on saturday night i watched the movie "there will be blood" and i cannot stop thinking about it. but you know a movie is good when you can't get it out of your head. it was really deep and sad and dark. there is something in that darkness that mirrors the darkness that i have known, in my own life and in the world around me. its this ambition, which in our culture is the most highly respected characteristic of the sinful nature. this ambition steals from the main character any real chance he has at happiness.
one of the things that most affected me in this film is that daniel day lewis plays an exaggerated version of me, well not me specifically, but the universal me, humanity. this film seems to drudge up what is inside of people. we as humans long for control, wealth and respect. lewis' character single-mindedly went after being the best oil-man, at whatever cost.
i guess the reason i am still thinking about this movie is because i could so easily be that person. selfish ambition could very easily be the driving force of my life. my life plan was in fact to "make it". there is still this drive, but who i am is no longer determined by my success. even more, i am now freed from having to prove myself by my success. i am proved entirely by Jesus, His work on this earth and His completion on the cross.
i sometimes forget, or want to forget, the reality that people are bad. i want to believe in the goodness of people. but i know my own heart, i know that with out Jesus i am just bad. and that is the reality of all people.
somehow i find myself coming back to the Gospel from almost every encounter i have with popular culture.
if you can stomach it, watch "there will be blood".
2 comments:
nif, i just loved this movie. it was so powerful. it felt like i was caught up in the story from start to end without a break to catch my breath.
and the whole scene surrounding the speech "see, this here is your milkshare. and i have my milkshake over here..." just a brilliant scene, i can't get that speech out of my head.
"i'll come to your house and slit your throat" - best line of the film :-)
very true bloggin girl. ambition is such a b, because its disguises itself in so many different ways. we become what we hate because we don't realize the tiny ways ambition and self-service take over our lives....
and thats why we need each other, thank you Jesus for the Church! ;-)
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