Entertainment
These 2 Words Gave Us the Greatest Ending in Modern Cinema
The golden age of cinema was a brief shining moment when it seemed every movie that came out was a masterclass of its craft. The 2008 Academy Awards were a particular triumph, even if Paul Thomas Anderson didn’t win Best Director. His feature, There Will Be Blood, is remembered as a gold standard of modern cinema, and for good reason. Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the period film about the oil rush that considers the lengths one man will go to achieve success.
There Will Be Blood is a classic American story, particularly because Day-Lewis’ best character, Daniel Plainview, was such a ruthless and remorseless capitalist. Plainview loses everything he cares about, including his humanity, culminating in a final scene that will be quoted forever. There are many memorable quotes in this final sequence, but one of them is the most important.
‘There Will Be Blood’ Is Summed Up In Two Words
Everyone remembers Daniel Plainview’s iconic “I drink your milkshake” speech in one of the most rewatchable scenes of There Will Be Blood, but that isn’t even the most important declaration of the scene. The greatest epic masterpiece comes together in the final sequence after he beats the ruined preacher, Eli (Paul Dano), to death in his bowling alley. After years of strife between the two, Eli’s death marks an end, and Daniel declares: “I’m finished!”
This quote can be taken in a lot of ways, but it signifies the conclusion of Daniel’s character arc, as the oil man spent decades losing his humanity in the name of wealth. This internal struggle was externalized by his dynamic with Eli, who challenges him at every turn from the beginning, when Daniel purchases land from him in exchange for funds for his church.
The film commences with a battle of wits between the two of them as they take turns at humiliating each other. Resentment grows because of this, so that even when Daniel loses his soul, he still holds on to his hatred of Eli. Daniel becomes so corrupted in the end that he loses his son and any chance at having a typical family.
Eli’s return at the end of the narrative proves just how low Daniel has gone. There is no hope for him to ever be redeemed. Daniel’s final moment of triumph is bragging about how he swindled Eli one last time and all the while getting him to renounce his faith. Though it is a triumphant moment for Daniel, it’s a tragedy for the audience, who have watched this man destroy everything for his greed. When he exclaims that he’s finished, viewers truly believe him. That is the conclusion of his story, and it is a dark one.
There Will Be Blood is a story about how capitalism corrupts everything. Even when someone feels as though they have won everything, they have really lost. Daniel murders, betrays, and schemes his way through life. Even though he ends his story technically successful, he has lost his humanity in exchange. This scathing indictment of capitalism is not just Paul Thomas Anderson’s best work, but one of the best movies in modern cinema. No one has done it like Anderson, and every component came together to create a masterpiece.
- Release Date
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December 26, 2007
- Runtime
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158 minutes
- Director
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Paul Thomas Anderson
- Writers
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Paul Thomas Anderson
- Producers
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Daniel Lupi, JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson
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