The films that will be examined in this paper have much in common though, at the same time they consist of different aspects in their plots and picture different characters (Hayward 67). The main issue that unites all these films is the theme of obsession. The meaning of this word in films is the same, but considering each character, it may have slightly different understanding. Each character has different aims and values and they act according to them (Parkinson 109). Nevertheless, there is one common and the most important characteristic feature in their behavior. It influences their lives and lives of the people around. This common state of minds and souls of the characters is obsession. This is the main notion and the main subject, uniting all the films. The obsessed main heroes, their demonic behaviour are far from ordinary and they are the most appalling, shocking and impressive persons (Fernie 20). As it is shown, there is no happiness, devotion or real love in their lives. These simple, strong and pure emotions are just unknown to obsessive persons. In this paper there is an attempt to analyse three films: The King (2005), To Die For (1995) and There Will Be Blood (2007). The main theme that unites these films makes them more alike than it seems from the first sight.
THE KING
The King is a drama and at the same time crime-thriller film (Hayward 26). These genres are more or less suitable for all the films that are taken into consideration (Hayward 11). Young man discharges from the Navy and decides to go to the place where his father lives. He doesn't know his father and hasn't ever seen him in his life. The mother told about him and it seems like Elvis, this is the name of the main character, wants to start having good relationship with his father. As it becomes clear, he also hopes to be the part of his father's life (Thomson 27). The other main character of this film is David Sandow. He is a pastor who is excellently played by William Hurt (Cousins 47). He lives in the little town Corpus Christi with his wife, son and a daughter. David is the man who became Elvis's father many years ago and left his mother then. He doesn't actually know that he has a son. David meets Elvis and admits that he had an affair with his mother. Now David's life is full of love and devotion to God and he is not ready to accept Elvis into his family. This situation is the stepping stone to Elvis' future plans (Nowell-Smith 45). He seemed to believe without any objective reason that he would become the part of his father's family. Elvis is not ready to be rejected and now he has desire of revenge. At the same time, the idea that his father will eventually accept him as a member of family does not leave Elvis. He has a new purpose and now he is obsessive of this thought. Elvis finds a room in a local motel and gets a job as pizza delivery man (Cousins 15). He soon gets himself a car and begins to drive the pastor's daughter from school. Elvis starts to have an affair with her and kills her brother Paul, when he promises to tell everything to father. Elvis’ inner motives, his obsession cannot allow this to happen. Pastor finds a relief in the thought that son ran away from the house, because of the little argument between them. At the same time, he begins to spend more and more time with Elvis. At last, Elvis' dream, his obsession came true. He starts living in the pastor's house, in the room of the killed son. Pastor Sandow even represents Elvis to his congregation and admits that Elvis is his son. Pastor's daughter Marie is stunned by this information. Elvis told her before that he had killed her brother and now she finds out that they are relatives. She is really in despair and tells her mother everything she knows. Elvis’ fear of ruining his new life made him a cold blooded murderer. He kills Sandow's wife and daughter, understanding that mother knows who has killed her son.
In the very beginning of the film Elvis gives the impression of very decent, honest and charming young man. It is unbelievable that he is capable to harm anybody. The dumbfounded controversy between the way he looks and what he actually does is hard to believe. But in this film there is another main character that is no better and, maybe worse than Elvis (Thomson 47). This is Pastor David Sandow, the man who lives for God and thinks of his life as a constant dialogue with Jesus. Actually, his so-called belief is just another way of obsession. He is so eager to understand God and to be understandable. The tragic is that everything he does has very little to do with what God wants. He didn't tell his family that Elvis is his son and this revelation could have prevented a lot of disasters. Maybe, this is the main David Sandow's sin. Later, it was his will to let Elvis be the part of his family and let him stay in the room of his missing son. He is obsessed with living according to God's commandments. Some of them he understands wrong and some of them he just doesn't notice and it makes him blind. He absolutely doesn't know the man who lives in one house with his wife and daughter. David is responsible for everything that has happened with his family and this burden he will have to carry for the rest of his life. He wants to be close to God so much, but his obsession makes him go further and further away from Jesus. David is absolutely tragic character and he deserved compassion (Parkinson 48). What can be more horrible and sad than a sincere pastor who takes responsibility for a lot of evil?
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Another obviously talented film that has a lot of common points with the previous one is historical drama There Will Be Blood (Thomson 45). This film is really outstanding and the play of the actors is just superb. The same can be said about the actors of the film The King, though. There Will Be Blood shows two different characters. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the role of the oilman Daniel Plainview. Paul Dano plays the character of pastor Eli. Once again, Dano plays the role of the religious man as he did it in The King, and he plays it brilliantly. The whole events take place in Little Boston, California in the beginning of the last century (Thomson 45). Plainview has established a drilling company. Before it, he had tried hard to find gold and silver. His endeavors were successful. Now, with adopted little son, named H. W. he is looking for the better place for oil drilling. He tells everyone that H. W. is his companion. The boy has so clever, honest and cute face that it always helps Plainview to make his deals. Daniel's son does not know that he is actually adopted child of one worker, who died in accident. Plainview has the aim, the one and only passion, and he lives his life according to it (Thomson 46). He is obsessed with oil. He has been drilling oil for quite a long time and knows every detail of this hard business. Daniel is absolute egoist, he considers people around him as tools that he may use. Naturally, he is very interested in money, but it is hard to say what gives him more pleasure, money or drilling itself which makes him rich. Plainview is capable to commit a murder and there are examples of it. One of them is killing of the impostor, who said that he was his half-brother Henry. The other is murdering of Eli. There is only one human being that Plainview loves dearly and this is his adopted son. But this is just love, the feeling not as strong as obsession with oil. He is not obsessive with the boy and when H. W. becomes deaf, because of the accident on the oil drill station, he sends him away to school for deaf children (Powell 53).
After many years Plainview becomes a very rich man. H. W. gets married and he asks his father to dissolve their partnership to start his own business. Plainview refuses to do it and reveals H.W. that he is actually an orphan. This actually goes to show that Daniel has only one love in his life, his son. Nevertheless, when he has to choose between love and the interests of his oil company, there are no doubts. His obsession is always on the first place. It has become his soul, his life. The same thing has happened with young Elvis in The King, for example.
There is one more very interesting and repulsive main character which is shown in There Will Be Blood. This is pastor of local church Eli. First time he has come to the fore as a brother of Paul Sunday. It was Paul who told Plainview about the place where the oil would be found. This land was the property of Sunday family. Eli has a dream; he wants to be a pastor. But almost every time he talks about money and he with his father agrees to sell the land on the condition that Plainview will give money to his church. Eli is the most cynical and double-faced character. But his appearance makes the impression of Eli as of a very honest and decent young man (Cousins 52). This is one more common characteristic feature of different characters in these films. Ali believes in God, but he uses his belief as a tool for his own plans. He is very passionate and obsessive and the object of his obsession is money. He tries hard to become rich and does not want to miss the chance to use his new wealthy neighbour Plainview for this purpose. The feeling that Eli is a horrible man without any kind of principles is rapidly growing, and gets its climax in the end of the film. Even Daniel Plainview is not as disgusting as Eli Sunday. Daniel at least has real human love in his heart and doesn't hide his dark soul under the cover of noble purposes (Thomson 47). Eli is obsessed only with money and he is capable to do anything to be wealthy. The most appalling thing is that he is a pastor and he uses his position for his purpose. He can't be compared with pastor Sandow, who is obsessed with his belief and does everything, according to his misunderstanding of this notion. Eli's obsession is of a different kind. If he has God in his soul, this feeling is much weaker than his aspiration to be wealthy. All the period of the film's duration the relationship between Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday are very complicated. They hate each other and at the same time their lives are closely connected. This is a connection of very different and very obsessive people. Eli utterly reveals himself in the last sequence of There Will Be Blood. After many years he comes with a visit into the house of immensely wealthy Daniel. He offers Daniel to buy a land of one man who has recently died. He can make the arrangement and wants a big sum of money for it. Daniel agrees on this proposal but only on one condition. Eli must say that he is the false healer and announce that God is a prejudice. Eli says everything what he was told to. Naturally, he cannot resist his obsession; money has always been his priority. The answer to his words was really shocking. Plainview said that he knew this piece of land and that the property was worthless because he had already drained it. Eli understands that he has lost everything in his life. He lost his hope to become rich and what is more, he is sure that after all his terrible words, God has abandoned him forever. His belief has never been strong but, maybe it was the only thing that he could rely on. Eventually, Daniel in the fit of drunken rage kills Ali by smashing his head. The film gives the extraordinary description of the life of two people. They are very much alike, but they are different at the same time. Obsession, though of different nature, is the word, suitable for both characters. It didn't bring anything good to both of them. Eli has found his death from the hand of Daniel, a lonely, rich alcoholic.
The film To Die For is drama with the elements of comedy and documentary (Hayward 22). Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon are the stars of this film (Hayward 25). The audience can see several really funny moments (Hayward 14). This fact makes it different from the other films that have been discussed. At the same time, this difference is insignificant. To Die For is drama, and the sequences that may course smile or laugh are the part of real tragedy (Hayward 62). The comedy moments are paradoxical and they make this film even more dramatic. In spite of the little differences, there is one main theme that unites To Die For with The King and There Will Be Blood. The theme is inner blindness that is caused by own wishes and egoism. Obsession is again the main characteristic feature of the film. From the very beginning it tells about the murder of a young man. This man was married and he was killed in his own house. The rest of the plot is made up in interview style, the main heroes tell about events that happened before the killing (Thomson 62). Nicole Kidman plays the role of Suzanne Stone, a wife of the killed young man. She is a pretty young girl from a decent family with good reputation. Clean, this is the word that is often heard from people about Suzanne. Kidman has managed to make precisely this kind of impression of her character. As it usually happens, this impression is only the first, superficial one. Suzanne is very eager to make her carrier in the professional media business. She is obsessed with her future. Carrier is the subject of all her thoughts (Hayward 78). She always says some stilted words about success and chances in life and a lot of other well known things. She doesn't give the impression of a clever girl which is actually untrue. Suzanne has managed to plan the detailed assassination of her husband and after that she stays with clean reputation and was not found guilty (Deleuze 37). Before it, there was a marriage and Suzanne hoped that her husband's money would help her in her plans with media business. She had some affection to her husband Larry, but this feeling has nothing to do with love. Larry's money helped her to make first steps towards her aim, her obsession. When Larry asked her to take off the career and started a family with babies, it had been just out of question to her (Cousins 53). Larry didn't understand this pretty, clean doll at all. He became someone that doesn't help her and someone she must get rid of. Suzanne has made a mistake, though. After the death of her husband, during one of her attempt to be on a public eye she insulted the family of her dead husband and it caused her life. Suzanne's obsession is everything to her. She treats people as a helping ladder or a hindrance on her route. She doesn't feel compassion, pity or even love to anybody. She loves only herself and her own successful and bright future which, she is sure will come soon. Suzanne's appearance, this is what also unites her with another characters of the other films. She is clean in her thoughts and in her behavior. At least, this attitude people have, looking at her and communicating with Suzanne. The same impression gives the main characters of the other films. Looking at Elvis or at kind and trustworthy face of Eli Sunday there is not a thought that these people are capable of anything dishonest and unkind. All these three characters look like persons with very clean souls. What a discrepancy between the appearance and the actual behavior!
Going back to the film To Die For, the obsession of Suzanne gradually leads her to the tragic events. The boy who was in love with her kills Larry with the gun which was given by a teenager, named Lydia. She is clumsy girl, not sure of herself who immensely admires Suzanne. Suzanne, this respectable, clean and pretty woman kills her husband and ruins the life of a young man. Jimmy, the boy who killed Larry is sentenced to life in prison. It is not so important for her when there is an aim, aspiration, obsession of future success and life of the media star. She is on her way to stardom and doesn't notice anybody or even control herself. In the interview she tells that her husband was addicted to drugs and he sold drugs to a boy who finally killed him. This interview watches Larry's father and he understands that Suzanne is behind his son's murder. He hires the assassin who kills Suzanne and buries her under a frozen lake. On the last minutes of the film the audience may observe the irony of what happens afterwards (Hayward 14). The characters of the film give interviews and talks as guests on the popular TV shows. Lydia has already got invitations to the different shows, including the one of Oprah Winfrey. They all have fulfilled Suzanne's dream and became media persons. Some of them didn't even think of it, some – didn't even hope. But it happened without any aspiration, without obsession. Obsession is the word suitable for Suzanne, she was ready for everything to be on the screen. Her death gave this opportunity for those, who definitely don't deserve it. At least, that is what Suzanne would have thought about it. The end of the film is full of irony and black humour. Larry's sister, Janice is skating on the frozen lake where Suzanne's body is hidden. It can be said that she is looking down at Suzanne. Earlier, many days before, Janice felt this arrogant, looking-down attitude from Suzanne.
CONCLUSION
This paper is a try to make the analysis of one subject that unites three different films (Hayward 78). The considering issue influences behaviour, desires and aspirations of the characters. All of them are magnetized by different, their own goals (Fernie 57). Obsession is this kind of very strong emotion and at the same time this is the main theme that unites all the mentioned films. There are other different points that make these films close in their meaning. There are also a lot of characteristics that make them different. Obsession is, presumably the key feature that makes the characters of these different films act almost identically. According to the type of the characters' behaviour, all of them could have been the part of one plot. The one theme unites three wonderful films and their characters, which are different and at the same time alike. Is it good or bad to be obsessive by some kind of idea? There probably could not be one answer to this question. This quality is maybe important to make our life better. On the other hand, in this world there are different people with different minds and perceptions of what is good and what is bad. Not every man is obsessive with noble ideas. Even if they have ones, they choose cruel ways, thinking that the most important thing is to reach their goals. Whatever it will cost The films that are discussed in this paper represent different characters with different aims. Most often their purposes are cruel and that means that the approaches they choose are cruel too. There are characters that initially have noble and kind purposes, but due to different reasons they become cruel and appalling persons. They choose absolutely unacceptable ways to make their dreams come true. Sometimes they are just lost in this life, and sometimes they justify themselves by the kindness of their purposes. The ways to their aims are not really important and people are just a hindrance that must be taken off. Sometimes the aim itself, this is what really matters for obsessive persons. This kind of people’s behavior is easily noticed, looking at Elvis in the film The King or at Eli and Daniel in There Will Be Blood and at Suzanne in To Die For. The way they act is not the only common thing. The other is the aftermaths of what they do and how they live. Every film, mentioned in this paper is a tragedy, very realistic and unfortunately, true-to life (Fernie 15). There is no happy end in any of them and it could not have been otherwise. Considering the title of one of the films, there will be blood if obsession is in priority. It means tragedies and sufferings. Obsessive politicians and leaders bring tears and tragedies to their countries and this is only the most obvious example. This is a conflict of good and evil and, presumably this balance will be forever, because the diversity of human characters is something that is always constant in this world. The other side of this point shows that a lot of good, useful and kind things were made by obsessive people. There are obsessive persons who can control their emotions and not let these emotions to mislead them. Presumably this kind of obsession demands love, kindness and noble soul. It is important to have great and noble purpose and to choose the best qualities of our mind to gain what we want. Unfortunately, this kind of obsession is not typical for the characters of this paper. The aims or the approaches they choose have nothing to do with the best human’s emotions. It is a pity, because if they had had different minds and attitude to life, everything would have been different. Our world would really be much better place if obsession could always mean love, kindness and strong will in pursuing the dreams.
Terms and Their Definitions
Audience – a group of people, who have come to see a film, listen to concert or watch a play.
Comedy – a film or a play that is initially meant to be funny.
Crime – thriller film – a film with gripping plot and elements of crime.
Demonic – a cruel, without control behavior.
Documentary – a film or a TV program consisting of real facts of life.
Genre – type of film, music, literature.
Plot – combined episodes to make one story of a film, play or novel.
Sequence – episode of the film which tells something about one event.
Stars – very popular and high-paid actors, involved in film or play.
True-to-life – the term, describing event or events in film or play which are identical to what happens in real life.
Works Cited
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Van Sant, G. To Die For, 1995.
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Thomson. D. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. New York: Knopf, 2014. Print
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