oil!

actually, let there be blood. i went to see this film on sunday at bam, and it was actually sold out, so i had to return last night. this time i got in, but still i had to squeeze between two people to watch the film from a decent seat (one of the advantages of going to movies alone is that i can often find one open sea, in a decent place, between people.) i got there by climbing over the seat back-fun. the film felt long, but not terribly long, given that it does last 2 hours and 40 minutes. i was not, and still am not, easy about a few things:  the lack of women in the film (oh, obviously one could argue that it is about a world that doesn’t contain many women and that it is also not a film about relationships), the ending (which doesn’t really seem to round out the beginning, but maybe then to problem is the beginning) and, i think, the music. i liked the music well enough in some places but in others it draws too much attention to itself and too much attention away from the film.) plainview’s adopted son is dispatched too easily. (the “bastard in a basket” scene ends up being funnily absurd. i liked it.) i supose i, myself, could argue that leaving women out of the film makes it easier for the film to focus on plainview’s ambition and leaves his relationships with other characters (his false brother, his adopted son, mary) as non-sexual ones–his affectionate gestures are not too loaded with sexual tension (thought there is that moment when he captures mary as she runs around the picnic tables.) as to the end, what has he finished? i do not believe that his initial intention (at the beginning of the film) was to murder religion–i think he comes to that later. was his intention to only make enough money to be alone? but that does not explain his hatred of eli sunday–that also comes later, after repeated conflicts with sunday. there is some piece either missing or just not emphasized, which would explain both daniel plainview’s hatred and ambition. (i do not think this is another citizen kane. but i also don’t think it needs to be to be a really good attempt at dealing with larger questions.) i think pt anderson did well to try.