The tragedy of a realist

Rating: 10/10 (8 September 2008)

Daniel Plainview is not, as some have suggested, a monster, a vampire or some sort of representation of capitalism. He represents a side of many of us, a side that looks at the Stepford Wives of society, the people who will mindlessly worship prophets who are not only false, but represents barbarism, and wants to escape. As society gets dumbed down by discussions around the most mundane issues, like lynch-mobs wanting to ban homosexual marriage or to DRILL! NOW!, it is easy to look at this man and see why, in a time that was equally silly, as all times probably are when you're part of them, a smart man like Plainview would want to escape. His means to do so is to make a fortune and run his own life without the presence of "these... people". He views himself as better than others, which is not a commendable character trait, but understandable in the context presented, and reflected, in different ways, in almost all other characters in the film. As is expected, isolation is a greater tragedy, and as the rage keeps boiling, we see what a blind alley he has headed down. To live in any society requires the patience of a saint, and in a way we should view ourselves as heroes for keeping our cool amidst amidst the constant pressure to become slaves of ideals that almost never reflect reality as we see it. To me, There Will Be Blood is a cautionary tale, yes, but mainly a call to arms for togetherness. We don't need a kumbayah-moment for that to register. Presenting the alternative in such a compelling fashion, with such a committed performer, director, soundtrack artist and director of photography, should be enough to make us hug a stranger during the credit sequence and give our wallet to the first drug addict we meet, the latter having their own tragic Plainview obsession. We won't, of course. After all, we're all tragically human.