Duality
Mecca V.I.P.
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Part of the difficulty with understanding this movie on a first viewing is how expansive it is in terms of scope, which can disorient the viewer a bit in terms of knowing what to focus on, both in terms of action and theme. First and foremost, the movie is decidedly about Plainview and is decidedly apolitical. Notions of capitalism vs. religion are juxtaposed to show how they and, more importantly, those most embodying them, can be exploitative forces. This isn't to say the movie is allegorical though, as Plainview and Eli are both people existing within this pre-war western world. Much has been delved into regarding how these characters reflect religion and capital (or ambition, but truth be told both characters had this in spades) but after a few viewings it's pretty clear that the nature of their relationship is a human one. The pair just happens to be incredibly passionate humans. In this, There Will Be Blood comes a bit of a character study, though this theory is rarely discussed. Plainview is present in every scene and, though not obnoxiously centered in the lens each time (something boring directors do), his presence is felt in every shot in one way or another. The movie is about him through and through. In this, it becomes important to recognize who he is as a character -- a borderline-sociopath alcoholic who's without any real family. Throughout the movie he seeks to understand and explain (mostly to himself) this disconnection from society and feels that he'd still feel at home with his own bloodline, regardless of past events. He's trying to define the family bond in hopes of eventually understanding himself, and becomes crushed when he realizes he's been duped (and that his brother is already dead, which closes that door forever).
I actually find the scene at the church to be one of the more touching moments in the entire film. Eli and Plainview were both people who put on airs and were both greatly invested in the image so this scene becomes a concession of power by Plainview to Eli. After what happened with his faux-kinsman, Daniel realizes how important HW is to him. That, although he didn't raise him, he felt closer to him than anyone else he'd encountered. The looks of anger and discontent he shoots Eli during his "confession" are appropriate, as he A) knows Eli is correct, and B) doesn't want to look weak in comparison to the "almighty preacher". Plainview knows he's a fraud and probably knew upon first meeting him. He's seen too much and has exploited too many people to not know what it looks like when people are following something without question. This ties back into an early scene, where Plainview and HW make a pitch but eventually refuse the contract when the meeting erupts in question and speculation. He realized there's no point in dealing with a town of free-thinkers; they're harder to exploit. This is why he settles into Little Boston -- the people are sheep and he finds himself a rival, which he needs. At this point of his life, he clearly doesn't feel a connection you'd label as "love" to his son and Eli's existence (and the resulting feud) gives him purpose. It's not until later that he realizes how close he was to HW, but this only comes after he's pushed him away. Hence his immense drop-off in sanity between the time the film leaves Little Boston and rejoins Plainview in his mansion. At this point he has nothing but a petty rivalry. He has money, sure, but no purpose.
Ha, the ending was hardly trying to be arty for the sake of it, but it is intended to be funny (the black humor is thick as molasses). I've touched on why Plainview lost his mind in the above responses but the most important thing to remember is that the movie is adamantly about him, his emotional longing, and how this translates to physical behavior. Killing Eli was like smashing a mirror to Plainview, as he ended up seeing himself more in Eli than anyone else on Earth, including the boy he raised who isn't really his and the brother he'll never get the chance to know again. Again, what he has is his rivalry with Eli, who is now actually his family by marriage, something that terrifies Plainview. While he'd always longed for someone to share - not his success - but himself with, he's now left with Eli...that's it. Everything he wanted in his life (success aside, which doesn't bring him joy anyway) is now gone and he traces this back to his involvement in Little Boston and the chasm that existed between he and Eli's sensibilities. Eli becomes a reminder of his failures, not as a business man but as a human being. Thus, he hopes that squashing him will end his own conscience connection to a life he has no reason to remember and he can go, as if reborn. Naturally, we don't really see what happens to him afterward, but the satisfied nature in which he delivers the final line is indicative of his contention. Above all, director PT Anderson realizes that Plainview is a product of cinema and thus gives him that final send off at a "high point" of his life, even if he comes to grossly regret it later. This also ties into the idea that class distinctions are also legal distinctions and that the rich can play by a different set of rules than the poor, especially in the face of an economic collapse (relevant, eh?)
Maybe the above will help. I talk a decent amount about the characters in my explanation to Jason.
wow. i won't address each section individually (not because of effort but lack of capability) but i did read the entire thing. you have a very different mind and frame of thought when it comes to cinema. how many times have you watched this film (i know you have a huge boner for it as it was once part of your signature
)?everything you wrote made complete sense. all of it. and upon reading it and recalling the movie i feel less compelled to describe it as weird. but, while you are right in your analysis, do you think the director would feel the same? movies are a business, and they're there to make money. this film can maybe be fully understood, at the level at which you're describing, by 5% of America. let alone in one viewing. idk it just seems like a shame that a director would put that much work and layers into his film for it to go unnoticed.
). But I also felt that the film lacked a realistic tension and ominous intimidation that it needed to connect with the characters.
