Critique&Analysis: "There Will Be Blood" - Tradition vs. Modernity

by Arturo Virzi

The times in which a film is released will, without a doubt, affect the judgment of audience. Most articles about Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood revolved around the mysterious title, and the ambiguous criticism of the war on Iraq. Watching it again, four years after its release, i come to the realization that There Will Be Blood might have been misjudged by me, other film enthusiasts, and some critics even.

It is not rare for current events to alter the perception of art by the masses, one would assume that any artist is trying to remain relevant to his times, but my desperate attempts at somehow linking There Will Be Blood to the war on Iraq might have been what strayed me away from its meaning the most.

Watching it again with a clear eyed perspective, I come to realize that I might have missed the point entirely. The films themes are not simply greed, and the psychological battle between the character of Eli (Paul Dano) and Plainview (DDL) is a battle of ideas. 

The character of Daniel Plainview might be a lot older than Eli, but he represents the modern man, unlike Eli who stands for tradition. They both believe in their ideals so strongly, that they see their opposite as obsolete. Plainview might have brought wealth, railroads, and prosperity to Little Boston, but Eli looses control over its people. Eli feels threatened because Plainview can control others through material goods, Eli controlled through invisible ones. As industrialization comes to Little Boston, its spirituality begins to die. There is a sense of dramatic irony in the story, because we know who wins the duel before the credits roll. Not because Plainview is portrayed by a superior actor, but because we are living in his world today. Despite the fact Plainview is a total psychotic asshole, he remains a lot more sympathetic to modern audiences than Eli, who is a dying breed. Plainview knows this already, and despises the rituals that justify the beating of a four year old girl who refuses to participate in them. It is true that the film is a duel between two negative aspects of opposite cultures, the culture of superstition and the culture of modernity, but Plainview wins before the film even starts because he knows very well that in due time superstition will die and Eli doesn’t really adhere himself to the faith as much as he claims to do so. 

There Will Be Bloods first 20 minutes have Plainview crossing a desert with a broken leg, on his way to making his first fortune, and these examples of incredible endurance almost justify his subsequent behavior. In fact, the mere fact that he brought incredible prosperity to the people of Little Boston still makes him an admirable character, even if his intentions where never considered to be good. Plainview knows he’s not a good person, but Eli has many more flaws, for being vain and jealous of Plainview who performs a spiritual coup de ta the moment he baptizes the first well.    

In the final scene Eli comes begging for help from Plainview who has scammed him from the money that should be rightly his. The modern man has already won, and the culture of tradition had to catch up to the culture of modernity. Plainview then murders Eli after he manages to get him to admit he is a false prophet and that god is a superstition. Plainview mocks Eli for thinking he’s somehow connected to a divine entity and yet requires the help of Plainview to survive in the new competitive environment. 

The title There Will Be Blood is not a reference to the popular mantra: “blood for oil”. It refers to lineage, Plainview’s lack of family. When Plainview is around members of the community he is trying to exploit he puts on a mask, and pretends to be charismatic, friendly oil prospector. So when he finds his brother, he spills the beans on his true motivations and desires, believing his brother would understand. So it doesn’t take long for him to figure out the man is an impostor when he can’t find a connection. His son too, grows into a different person, and Plainview’s attempts at making a heir, a partner and a clone fail. The only person who Plainview seems to connect with is Eli who, despite the fact they represent complete opposite ideologies, are two sides of the same coin. The lies of Eli mirror the lies of Plainview, and he hates him for it. 

Plainview murders Eli in the last scene as the final act of his dehumanization and as a celebration of his victory. The first time I saw the scene I did feel it was out of place with the formalism of the movie. But watching it again, the scene reminds me of Kubrick, who also dealt with the theme of dehumanization in dramatically humorous situations. It symbolizes the main themes of the film as modernity slaughters tradition and makes room for the future.