Bardem is not god.

Rating: 6/10 (5 September 2019)

When this film came out, I read several critiques and decided to wait until it hit the small screen. I can see how it would be overwhelming and emotional on the big screen, but I disagree with everyone who says Bardem is god.
Even if Aronofsky meant for the character to be god, I still disagree. For the fundamental reason that the character cannot create without either the contribution of Mother or through experiences that feed his ego. A true God or god doesn't need an outside force to create and certainly doesn't thrive on adoration.
I can go with Lawrence as a Mother, both literally and figuratively. She creates and outside forces can lead to destruction and rebirth but as something new which can just as easily be destructive or good.
For me, Bardem is Man (yes, I know that Aronofsky has a different character labeled man, he obviously didn't think this through). Man tries to stand on his own and accept the Love of Mother which becomes confining and insufficient because Mother doesn't need anything else but to create and love Man.
Enters stage right, worldly imperfect stuff which is shiny, dirty, chaotic, and constantly reaffirming in new ways the value of Man. The opposite of Mother. Both Man in his desire and need for more and the worldly imperfect stuff destroys Mother because her existence doesn't depend on them and the 2 cannot coexist. They are completing for Man. Man is like a lizard in the desert, constantly moving to the next shiny object to feed his insatiable appetite. Man realizes both that Mother can never be enough and he needs to confine her as the next shiny object to show off.
Thus, Mother attempts to destroy Man and the stuff but ultimately becomes another object for Man to possess and show off as an accomplishment.
This never ending circle will always lead to the ultimate destruction of Mother because Man is vain and requires chaos instead of the safety of the Mother who can provide love but that is never enough.