‘There Will Be Blood,’ produced by famed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, is widely regarded as a 21st-century classic. It is a riveting portrayal of the fight for unequaled power in America amid the turn-of-the-century petroleum boom in California. The growing culture of capitalism, as personified by silver miner turned oil prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), and the declining cultural institution of religion, as exemplified by fake priest Eli Sunday (Daniel Day-Lewis), are the two claimants (Paul Dano).
The epic grandeur of the picture, which spans themes of deception, social revolution, betrayal, love, and thirst for power and fortune, reflects this power struggle. It puts Eli’s religion and Daniel’s humanity to the test (the crux of which is his son H.W.) while also resurrecting the early years of oil tycoons’ economic setup in the American West. If you’re left wanting to explore a similar thematic terrain defined by tremendous ambition and moral ambiguity, potentially couched in a Southern location after the end credits have rolled, we recommend the following films! Most of these films that are comparable to ‘There Will Be Blood’ are available on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
Citizen Kane (1941)
A news reporter is trying to figure out what “rosebud” means, as it was the last word spoken by Charles Foster Kane, a recently deceased press baron. He learns that the late media mogul – who serves as a figure for America in the film – lived an alienated existence amid opulence as he gradually let go of his initial idealism in the pursuit of wealth and power, which finally proved insufficient in “buying” happiness. ‘Citizen Kane,’ which was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won for Best Original Screenplay, is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time.
Erin Brockovich (2000)
This Julia Roberts-starrer (for which she won Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild awards, among others) is a biographical legal drama based on the life of environmental activist Erin Brockovich. It tells the story of an unemployed and divorced mother of three who coerces a lawyer to hire her as an assistant at his firm. She uncovers a cover-up involving the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which has been discreetly leaking hazardous waste into the local water system, putting residents in peril. The film not only takes place in California, but it also criticizes companies for their profit-driven greed at the expense of social well-being.
Giant (1956)
This sweeping drama, directed by George Stevens (who won an Oscar for it), stars Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson and shows the increasing struggle between old aristocratic elegance and nouveau-riche flamboyance at a pivotal point in modern American history. It takes place over two decades in early twentieth-century Texas, where the discovery of oil transforms lowly ranch laborers like Jett into billionaires overnight, sparking a competition between them and their former employers like Bick as they compete to be the bigger “giant.” At the end of the day, decent moral values will triumph over limitless wealth.
The nerve-wracking narrative of Llewelyn Moss, a welder who uncovers $2 million when a cocaine deal goes awry and decides to pocket it rather than reporting it is told in ‘No Country for Old Men,’ a critically praised modern-day western (it won four Oscars!). This causes Chigurh, a silent assassin, to go on a murdering spree in order to reclaim the money. Sheriff Bell is investigating the case and gradually sees the picture of misery that rural Texas has become.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The James-Younger gang (a real-life 19th-century gang of American outlaws in the post-Civil War West) and its leader, Jesse James, are the subject of this film, which is based on the novel by Ron Hansen (Brad Pitt). In the plot, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck’s Bob) and Charley Ford are the gang’s new recruits who quickly grow resentful of Jesse, culminating to his death by Bob. Bob, on the other hand, is seen as a coward, while Jesse is hailed as a legend, contrary to his expectations.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
This adventure picture, set in the 1920s and adapted on B.Traven’s eponymous novel, follows two impoverished American drifters, Dobbs and Curtin, who team up with an old prospector, Howard, to search for gold mines in Mexico’s distant Sierra Madre mountains. While they are successful in uncovering the treasure, they are also met with evils such as dangerous bandits out to take their loot, as well as the three’s developing distrust and paranoia about each other’s intentions. In a 1948 Variety review, the picture was described as “a drama of psychological collapse under the pressure of greed and riches,” and it went on to win Academy Awards in various categories the following year.
Wall Street (1987)
Oliver Stone’s film follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), an aspirant stockbroker, as he seeks the guidance of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance), a seasoned Wall Street speculator whose philosophy is “Greed is Good” and the secret to success is insider trading. Fox becomes progressively morally bankrupt in order to assist Gekko’s unethical deals, until his mentor’s activities have an affect on a loved one, prompting him to reconsider his business ethics.
