There Will be Blood (2007)
This movie opens with no dialogue for about 10-15 minutes. It starts with a man who is digging for silver and gold, which he sells in town and makes a living. After forming a crew to dig for the rest of the silver he has found, an accident occurs that results in a man losing his life and leaving behind his newborn son. Another result of the accident is the discovery of oil. The main character, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), takes this son as his own and raises him alongside him in the “family business.” He recreates himself as an oil man and travels across the country giving an eloquent sales pitch in order to gain the rights to drill in their town. Daniel is given information regarding a farm that has an “ocean of oil underneath it.” Daniel and his “son” travel to this farm to “hunt for quail” as they attempt to verify the validity of this ocean of oil. Once it is confirmed, Daniel attempts to buy the farm for quail prices and play into the farm owner’s ignorance as to the wealth of oil that is under his property. Daniel succeeds in acquiring the rights to dig for oil and sells his endeavors to the town with the same eloquent sales pitch he gave every other town. He goes on to purchase almost all the land of the town and promises to build a school and a church. This introduces Daniel’s antagonist which is a character named Eli, a preacher of the Church of the Third Revelation. Eli tries to preach to Daniel’s men and invites them to church. Daniel and Eli continue to go back and forth throughout the movie. As the movie continues, you learn how greedy, selfish, and manipulative Daniel is. His sole purpose in life is to gain all he can without any regard to how it affects those around him. He goes as far as to get baptized in the Church of the Third Revelation in order to complete a deal that would give him the rights to dig a pipeline through the final piece of land he was unable to acquire. Daniel reveals that the son he took under his wing was for the sole purpose of “using a cute face” to win over the towns he visited. The movie ends with Daniel sitting in a lane of the bowling alley in a large mansion after killing Eli. Other than a butler, he is alone, paranoid, crazy, and almost animalistic. As this scene in the bowling alley opens, Daniel awakens on the same lane, picks up the cold piece of steak from last night’s dinner with his hands and begins tear it off the bone.
My initial reaction to the movie was a disgusted annoyance. Other than exhibiting how selfish a person can be, it had no real plot. It was a movie that followed this man’s life and all the horrors he committed in order to gain what he wanted. But as I thought it over and really attempted to understand my reactions, I came to the following. I disliked the movie and the character because it showed me the person I can be and at times, actually am. Daniel used, abused and schemed to get what he wanted and needed in order to push himself further. A message I heard from Pastor Zeke down here in San Diego was the difference between mental faith and genuine faith.
Mental faith as I understood it would be faith in the knowledge of God, who he is and what he has done. Genuine faith is faith that comes from the heart and the ability to obey all that is asked.
Genesis 22:2, 7-12 would be an example of genuine faith. For those who are parents, try to imagine the strength and faith needed to walk your son up a designated mountain knowing that you are about to sacrifice him to the Lord. The whole time, not only telling your only son that God will provide a sacrifice when asked where the sacrifice is, but actually believing that God was going to provide another sacrifice other than the son that you love. Abraham’s genuine faith took him all the way to raising the knife over his son. That is one heavy task to perform. It was a genuine faith that allowed him to carry out any task that God asked of him.
I started to read Malachi and the lessons learned within. The people of Israel had become lukewarm and questioned their service to God.
Malachi 3:14-15 “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.”
His people began to give unacceptable offerings…
Malachi 1:7-8 “You placed defiled food on my altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governer! Would he be pleased with you? Would he not accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
The people of Israel began doing things how they wanted and still expected the same blessings from God. When they struggled or were not blessed, they cried to God.
Malachi 2:11-13 Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord cut him off from the tents of Jacob-even though he brings offering to the Lord Almighty. Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.
Reluctantly, and embarrassingly I can admit that I am that person that offers stained offerings to God and expect the blessings of God during my time of studies. It has been no secret that being down here alone has tested me more than I thought. Each time I find myself going under the quicksand of my trials, I cry out to God for assistance. But when things are manageable, I inconsistently pray. I have fasted before tests hoping for wisdom and a calmness to cover me as I go into a test. But as the test concludes and I see a passing score, the honor given to God has been delayed. I am working on genuine faith. I am striving to follow whole heartedly. Growing up in the church, I have learned that I was comfortable. I did things, witness, pray, fast and so on out of obligation. Cause I was trying to be an example of what a Christian should do. But this is when going to church becomes a religion. It wasn’t a relationship I was developing, it was a practice. We are fortunate to have a merciful God that will continue to reach out to us as long as we reach out to him.
Malachi 3:7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty.
But it has to be with a genuine faith that we return to God. Mental faith in my view, is a way of taking God’s mercy for granted. When I am struggling financially, I tithe even more because I have mental faith that God will return it and then some. But as the passage says…
II Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
God is looking for genuine faith. A whole hearted devotion to him that is not clouded or confused by the mind or situation. And through it all, whatever the issue, we can be like Job and not question God’s will in our lives. I am slowly learning this. I have gotten better at my genuine faith. I have given my education and pursuits of a nursing degree and career to God. I no longer struggle with tests or studying. He has opened my mind to where I can read and understand the readings the first time around. I am more calm. But I am still John Olague. I over think, strategize, and worry about things that need not worry or concern.
There Will be Blood gave me a reason to look into myself and my own life. I did not like the movie or character because it forced me to see myself and the nature I have within when I lose sight of God. It’s our human nature. We are selfish and ruthless by nature. But with the Holy Ghost living and working within us, we have the potential to be something beautiful, a vessel that God uses for his purpose. We have to put that selfishness aside. We have to trust that through it all, God has a purpose and will pull us through any situation. Because when we make our own path and fortune, we end up alone, crazy, and someone to be pitied rather than someone to look up to.
It hurts to truly look at our nature and how we take advantage of those around us. But when we acknowledge the truth, we give the Holy Ghost a chance to flourish.
- John Olague Jr.
