![]() With each wave of success, he is overcome with greed, power, and control. Loosely based on Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil!, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview who is a driven prospector mining for gold who becomes a self-made oilman. With its 15th anniversary approaching on December 26th, There Will Be Blood is an important film to commemorate for its attention to detail, stellar performances, and exploring the dark side of the American dream. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis in one of his most memorable roles, the Oscar-winning film is about a ruthless oil prospector who will do whatever it takes for fortune. An important movie to add to your film collection is There Will Be Blood. If you discovered oil on a piece of land, you were destined for riches beyond your wildest dreams. Daniel Plainview's famous milkshake moment may still seem insane, but it illustrates how the richest and most powerful people in the country become so successful.In the late 19th century and early 20th century, steam power was coming to an end and oil was the new future. From the title of the film itself to the poster that depicts an oil well in the shape of a cross, the story extensively explores the tensions between forces of power at the turn of the American century. It's surely no accident that There Will Be Blood came out towards the end of the Bush-era when it became clearer than ever that the president's administration was using the struggle against radical religion as a justification to expand business interests in the oil industry. In the end, it's Daniel's brand of capitalism and his stranglehold over natural resources that defeats the manipulative religious fervor represented by Eli. The two characters seek to gain power and capital through private enterprise, but one of the two forces must eventually destroy the other. Daniel's company and Eli's religion viciously fight against each other, but the irony is that they both stem from the same motivations and therefore pose a threat to each other's existence. Money motivates both Daniel and Eli to strictly abide by their respective worldviews. Related: Paul Thomas Anderson Is Even More Important to Hollywood Than You Think To the baron, the preacher is no more than a naive and stupid child who leaves his delicious, sugary drink unprotected from smarter, more experienced men worthier of the prize. Daniel does not see his enemies on equal footing, but as victims to crush under his heel. He also admits to stealing the Bandy oil that Eli just offered him, flexing his dominance even further by explaining oil drainage, his strategic maneuver, with the juvenile milkshake imagery. In this case, though, Daniel isn't content to simply accept Eli's forced apology. Eli's confession may take place in a mansion instead of a church, but his lamentations give Daniel the pleasure of turning the tables on Eli. Like the true businessman he is, Daniel eliminates Eli as a threat to his power and revels in the preacher's pathetic groveling. ![]() ![]() It's the peak of his ruthlessness and demonstrates his personal philosophy regarding competition, and the baptism scene spurred his even more cutthroat commitment to expansion and inspired his vengeful act of cruelty. ![]() The milkshake speech is the culmination of all of Daniel's experiences throughout the movie and represents the character's truest intentions. Years later, Daniel makes Eli admit his own hypocrisy as a conning televangelist when the preacher offers the Bandy land rights to him. When Eli makes Daniel admit to abandoning his boy and slaps the devil out of him, Daniel internally vows revenge against his nemesis. Daniel, of course, isn't participating in the baptism because he feels legitimate regret for his sinful acts, but because it's the only way his property leaser, William Bandy (Colton Woodward), will allow him to claim his land for pipeline construction. The ritual serves as a performance for Eli, a way to humiliate Daniel in retaliation for abusing his power. The baptism scene is the point when Eli can comfortably claim total dominance over Daniel. The ruthless oil baron physically assaults Eli when the preacher confronts him about his missteps. Daniel sees this religious intervention as a threat to his monopoly on power, especially because Eli uses his own charisma and influence over his congregation to undermine Daniel's authority. Eli seizes the opportunity to dominate his rival when industrial accidents expose Daniel's immorality, but Daniel is prone to fits of violent rage when his pride is threatened. While Daniel convinces the local community to work on his newly acquired land, the prospector must also contend with Eli's church services influencing his workforce. ![]()
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