematizing and foregrounding such exploration requires a delicate balance between the brutalities and pitiless motivations fueling Daniel's actions with a character defined by empathy and rooted cultural identity. Herein lies the tragedy of two souls whose trajectories draw close but continue to swing them apart, serving reminders of what There Will Be Blood truly is - not just a masterpiece about greedy men's greed, but an incredibly timely, deeply humane evocation of human existence at its most wounded and despairing states.