Blood On The Bank Notes - Project 2

Dennis Chavours 

EGL 101-04 

Elliott 

30 July 2020 

Blood On The Bank Notes

This poster ad and movie cover made and promoted by Miramax films show the character Daniel Plainview over an oil field. The movie is centered around an oil driller in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The film is meant to be served to a high-brow audience, those interested in the qualities consistent with an Academy Award winning film. The film was originally premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, to great critical praise. With the issue of growing income inequality in America, the movie and this ad show the ascension of a central character from poverty to generational affluence (Pew 2020). Daniels’s posh demeanor, serious look, and dress successfully depict Daniel Plainview’s intrinsic qualities of focus. This ties into the message of the ad: wealth generation only comes from ruthlessness and selfish wanting.

The first element that catches the viewer’s attention is the lettering describing the ad. This custom font shows the high class of this film, establishing the point of wealth. Notice how different this ad would be if it were to use a colloquial font such as, ‘Comic Sans’. Or even a font that was written by hand. This font is perfectly lined by line with the same amount of distance or pixels between each line. Seeing this one could get the impression that the base of this film is about class and wealth.

The element that is observant throughout each part of the ad is darkness. Notice how the actor’s face is not entirely lit on the right side. Also, you can only a silhouette on the left side. Even as dark as light as something like a towering oil fire would be, you can still barely make out the buildings underneath the tower. The light that comes from the burning tower is also not the same light still has a dark tint to it. This light seems more reminiscent of the lights coming from hell rather than heaven establishing the premise that selfishness and darker vibes are what makes an oil baron or a wealthy person in this case successful.

Looking through the silhouettes and the dark shades of the images we don’t see much. However, through the silhouette on the left side, we can see what appears to be rounded hat jeans and a sports jacket. Considering this we can come to the conclusion that the individuals in this image has at least enough money to purchase an outfit. Considering there are no holes in the sports suit or missing items. Working on the oil rig is a dirty and greasy job so a person on the premise must be a spectator or a foreman. Thus, we can see that the person watching the oil burn may be involved in the business side of things. Why would a person show up to a dangerous job uninterested in working or helping with the blaze in front of him? It is because the individual is too selfish and would prefer to have other ‘plebeians’ do the job of putting out the blaze.

Looking up through the poster we see an expression turned to the right. What is this expression? It is an expression meant to show the selfish drive of an early American oil baron. There is no joy in his face. Merely, looking to the right and focused off in the distance. This expression is keen amongst early settlers and oil barons of the time. This early look and spirit are best described best by the renowned psychologist Carl Jung. In one of Jung’s publications, he speaks about an encounter he had with a Hopi Tribal Chief in the year 1925. The Hopi elder had this to say about Euro-American settlers at the time. The confrontation went as such,

"They are always seeking something. What are they seeking? The whites always want something. They are always uneasy and restless. We don't know what they want. We think they are mad." said the chief.

“Why do these whites seem mad to you?” asked Carl Jung.

“They think with their heads . . . . We think here,” he said, indicating to his heart (Jung Page, 2013).

Looking at the left of the page we see a figure looking at this burning tower of oil. This figure seems to be standing, looking at the blaze. Why is this figure not rushing for help or extinguishing the fire in front of him? It is because he is not concerned about the ecological damage a tower like this can do. If there is oil that goes up and lands on the building, then it is not the figure’s concern. The only thing that this figure is looking at, is the bottom line. Will the damage affect the ecology if not, then there is no need to rush to fix this problem. Hence, the selfishness that can come from such a decision.

Most importantly, the letters that loom the largest in the ad is the title, ‘There Will Be Blood’. This title for the movie is used on the ad and is responsible for describing the movie and as little letters as possible. The film was originally based around the Book “Oil!” by Upton Sinclair. So why then would the filmmakers choose a name like, “There Will Be Blood”? It is to show the ruthlessness that occurred in the film and subsequent ads. With an Oil Well on fire, wouldn’t it make more sense to say it should be called, ‘There Will Be Oil’? No, because doing so would not achieve the main motif of the film and the ad: wealth generation only comes from ruthlessness and selfish wanting.

The analysis provided shows the mental depth and the depravity that the character in the movie has as well as in the ad. It is clear that he is selfish and is only concerned with money-getting. Seeing the ad we can have the first impression that it is an action movie with explosions and serious characters as a way to describe the wealthy. Does this depiction describe people of wealth and class? I think it doesn’t. The fancy fonts and organized layout, give an impression that this is a high-class people do. However, in reality, one could acquire that net worth from inheritance, luck or determination, and focus. One does not have to resort to selfishness and ruthlessness to advance one’s agenda.


References

Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Ruth Igielnik and Rakesh Kochhar. “Trends in U.S. Income and Wealth Inequality.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, 27 May 2020, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/.

Thomason, Written by Timothy C. “Home.” The Jung Page - Home, 2013, www.cgjungpage.org/learn/articles/analytical-psychology/881-lessons-of-jungs-encounter-with-native-americans.


“There Will Be Blood DigiPack (Korea).” Blu-Rays For Everyone, 12 Jan. 2007, www.bluraysforeveryone.com/product-p/hnejst13782.htm.