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17 comments
12 comments
Rank This Matchup or Comment/Reply Below
on 12/3/2012
I can certainly see the similarities between Blood and The Shining. Not only in terms of style and approach but also characterization. Both films highlight a troubled father-son relationship. In The Shining, Jack is depicted as a bad father. Hints at physical and sexual abuse tell us that he had no love whatsoever for his 7 year old son. Blood deals with this in a subtler manner but Plainview's main motivations for adopting H.W. were greed and to fake the appearance of a family man. After his son loses his hearing ability, we realize that the relationship isn't strong in its foundation. He abandons his son when he needed him the most, so it's safe to say that Plainview failed in his responsibilities as a father. Another similarity I observed was how the films sort of victimize women. Wendy is trapped in an unrewarding marriage with Jack. Jack treats her like crap even though she is a devoted wife and mother. You can sense the lack of chemistry between the couple in the early scenes of the film. In the typewriter scene, Wendy feels humiliated after hearing Jack's cruel rant but certainly not surprised. She obviously must've experienced this before and perhaps is used to it. Mary Sunday is also assured by Daniel that her father would no longer be beating her. Ironic since it comes from a man who isn't a good father himself. Both films throw light on the negatives of a patriarchal society. Aside from the way relationships are handled, there are various technical aspects that match as well. A haunting and unsettling soundtrack is integral to both films. It's this feature that gives these films an atmospheric quality. Greed is a more prominent theme in TWBB where as it acts as an underlying notion in The Shining. One can also draw a parallel between the emptiness of The Overlook and the emptiness of trust and affection in Plainview's life. Kubrick utilizes visual metaphors to put across his point whereas PTA achieves that by relying more on depth of dialogue, although the long-shots of the sweeping Texas countryside are most definitely there. The bowling alley scene had Kubrick written all over it. Both are masterpieces but I prefer There Will Be Blood. DDL's brilliant performance almost raises the film to another level.
whereas*
The Shining in this predicament. I love how fun and entertaining this film is. It has a lasting impression and it can be haunting to think about it.
on 3/29/2013
Crap...I was just about to log off, and flickchart hits me with a matchup like this.
Also PiccoloKing, There Will Be Blood starts out with almost the exact same music as the music during the maze scenes in The Shining.
on 3/30/2013
Daniel Plainview is one of my all-time favorite movie characters, so There Will Be Blood wins this matchup easily.
on 8/6/2013
Well Caesar, Jack Torrence is one of my favorite movie characters of all time, so The Shining wins.
on 8/7/2013
You know what both these films have in common. Both are accompanies by creepy music that sets the atmosphere perfectly. I think TWBB is the better overall film.
on 10/10/2013
Whoa. Two master freakin'-pieces here. The Shining wins for now, but it could after I re-watch both.
The Shining wins. TWBB is a great movie though.
on 11/2/2013
The Shining wins for me.
The Shining wins. Both are extremely good movies, one of the toughest match-ups I've seen yet.
on 11/3/2013
Here's Johnny!
The Shining smashes TWBB....
on 12/6/2013
Adore both, but The Shining wins. Although I might change my pick after re-watching both.
on 12/7/2013
The Shining. The Shining is a horror masterpiece and is one of Kubrick's finest films. TWBB is great but not on the same level though.
on 3/31/2014
The Shining just has more blood
And Guts :)
on 4/15/2014
I love The Shining and prefer Kubrick above everyone, but come on, TWBB definitely takes this.
on 4/26/2014
two really great movies...blood by a whisker
on 6/4/2014
The Shining is a lot deeper than just a creepy horror film and there tons of stuff to see a second and third watch Yes Blood might have better acting and action but the Mood of the Shining is unmatched is so psychological scary and frightening on screen Jack character I like more as well to me the Shining means much more in my life.
on 8/26/2014
There will be Blood, the Shining is one of Kubrick's worst
on 10/19/2014
There Will Be Blood reminds me of a Kubrick Film
on 2/16/2015
Jack Torrance is #5 greatest character. Shining is better too
on 6/2/2015
There Will Be Blood wins solely on the strength of DDL's performance
on 12/29/2015
Wow both are masterpieces. There Will Be Blood is #2 on my flickchart while The Shining is #3. That means There Will Be Blood it is.
on 2/4/2017
Interesting pairing... I'll go with The Shining
on 9/14/2019
Both masterpieces.
There Will Be Blood is next to my favorite film.
on 4/30/2021
Both are technical marvels with amazing protagonists/antagonists. The Shining's haunting score and mesmerizing imagery give it the win.
on 8/4/2022
The Shining is a horror movie that actually feels like a fucking horror movie unlike more modern movies. It's a terrifying and disturbing movie in all the right ways. There Will Be Blood isn't really like that. It's a character study that has a lot of horror elements in it like music and the constant buildup to its explosive ending. I personally prefer There Will Be Blood, but both are amazing
