Oily Sunday

I was going to title this post "Bloody Sunday," but let's face it, that would've been fairly uninspired, and somewhat disgraceful to the memory of those Irish protesters who were killed by the British back in 1972. Also, on a more personal and petty note, I'm not a big fan of U2- the opposite, in fact- everything I've heard by them grates on me, and so any title that conjures up associations with their music is one I wish to avoid. Perhaps I am even failing at this, as "Oily Sunday," is clearly a derivative of "Bloody Sunday," but it fits the following content, and thus it will remain.

By now, if you are at all interested in film and haven't read about Paul Thomas Anderson's latest sprawling epic, "There Will Be Blood," I don't know what to make of you. For starters, I encourage all those out there unfamiliar with this director's previous work to go out and rent, even purchase, "Boogie Nights," as it is the movie that put Anderson on the map and features startlingly moving performances by Mark "Shooter" Wahlberg and Burt "Uwe Boll made a movie in my Name" Reynolds, among many others. It is a decade old now- hard for me to believe, but true- and still as groundbreaking and fresh as it was back when it first dropped. PTA also has "Magnolia," and "Punch Drunk Love," to his name...as well a few others that I have yet seen, but have no doubt are just as mind-blowing and overwhelming. The point is, the man is a legend in the making, undeniably one of the greatest working directors of our time, and his pictures deserve all the attention and praise they get.

And if you have read at least something about his newest venture, it will likely have included praise for lead Daniel-Day Lewis, and composer and Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood. Understandably so, as both deliver incredibly nuanced and captivating performances in their respective arenas. Maybe you've even heard that Paul Dano, aka the Mute Kid from "Little Miss Sunshine" and Klitz from "Girl Next Door," does a great job in his first "serious" role of note, as a power-hungry pastor, a claim I also support.

But of the reviews I've read, few have taken the time to really decode the masterful symbolism evident in "There Will Be Blood," to arrive at some deeper, underlying allegory. I mean, at least for me, it's not enough to say, "this is a story about greed, competition, family, business, religion etc." These are blanket terms. Sure sure, they adequately describe some of the overarching themes present in the film, but I'm curious to see what exactly the film says about them. What about greed? What about competition and family and business and religion?

And so, six days after my first viewing of the film, I've come up with two interpretations. These aren't the only two interpretations I think apply, and I'm eager to hear others. Hell, I'll probably even think of more after I see it again and think about it some more. But, you've been forewarned, if you haven't seen "There Will Be Blood," and don't want it SPOILED, CEASE READING IMMEDIATELY. SPOILERS AHEAD!


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Interpretation #1: The Socioeconomic Commentary

The movie is a critique of the American oil industry.

Daniel Plainview represents the early American oil companies, raising and guiding a nascent petroleum business, portrayed by his son, H.W. Daniel didn't father H.W., but rather acquired him after the child's real dad was killed during a mining operation, analogous to the way that oil companies don't exactly "produce" the oil they sell, but rather find it in the ground, extract it, and refine it. H.W. is never referred to by anything other than abbreviation, strengthening the idea that he is not really a person , but rather an abstraction. This point is articulated even further, when, during a drilling accident, he loses his hearing.

Over time, Daniel becomes wealthier and more powerful by using H.W. as a tool to secure people's trust, and consequently, their money. But he also becomes progressively more cruel unstable. At one point he gives up H.W., replacing him with a man who claims to be his long lost brother. Though this man initially appears to be quite helpful to Daniel, it is discovered that he is really an impostor, and an enraged Daniel murders him. This is ironic, as Daniel pretends to be H.W.'s father despite the fact that he is not, and yet he cannot stand a man pretending to be his brother.

The impostor might then represent the U.S. government- which was initially favorable to the oil industry, but during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, began attempting to impose more strict anti-trust regulations. As we all are aware, these attempts didn't go very far, and today the oil industry is larger and more influential than ever. There is even reason to believe that the industry dictates U.S. foreign policy, overcoming political obstacles as easily Daniel overtook his false-brother.

Eli Sunday may represent several different ideas in this interpretation. The most obvious, of course, is the role of religion, specifically Christianity, in the American society and economy. Christianity begins modestly enough, but soon begins criticizing the way big business impacts people. Yet it offers little better treatment, condemning instinctual behaviors and attempting to control people through fear and illusion. Like the oil industry, Christianity eventually rises to occupy a powerful place in American society and government, influencing many policy decisions and impacting the lives of people who aren't even followers. In the end, however, religion is still subservient to big business, and Eli is forced to beg Daniel for assistance to avoid financial ruin. Big businesses eventually "kills" religion, like Daniel kills Eli, in the sense that economic decisions often supercede religious ones for many people. Indeed, religion itself is a business, one that is just less lucrative and dependent on other businesses.

When H.W., all grown up and married, tells Daniel he is moving to Mexico to start his own company, Daniel becomes extremely agitated and sadistic. He reveals that he isn't actually H.W.'s father in an attempt to emotionally crush him. In spite, or because of this response, H.W. does follow through and leaves his surrogate fathers house for another land. This action, of course, is evocative of the way that the United States was replaced as the world's leader in oil production by other countries- notably the Arab states. At the conclusion of the film, Daniel is financially very well off, but spiritually ruined, having spent his life dominating and mistreating others to acquire his material gains.

Interpretation #2: The Judeo-Christian Analysis



Daniel Plainview is Yaweh, the god of the Hebrews. He has a son, Jesus Christ, often abbreviated as J.C., but in this film, abbreviated as H.W. Daniel creates whole towns, like Little Boston, where there was once virtually nothing- the way God created the earth and life.

But despite what we would wish to believe, Daniel's God is far from benevolent. He is very bitter, angry and contemptuous of the civilizations he has allowed to flourish. He seeks to have complete dominion over his projects and expects order. Instead, he is often faced with chaos and disorder, which he hates. As such, he has no sympathy for the humans that propagate such forces, which are counterproductive to his grand plan. At their best, their are merely unreliable tools in his hands. Indeed, his only real link to humanity is through his obedient son, whom he parades around and lavishes with intense, almost disturbing, affection.

Eventually, Daniel-God sacrifices his son for the sake of his plan. After H.W. is physically harmed by by the mistakes of men, as Jesus was physically harmed by the Roman soldiers, Daniel-God sends him away, "forsakes" him as it were. He doesn't want to waste his time and energy on a son that is not going to live up to him, that is going to require more work than he will produce. Daniel-God finds a replacement in the form of his "Brother," who turns out to be a "great-deceiver," the Antichrist. Daniel easily overcomes this impostor once he discovers his true nature but is made all the more weary of life as a result.

Eli Sunday, who has been with Daniel-God since the beginning of his development of Little Boston, is the Devil. A charismatic and seemingly devout young-man, he initially seeks to be elevated by Daniel-God in front of everyone by being allowed to offer his blessing on the first drill. When Daniel-God refuses to do this, the Devil Eli turns away from him, convincing people to follow him through false miracles and deception. Despite his hatred for the Devil, God must eventually grant him some power to achieve his plan, as Daniel was forced to attend a church service and bow down in front of Eli to gain the land he needed for his transcontinental pipeline. Daniel-God, of course, absolutely resents this turn of events, and is forever eager for the opportunity to ruin and destroy the Devil Eli.

Eventually, H.W.-J.C. returns to Daniel, but is unlike him in many ways. He marries a woman, interacting with humanity in a way that his father will never be able to. He is quiet, calm and reserved, never overpowering. He decides to leave the house of his father, Daniel-God, to start his own company, or religion- Christianity. We don't get to see how this turns out in the movie, only that Daniel-God obviously resents this and disavows his son, claiming he was not his "real father."

Daniel-God disengages from humanity, as many people believe God has from our world, not making any confirmed appearances or proving his existence in many years. He isolates himself in his mansion, heaven, best represented by his in-house bowling alley (Heaven, or the sky, has historically been compared to a bowling alley- as thunder is said to be angels bowling). The Devil Eli comes to meet him and ask for his assistance, at first attempting to trick him once more, but then, finding himself outmatched, begging for his forgiveness. Ever the unsympathetic God, Daniel first humiliates the Devil Eli, then kills them, fulfilling prophecy but not his own existence, as he remains alone and unfulfilled.

End Interpretations

Damn. I'm exhausted by thinking about this film. And still some questions remain- what is the significance of the ocean? A few characters, Daniel included, make reference to "an ocean of oil," and at one point, he even travels to the seaside, but I couldn't determine what it was supposed to represent. Infinity? We all know oil will run out eventually.... And what about the lack of any prominent women figures? Some gender politics at work here? Simply faithful to the times or.....some hidden themes of homosexuality?

In Sum: This movie provokes many more profound questions than some people are comfortable with. It is ass-numbingly long, slow, and static. Even more meditative and much less accessible than the similarly bleak "No Country For Old Men." If you are looking for something entertaining, this is not it. But if you want to experience a film that will challenge your mind, body and soul, see "There Will Be Blood" in theaters while you can.