There Will Be Blood vs. The Wrestler

[Jerk Shapiro]

So, these are two fantastic character studies that I found myself immediately comparing last night when I got out of The Wrestler.

Which story of a man's tragic fall and how this drastically impacted his life and relationships did you find most intriguing?

Personally my vote goes to There Will Be Blood. It was just a flawless and beautiful depiction of a man's greed, played equally flawlessly and beautifully by Daniel Day Lewis. The Wrestler was also fantastic, but it just didn't have the impact on me that There Will Be Blood did.

[jdparker]

My initial reaction was: WHY?

But you make a good argument for comparison. I hadn't even thought of the numerous similarities..

So...

Even though The Ram could beat up Daniel Plainview, I'm gonna go with There Will Be Blood.

[Reigh Kaufman]

Even though The Ram could beat up Daniel Plainview, I'm gonna go with There Will Be Blood.

No chance! Plainview is a dirty bastard with no honour. The man is inhuman.

There Will Be Blood is the finest achievement this decade. The Wrestler is one of the finest films of this year.

Both have made an impact on me, but nothing like There Will Be Blood has come along for a very long time.

[APzombie]

I agree with Reigh,

Yes, The Wrestler is one of the most compelling films of the year.

There Will Be Blood is on of the best achievements in narrative cinema i've seen in a long time. Possably the best film of the decade.

[Jerk Shapiro]

I agree 100 percent with what you all have said. Bravo.

[JJFlamingo]

Hard to say. There Will Be Blood is more epic in scope, but Wrestler features an incredible lead performance, so...

Better Film: There Will Be Blood

Better Lead Performance: Mickey Rourke

[Sad man]

Loved both, but There Will Be Blood is superior.

[PSUDelVec]

I honestly do not see the point in comparing the two, despite the fact that they are both brilliant films. They are too starkly different to rate them based on which one is better.

I don't agree that they are both stories about the "tragic fall of a man". There Will Be Blood is more of a deterioration of a man's life based on his insecure need for more money, to the point of one-dimensionality. I'd hardly call it tragic. That gives the connotation that it is undeserved, which I would argue is entirely just and self-inflicted.

If you want to compare it to another movie, look at Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. His insecurities ultimately lead to the deterioration of his life. Both these characters are too self-absorbed to maintain relationships with family members, let alone romantic relationships with spouses (Plainview actually has no evidence of a romantic past, La Motta has no evidence of a functional one).

The Wrestler is more of a Rocky-type story of redemption and second chances.

To compare the Wrestler with TWBB is a bit unfair to the Wrestler because it asks it to be something that it isn't. It's a simple story, acted and directed brilliantly and the realistic, documentary style is just what the story asks for. TWBB is an epic film with an epic scope about an epicly dynamic character. Everything about it is epic and matches up greatly against any similar film; The Wrestler isn't that similar.

[Bourne101]

Both films are absolutely brilliant, but There Will Be Blood is better. That film is 100% flawless.

[Le_Big_Mac]

There Will Be Blood definitely. The Wrestler is a good little movie elevated by a great performance and good directing. There Will Be Blood is an achievement in filmmaking, epic in scope, and one of the best movies of the decade.

[tbone]

There Will Be Blood definitely. The Wrestler is a good little movie elevated by a great performance and good directing. There Will Be Blood is an achievement in filmmaking, epic in scope, and one of the best movies of the decade.

nicely put -- additionally the character of Rourke and Plainview are a bit different- someone mentioned Plainview being inhuman which I would tend to agree with, whereas The Ram is much closer to a tragic figure someone you sympathize for

[pinballwizard]

I agree with most of the comments above. The Wrestler is one of the best films of the year, and Mickey Rourke fully deserves the Oscar, but, IMO, There Will Be Blood is the best film of the decade, and the only absolutely perfect film to be released (so far) in the 21st century.

[ilovemovies]

There Will Be Blood - 8/10
The Wrestler - 7/10

[mick621]

Haha, huge take down by There Will Be Blood. That film is a classic epic movie.

There Will Be Blood 10/10
The Wrestler 7/10

[chinton]

While an interesting comparision I think Raging Bull has more in common with TWBB thematically as said above.


Somebody also mentioned elsewhere that TWBB is also reminiscent of Barry Lyndon. I haven't seen Lyndon in forever though so I'm not sure about that one.

[Beard_of_Meat]

I have yet to see The Wrestler but I guess by the way everyone is talking about There Will Be Blood I suppose I need to give this film another viewing...I saw it a 2 months after it came out in theaters and though I liked it I thought it was not nearly as good as No Country for Old Men...I just recently read Oil! the book TWBB was based on and I have to say that it sparked my intrest in seeing the film again but as far as translations go I haven't seen a book butched this badly in a screenplay since Kubricks The Shining