Dr. McEwan sheds light on There will be Blood

Every semester for about three or four weeks, the Muhlenberg Film Studies Program teams up with the Civic Theater of Allentown to bring a discussion forum to the movies. For three weeks this semester, three well-respected Film Studies professors will lead discussion groups following the screening of independent films. This week was the first of a three week series.As Associate Director of the film studies program, Dr. Paul McEwan led this week's discussion following a showing of Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.

On Wednesday, Dr. McEwan brought his seven years of film analysis expertise to the citizens of Allentown. The film, combined with the discussion afterward, made for one of the most enlightening and enjoyable movie experiences the Allentown community has ever participated in. It was a whole new way for the general public to appreciate all the subtle pieces that go into the art of film and the messages in each one.

Film critics across the country have thrown around the words "epic" and "masterpiece" to describe Mr. Anderson's film. Dr. McEwan summed up his feelings on the film with his quote: "It sounds funny to say that a film is about 'America,' but this one is."

Set in California at the turn of the century, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, a gold miner who, purely by accident, discovers oil on his land. He realizes the value of the oil and begins his own drilling company with his partner and son H.W. (Dillon Freasier).

One night, a young man named Paul Sunday (Paul Dano) visits Plainview's office. Paul sells Plainview information about his family's ranch, which he says has an ocean of oil underneath it.

Plainview and H.W. travel to the Sunday Ranch and, while pretending to hunt quail, confirm what Paul had told them.

That night, Plainview negotiates the sale of the ranch with Paul's twin brother, Eli (also Paul Dano) in exchange for $10,000 towards the building of the Church of the Third Revelation; Eli is the charismatic preacher and faith healer of the town. But despite all of his prosperity, Plainview cannot escape his flaws.

As the film progresses, his personal life spirals out of control. He drinks too much he hates all people and H.W. becomes deaf after a drilling accident.

Day-Lewis confirms himself as one of today's finest actors with his performance. The film is told entirely from Daniel Plainview's point of view, as evidenced by his presence in nearly every scene of the movie.

His performance could put him among the likes of Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and James Cagney; all actors who knew exactly how and when to "ham up" their characters.

Mr. Day-Lewis has already won this year's Golden Globe for best actor and, in the case of the Academy Awards, the four others nominated for Best Actor may as well begin to practice their fake smile and congratulatory clap because he has the Oscar pretty much wrapped up.

After all of the final credits rolled, Dr. McEwan took center stage in front of an audience of nearly forty-five people. He began the discussion by conveying two points that stuck out in his mind from the film.

His first was how the film depicted the dangers associated with the building of America. "We see what's left, the monument, such as the Empire State Building and the railroads, but we don't see the lives lost building them, this film reminds us." The second point he made was to identify the presence of many themes, most notably the conflict of religion versus capitalism.

At the beginning of the discussion it was mostly students and teachers who spoke. It was only after Dr. McEwan called on a woman, not affiliated with the college, that other people gained the confidence to speak their minds, and from that point on the discussion flourished.

Dr. McEwan said that this was one of the best discussions he has led as he cited a comment that was made by an Allentown Resident. "I usually see films as entertainment. I forgot that it is an art that can be studied. Thank you for reminding me.