The Power of Looking Beneath the Surface
Some people out there—many in power—want people to believe that everything that is really important lies on the surface; digging deeper is not just a waste of time, but a distraction from the truth on the surface. The movie opens with a gripping extended sequence shot without almost no dialogue that reveals the pure animalistic ferocity required to make a living as a miner in the dying days of the Old West before oil became the object of the dig. Everything that is important in There Will Be Blood cannot be fully gleaned merely by looking at the surface. The oil is buried deep beneath the surface. The motivations of Daniel Plainview are buried just as deep beneath the surface of his personality. The temptation is to cast Plainview purely as a villain, but when one peers deeper beneath the rough, seemingly obvious exterior, one discovers a complex character.
The Collision Before the Collusion of Capitalism and Christianity
The film presents us with a world in which the relationship that exists between capitalism and Christianity is starkly different than what exists today. The cozy symbiosis in which American churches co-exist with business was not always thus. There Will Be Blood accurately reveals the strong resistance to basic Christian principles of charity and fellowship and equitable distribution of wealth that made capitalist barons like Daniel Plainview not a hero of the Sunday sermons across America around the turn of the century, but the villains to preach against. The turbulent path that saw big-time capitalism and Christianity go from confrontation to collusion is a story still waiting to be told in film, but There Will Be Blood represents a fitting introduction.
The American Dream
At the heart of the complexity of Daniel Plainview that makes him far more interesting and complex than a mere villain is the fact that he is really is a model of the American Dream. Plainview is not some Ivy League-educated East Coast banker who makes millions by investing in the hard work of others and skimming everything off the top before double-dealing from the bottom of the deck. He is capable of doing every bit of grunt work required to pump oil from beneath the surface. He put in the hours, he paid with blood, sweat and broken bones he set himself, and he made himself into a rich man. And yet the film also shows another side to the American Dream, as Daniel achieves these ends at the direct expense of others—and himself, becoming a broken, hateful, bitter man, without any meaningful connection to others or sense of happiness.
There won't be much blood
A movie titled There Will Be Blood comes with some expectations about the volume of blood—and, by extension—violence—attached. In fact, there is shockingly little blood in the film and when it does come, it is not nearly as much as one likely remembers in retrospect. The film received an “R” rating despite not only this lack of violence, but practically no profanity, no sexual content and very little other content that would justify such a harsh rating. But with the title and the tone of the film come a sense of grim inevitability. Instances of true bloodshed are few and far between, but Daniel’s increasingly unstable behavior and his graphic threats show us that his capability for violence is always there below the surface. It finally manifests itself in the final scene when Daniel lets loose and kills Eli in a grotesque rage.
Lack of purpose after accomplishing one’s goals
Daniel has several stated goals throughout the film, from circumventing Standard Oil to make “real money” to buying a large house where he can stay away from other people. He accomplishes these things, but they do not bring him any lasting semblance of happiness or satisfaction. First, he realizes that Standard Oil does not care that he was able to outsmart them, and thus Daniel can gain no more pleasure from his victory. Even his great house only becomes a strange haunt for the now physically and mentally depleted Daniel. He amuses himself with guns and bowling and alcohol, as his mind and body have both atrophied to near uselessness. Daniel is a relentless spirit, but without a goal to work towards, he does not know how to function. Only the chance to finally defeat his old rival Eli brings him a spark of life, and even then only for a moment.
False relations
Both of Daniel’s alleged familial relations in the film are not exactly as they seem. H.W. is not Daniel’s biological child, despite the fact that this is what Daniel tells people, including H.W. Daniel also encounters a man claiming to be his half-brother Henry Plainview. The effect is that Daniel has no tangible connection to the world; he is this strange figure who floats from town to town doing his business without ever putting down roots. However, it is these false relatives who actually offer Daniel the chance to build meaningful relationships—chances which he squanders. H.W. stands by Daniel for years and years despite Daniel’s negligent and abusive parenting. Henry gives Daniel the closest thing to a genuine friend we see him have in the film, save for perhaps Fletcher. Yet Daniel is so incensed by Henry’s deception he murders him, almost immediately regretting it. These relationships, though based on lies, are closer to positive familial relationships than those of the Sundays, who consistently abuse and undercut one another. The Plainview legacy is a reflection of Daniel’s final line: “I’m finished.” There will be no blood ties connecting him to the future. The line is over.
Performance
Both Daniel and Eli’s power over other people comes largely through their aptitude for public performance. Daniel performs the role of a trustworthy and empathetic businessman who will do the job with great skill and share prosperity with the townspeople. Eli performs the role of the fiery preacher and prophet sent by God to lead his congregation into the future. Both men recognize each other’s skill, and also see in each other the first genuine competition they have ever faced for their influence over other people. Daniel is clearly aware that his own performance is purely an act and not reflective of his personality, but with Eli it is less clear. Does Eli see himself as a grifter like Daniel, or does he genuinely believe in his divinity to the end?
