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Film Analysis: There Will Be Blood

Decent Essays

There Will Be Blood is a film set in early oil rich 20th century California. The text follows Daniel Plainview “an oil man”, through the deceitful business of oil drilling. Daniel manipulates those around him to attain his desires at their expense if need be. His son HW, whom Daniel “acquired” when his father died at one of the oil rigs, is used to soften Daniels controlling presence. Daniel learns the location of the oil rich Little Boston where he meets the self-proclaimed faith healer Eli Sunday whom sells the Sunday Ranch to start his own church, “The Church of the 3rd Revelation”. Daniel is characterised as a ‘God’, manipulative and child like. When Daniel is advertising his oil drilling in Little Boston he promises to create, to build schools, roads and parks almost like God, whom created this world. HW is used as a marketing tool for Daniels business proposals. He is not the only one to be manipulated Daniel controls others to get his way and those who disobey pay the price. Throughout the film Daniel displays a hatred/hostility towards many and a friendly nature towards children.
Not only does Daniel Plainview promise to share the wealth of the Sunday Ranch oil but he promises to …show more content…

This is demonstrated with HW whom Daniel is loving and caring towards when he is a child, however towards the end of the text where HW is an adult and wants to start his own oil company, Daniel becomes hostile towards him and starts to threaten and insult him “you are a bastard from a basket”. Daniel “I hate most people” has a pessimistic, he sees the worst in people and “I want no one else to succeed”. Daniel is a narcissistic pessimist, he is all about himself and only himself “I have a competition in me”. As stated in the essay he ‘has’ to be the God of his surroundings and the people around him. The director characterises Daniel Plainview as a narcissist through selfish acts and statements that he makes “I see the worst in

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