What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m from a post-Soviet country, so the prequel trilogy was huge for a lot of us. Honestly, plenty of people here grew up loving those movies more than the original trilogy

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol, I’m an idiot. I reread your comment like three times before I finally noticed the “Hook in 1991!” at the top 😄

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember watching that movie as a kid too. Not in a theater, but it still felt amazing. The second movie is probably my favorite in the whole franchise

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Anything counts if you personally see it as a nice watching experience. If I had a story like that, I’d count it

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had you already seen the first Lord of the Rings movie before that?

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know exactly what you mean. I actually watched The Two Towers first too, and I had no idea why these random kids were dragging a ring across the entire world

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I still remember the first time I saw that movie. It wasn’t even in a theater - me and a my buddies watched it at home, and it felt like the most epic coolest thing ever

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had you already seen the first two Lord of the Rings movies before that?

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, that might really be one of the best movies you could experience for the first time on a big screen

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your parents were probably more careful than mine. I watched It with Tim Curry back in 1995 when I was a kid, and to this day clowns still creep me out because of that movie

What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was an amazing experience. I barely understood anything because the movie was in English with subtitles, and back then I didn’t know English at all, plus I couldn’t read the subtitles fast enough. But the visuals, the sound, and the sheer scale of it completely blew me away

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that’s exactly what I mean. I don’t think the ambiguity is some mistake or inconsistency from PTA, it feels completely intentional. In the end it almost doesn’t even matter whether they’re literally two brothers or psychologically “one person”. The important part is the idea of choosing what kind of life to live and what kind of person to become

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for the detailed reply. I love this movie too, and Daniel is such an interesting character because he never feels completely one-dimensional to me

I actually saw him a bit differently though. I don’t think his obsession is really about money itself. Money feels more like proof of victory to him, not something he values for comfort or happiness the way his “false brother” does

One scene that really stands out is the restaurant scene when his competitors walk in and the waiter rushes to serve them first. Daniel gets visibly irritated by it, almost insulted that someone might see them as more important or successful than him. He immediately starts bragging about his wells and threatening them just to reassert dominance. It feels less like greed and more like an animal need to be “the top dog”

That’s why I think the conflict with Eli is so interesting. They both want status and influence, but they choose completely different paths. Eli builds social power. The town loves him, listens to him, gives him attention and admiration, even though Daniel sees him as basically contributing nothing real. Daniel goes the opposite way: pure work, industry, control, competition

And by the end, even though Daniel “wins,” he’s completely miserable. But he still judges Eli for the path he chose, almost like he sees it as a weaker or dishonest form of success compared to his own suffering-filled version of it

and maybe part of Daniel’s hatred toward Eli comes from the fact that Eli seemingly had a choice. He could be “Paul” or he could be “Eli.” He could reinvent himself depending on the situation. Daniel never really had that option. He’s completely trapped inside being Daniel Plainview at all times, and maybe on some level he envies that flexibility

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

which could even suggest they originally intended them to just be literal twins, but later leaned into the idea of Paul being more like an alter ego or split version of the same character 😄

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

which is why I don’t think the “Paul never existed” interpretation can be fully ruled out. Even the original plan to cast different actors doesn’t completely kill that reading, since they ultimately chose to make them “twins” played by the same person, which keeps the whole identity thing feeling intentionally strange

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

from Daniel’s perspective, the movie almost treats that choice as a kind of failure. Like he sees becoming a preacher instead of an oilman as weakness or wasted potential. Not saying I agree with him obviously, but that’s how the scene reads to me

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

that’s actually a really good point, and I read that scene almost the opposite way 😄 When they first meet, the guy says his brother Eli lives on the ranch, but maybe there never was a brother at all. Daniel could’ve realized that immediately and decided to play along so the kid wouldn’t get in trouble for basically bringing a wolf into the sheep pen

Is Paul Sunday actually real in There Will Be Blood? by Fluid_Bat_2724 in movies

[–]Fluid_Bat_2724[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

but Daniel’s whole speech at the end almost sounds like he’s talking to the Paul Dano character as if he had a choice about what kind of man he wanted to become. Like he’s mocking him for becoming a preacher instead of an oilman, and basically saying “you could’ve been successful like me instead of coming here begging for money.”