There Will Be Blood Detailed Walkthrough. Hey there THiNCers. With the recent death of Cormac McCarthy I’ve started reading back through his entire oeuvre and also slowly realizing that the only movie of his that I’ve discussed on the site is No Country For Old Men … which is just mesmerizingly good. So, in order to rectify the dearth of McCarthy here on the site, I’m going to walk through some of his book adaptations to films in later posts.
Look. I thought There Will Be Blood was a Cormac McCarthy book and movie adaptation. But it is definitely not. CY politely informed me as to my massive mistake, and instead of eradicating my error, I figured I should rectify it. Maybe I’ll do a list of Cormac Movies and my rankings therein. Anyway – my apologies to those of you I confused (including myself! hahah.)
Today, I’m diving deep into the mesmerizing world of “There Will Be Blood,” written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This epic masterpiece takes us on a captivating journey through the complex characters and their relentless pursuit of wealth and power. Buckle up as we explore the twisted motivations and intricate relationships that shape this gripping tale!
Characters and Cast:
- Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) – Our enigmatic protagonist, a ruthless oil prospector driven by ambition and a thirst for wealth.
- Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) – The zealous and charismatic young preacher who challenges Daniel’s pursuit of power and control.
- H.W. Plainview (Dillon Freasier) – Daniel’s adopted son, symbolizing the innocence and vulnerability amidst the chaos of greed.
There Will Be Blood Walkthrough:
The film opens in the late 19th century with Daniel Plainview, a determined and ambitious silver miner. When Daniel discovers oil seeping from the ground, he rapidly transitions into the oil business, driven by an insatiable hunger for wealth and power. With his young son, H.W., by his side, Daniel establishes a successful drilling operation in California. This act sets the stage for the film’s exploration of Daniel’s character and his unrelenting pursuit of dominance.
As Daniel’s empire expands, he encounters Eli Sunday, a charismatic preacher who claims his family’s land holds valuable oil reserves. Eli represents the religious fervor and moral righteousness that stands in stark contrast to Daniel’s unscrupulous nature. The two engage in a complex power struggle as Daniel seeks to secure the Sunday family’s land at the lowest possible price. The tension between their contrasting ideologies builds, with each character attempting to outmaneuver the other.
During a well explosion accident, H.W. loses his hearing. And soon after, a random man arrives at Daniel’s doorstep claiming he is Daniel’s half-brother Henry. So, Daniel hires him. H.W., who was jealous, set fire to their house, attempting to kill Henry. And then Daniel sends H.W. off to a school for the deaf in San Francisco. Attempting to out maneuver Standard Oil, Daniel attempts to run a pipeline to the California coast. But a ranch in the way refuses to allow him through.
After Daniel surmises that Henry isn’t who he says he is, at gunpoint, admits that he was actually a friend of the original Henry, but that he died of tuberculosis. En-flipping-raged… Daniel murders his imposterous (is that a word??) “brother” and goes off the deep end with drink. The next morning, Daniel is awakened by Bandy, the family that is blocking his pipeline… oh, and by the way, he knows about Daniel’s murdering of “Henry.” By the way, Bandy wants Daniel to repent publicly in order to get his easement. During his repentance/baptism, Eli utterly humiliates Daniel. Worse, he forces him to confess to his abandonment of his son. Then, while the pipeline is being built, H.W. reunites with Daniel, and Eli leaves Little Boston for missionary work.
Daniel, now extraordinarily wealthy, and also a raging alcoholic, lives alone in a massive mansion. H.W. asks his father to dissolve the partnership so he can do his own independent drilling company. Daniel ridicules his “son’s” deafness and tells him that he was actually adopted… he was abandoned as a child. And in response, H.W. tells Daniel that he’s glad that the two of them aren’t related and storms out.
Eli visits a drunk Daniel at his mansion’s bowling alley. Eli, who happens to be a well known radio preacher now, offers to sell Daniel the elusive Bandy ranch rights. Daniel agrees… but on one condition. That Eli will denounce his faith. (Which, is obviously retribution for what Eli did to him years before in front of his congregation.) Eli eventually agrees, and then Daniel horrifyingly let’s him know that the Bandy property is actually now worthless. But Eli, confesses to having lost all his money in the 1929 stock market crash. Daniel belittles Eli before chasing him around the bowling alley… and then killing him with a bowling pin. And when his butler arrives, Daniel declares himself finished.
What is the Movie About?
“There Will Be Blood” is divinely inspired. It’s a profound exploration of the destructive forces of greed and ambition… and divine ambition. It examines the corrosive nature of capitalism and the consequences it has on individuals, relationships, and society as a whole. Through the character of Daniel Plainview, we watch as the movie spirals into the darkest darkness of human decay.
At its core, the movie is a character study, delving into the psyche of a man consumed by his insatiable desire for control and success. It raises questions about the cost of success and the sacrifices we make in our relentless pursuit of power. The film serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the moral compromises we may be tempted to make and the potential devastation that can follow.
All the while, it simultaneously spirals the drain of spiritual fraudsters and the emptiness of religious affectations. It’s as if Anderson was flushing both capitalistic greed and spiritual ladder jumping down the collective toilet. Daniel was a murderous son of a bitch. And Eli was a power hungry son of a bitch. They were two sides of the same coin. Both equally horrific in their evilness. Yeah – so There Will Be Blood is a rocket launch tour de force of film making brilliance. The acting is perfect. The screenplay? Brilliant. The cinematography? Beyond perfect. Not to mention the fact that we could sit around for three hours and discuss this thing over beer and not slow down even a second.
Edited by: CY