Film: There Will Be Blood

If Daniel Day Lewis does not win an Oscar for his performance in this intense film, then I will know that the Academy Awards is truly rigged. He's a completely unredeemable character with an unstoppable greedy and competitive personality. However, I found it interesting that the characters who surround him end up reflecting the same characteristics that he does, except perhaps the son. The most fascinating part of the film is the relationship between the oil man, Daniel Plainview (Lewis) and the young clergyman, Eli Sunday. Both exhibit hypocrisy, greed, competition and a desire for power. The churh tries to use the oil man for his money, and the oil man uses the church for material gain. Some of the scenes between Daniel and Eli are so intense, they are hard to watch. Though the characters in the film may not find redemption, I do think that there is a lot to learn and ponder from watching the characters interact. For me, this is one of the best films that I have seen in a long time.