What A Scathing Indictment of Capitalism and False Religion! WOW!

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2008)

What a disturbing, yet brilliant film! This story is certainly a bit overwhelming, and definitely not for the faint of heart!
There's one central theme that runs through the Daniel Day Lewis character's life: financial success at any cost! He wrecks every human relationship in his adult life. He destroys his health! He suppresses his sexuality. It's obvious he's a homosexual, he shows zero interest in women, but he can't let any intimate relationship get in the way of success! He rejects his only son over something so trivial it would be laughable under different circumstances. He admits he's full of hate but does nothing to rid himself of such feelings. He even rejects God and all religion - because he believes in nothing but himself, which in this case is recipe for disaster!
Unfortunately, he's a perfect example of the Protestant Work Ethic. He works hard, very hard. He has the single-minded determination to become successful. He's intelligent and knows how to manage people. He's well spoken and very clever. He successfully manipulates both church and the local community to do his bidding. But in the process he damages the natural environment in orders to make his wealth. He steals from others because he can get away with it. He uses an innocent child to gain leverage with those around him. Literally anything goes in order to be a financial success.
False religion is the other side of this story's coin. Again the Protestant Work ethic is portrayed as doing whatever it takes in order to succeed . This time it's a preacher who has his eye on the big time. He too knows how to manipulate people to get the wealth and power he wants. While he does not kill anyone like the self-made business man does, and certainly does not deserves his fate, all God means to him is a way of making great wealth. In the end, when that wealth fails him, he admits for the very first time what a foul human being he truly is!
This is a very dark cautionary tale about the destructive power of greed and believing that the "ends justify the means!" What makes this tale so incredibly sad is that the preacher's and the business man's life could have turned out so differently if they did not allow themselves to become corrupt. These two men did not have to become evil in the end! They could have used their success to the benefit of others - something they apparently never learned how to do! But all they cared about was themselves, which, in the end, led to their mutual destruction!