Red, I thought the guy doing the Plainview impersonation was pretty good. I love it how some fictional characters profoundly enter mass consciousness and pop culture. I find Plainview to be one of those characters that I actually think is a real person. the entire movie had that effect on me like I had lived through it or something. I think that was part of it's resonance...the sense of "realness" probably because it is a slow moving character study and not much happens...the character really becomes "emotionally real".
It's interesting too how many characters in fiction transform...first compare Plainview to Hannivbal Lecter...the author made him a kind of bad guy we root for...and he becomes almost mellowed with age.
The adoption of Plainview into comedy has a similar effect even though there is nothing likable about him...he becomes endearing through comedy.
Tweetey...I hope this sketch doesn't ruin the movies for you...but it also might help them be less frightening if you haven't already seen them! ha ha.
I didn't feel that Plainview was completely unlikeable -- quite the contrary. Maybe that says more about me than it does about him, haha! The turning point for me didn't come when he sent HW away (it was a harrowing scene, but I think Plainview leaving that deed to his mate was as much about emotional self-protection as it was about getting HW to a good school), nor when he killed his fake brother, cos, let's face it, that dude kinda had it coming.
The only truly horrible thing Plainview did, for me, is call HW "a bastard in a basket". Man, that scene cut through me like a knife. After leaving the cinema, I was thinking that "bastard in a basket" would be a good nickname for the cat, then I went home, saw his cute little muzzlepowsche and couldn't even bring myself to say those words to him in jest. That's how hateful they are. Truly abominable.
Red, very interesting. I have come across several folks who liked and sympathized with Plainview. Sometimes they found initially they felt for him and then changed their feelings during the movie. This is always a credit to a writer and actor.
I am surprised to hear a European sympathize with his character...as I suppose for some viewers Plainview is a particularily "industrial or"American " persona...or allegory for "manifest destiny". Manifest Destiny is another name for American Progress...or as Harold Bloom might suggest (?) the American Religion.
From the opening scene with the raw image of Prometheus chipping away at rock to harness fire and metal...I did not like the person...who ever it was...
I am not your average audience though...I don't believe in our economy, or agriculture so I don't really fit in. I find the audiences that at first relate to Plainview much more interesting than my opinion.
For me he was repulsive from the get-go...and only got worse. When the little boy punches him I cried out a cheer in the theatre.
Plainview is an allegory for environmental abuse, narciscism, capitalism, manifest destiny...well so many things that I think are a major challenge to the world sharing resources and conflict resolution.
I kind of thought that was the point of his character being created by Anderson.
But...I can also understand that many viewers felt he was the spirit of progress, adventure and innovation.
He never loved that boy...the boy was only useful and lovable to Plainview as long as the boy was following Plainviews world view. That is not love.
I think my feelings come down to the fact that I am a hunter-gatherer...and someone like Plainview is a huge laughable joke and comic in their tragedy.
I like the SNL sketch because it captures how I saw him in the movie except for the horror he wreaked on the land and people.
Meanwhile...I, like all of us share in the use of oil, minerals and corruption...it's almost impossible to live an ethical life...so there I guess I can feel some understanding for Plainviews ambition...
...after all in the casino of life...the house always wins. The rest of us are patsys...that is if we believe in the game rules...
According to the dominant culture...Plainview is a rollickng hero.
Just not my kind of hero...I prefer the boy going to Mexico...
Martha, yeah, Antons was not such a good impersonation...and I would have thought his would be the easiest to capture...and could have been way funnier. In fact, it would more likely be that he would take Plainviews money and milkshake... and then use the cattle prod on him!
I found Plainview almost wholly likable, Candy. Not only that, but in his one moment on being unlikable -- the final showdown with HW -- I still feel that he was mean only as a defence mechanism. You can't fire me cos I quit. Turn your back on me? No, cos I turn my back on you. I found him very human, with all the faults that that entails.
HAHA! Oh *, that is amazing. No seriously...I have learned that many people related to him. I am totally out numbered. I swear in the opening sequence if you were with me in the movie house...I was so grossed out and shrivelling...I was so repulsed by him....
Plainview is everything I stand against. Everything that is sad and egotistic and flawed about human condition....but I realize I am outnumbered in this observation and feeling....
In the casino of life...the house always wins and I'm just another easy mark...
....but I am a mark without suffering or karma...so it's worth it...
8 comments:
Hahahaha, this was fun!
And it makes me want to watch TWBB again!
Thanks for sharing. That was funny.
Red, I thought the guy doing the Plainview impersonation was pretty good. I love it how some fictional characters profoundly enter mass consciousness and pop culture. I find Plainview to be one of those characters that I actually think is a real person. the entire movie had that effect on me like I had lived through it or something. I think that was part of it's resonance...the sense of "realness" probably because it is a slow moving character study and not much happens...the character really becomes "emotionally real".
It's interesting too how many characters in fiction transform...first compare Plainview to Hannivbal Lecter...the author made him a kind of bad guy we root for...and he becomes almost mellowed with age.
The adoption of Plainview into comedy has a similar effect even though there is nothing likable about him...he becomes endearing through comedy.
Tweetey...I hope this sketch doesn't ruin the movies for you...but it also might help them be less frightening if you haven't already seen them! ha ha.
TWBB spoilers!!!
I didn't feel that Plainview was completely unlikeable -- quite the contrary. Maybe that says more about me than it does about him, haha! The turning point for me didn't come when he sent HW away (it was a harrowing scene, but I think Plainview leaving that deed to his mate was as much about emotional self-protection as it was about getting HW to a good school), nor when he killed his fake brother, cos, let's face it, that dude kinda had it coming.
The only truly horrible thing Plainview did, for me, is call HW "a bastard in a basket". Man, that scene cut through me like a knife. After leaving the cinema, I was thinking that "bastard in a basket" would be a good nickname for the cat, then I went home, saw his cute little muzzlepowsche and couldn't even bring myself to say those words to him in jest. That's how hateful they are. Truly abominable.
Oh, it's a wonderful film.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE this sketch... SO hilarious... the plainview impression was spot on (although, i have to admit, anton's left a little to be desired)
thanks for posting... it was fun to watch it again :)
Red, very interesting. I have come across several folks who liked and sympathized with Plainview. Sometimes they found initially they felt for him and then changed their feelings during the movie. This is always a credit to a writer and actor.
I am surprised to hear a European sympathize with his character...as I suppose for some viewers Plainview is a particularily "industrial or"American " persona...or allegory for "manifest destiny". Manifest Destiny is another name for American Progress...or as Harold Bloom might suggest (?) the American Religion.
From the opening scene with the raw image of Prometheus chipping away at rock to harness fire and metal...I did not like the person...who ever it was...
I am not your average audience though...I don't believe in our economy, or agriculture so I don't really fit in. I find the audiences that at first relate to Plainview much more interesting than my opinion.
For me he was repulsive from the get-go...and only got worse. When the little boy punches him I cried out a cheer in the theatre.
Plainview is an allegory for environmental abuse, narciscism, capitalism, manifest destiny...well so many things that I think are a major challenge to the world sharing resources and conflict resolution.
I kind of thought that was the point of his character being created by Anderson.
But...I can also understand that many viewers felt he was the spirit of progress, adventure and innovation.
He never loved that boy...the boy was only useful and lovable to Plainview as long as the boy was following Plainviews world view. That is not love.
I think my feelings come down to the fact that I am a hunter-gatherer...and someone like Plainview is a huge laughable joke and comic in their tragedy.
I like the SNL sketch because it captures how I saw him in the movie except for the horror he wreaked on the land and people.
Meanwhile...I, like all of us share in the use of oil, minerals and corruption...it's almost impossible to live an ethical life...so there I guess I can feel some understanding for Plainviews ambition...
...after all in the casino of life...the house always wins. The rest of us are patsys...that is if we believe in the game rules...
According to the dominant culture...Plainview is a rollickng hero.
Just not my kind of hero...I prefer the boy going to Mexico...
Martha, yeah, Antons was not such a good impersonation...and I would have thought his would be the easiest to capture...and could have been way funnier. In fact, it would more likely be that he would take Plainviews money and milkshake... and then use the cattle prod on him!
I found Plainview almost wholly likable, Candy. Not only that, but in his one moment on being unlikable -- the final showdown with HW -- I still feel that he was mean only as a defence mechanism. You can't fire me cos I quit. Turn your back on me? No, cos I turn my back on you. I found him very human, with all the faults that that entails.
HAHA! Oh *, that is amazing. No seriously...I have learned that many people related to him. I am totally out numbered. I swear in the opening sequence if you were with me in the movie house...I was so grossed out and shrivelling...I was so repulsed by him....
Plainview is everything I stand against. Everything that is sad and egotistic and flawed about human condition....but I realize I am outnumbered in this observation and feeling....
In the casino of life...the house always wins and I'm just another easy mark...
....but I am a mark without suffering or karma...so it's worth it...
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