Paul Anderson’s award winning movie, There Will Be Blood, unpacks the ruthless, and corrupting nature of capitalism, business and competition. An oil prospect, Daniel Plainsview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, seeks to expand his oil empire by buying out promising land in California. However, Eli Sunday, a poor minister, sees through Daniel’s charitable facade and, through coercion and manipulation, attempts to take power for himself. What follows is a political tug of war between the men’s need for victory.

A potent aspect of human nature is competition. Hierarchies are ingrained into our DNA. The need to succeed is a primal motive. The conflict between the men, although complicated and entrenched in under the hand tactics, and sly comments, reflects the ancient ruthlessness of humans.

In a scene between Daniel and his brother, Daniel confesses to having an ever present competition within himself. He states that he never liked others, and wants to ‘earn enough money to get away from everyone’. The difficulty he feels when connecting with others drives him to focus on acquiring wealth, even at the expense of his loved ones. After his adopted son goes deaf from an accident, he abandons him. Decades later, he scorns his child, mocking his disability and telling him the truth, that he is adopted and was used as a marketing ploy.

Daniel Plainsview gradual descent from hard-working businessman to selfish oil-tycoon mimics a Macbeth- like archetype. A man’s ambition becomes so strong that it pushes away his respect for others. It’s a classic ‘money corrupts’ story.

At the end, Daniel ‘wins’ over his adversary Eli. He lives in a massive mansion, alone, decrepit and vile. Eli comes over to try and sell Daniel land. Daniel revels in this as he can sense Eli’s desperation. He humiliates him by forcing him to denounce his religion, only to reveal that he has already drained the land of all its oil.

There Will Be Blood is one of those stories that requires several watches. Its plot is told subtly, through minute details that warrant deep attention. It uncovers the part of humanity that, as much as we don’t like to admit it, determines policies and society.

Watch the trailer here.

Image Credits:

Featured Image: Shot taken from There Will Be Blood film