It's November, and conflict seems everywhere. Many of us are moved to call out the shattering of lives and bodies in war, the environmental degradation brought on by pollution and climate change, and many other issues that make this moment so difficult. But then, didn't we fight a 20-year war after 9/11 that was supposed to keep America safe and unified, free from threats at home and abroad? Or was it to create a successful democracy in the Middle East as a foundation of peace in the region? Or maybe we were supposed to lift a poverty-stricken nation out of a harsh theocracy? How did that turn out? After China, we have the second-most greenhouse gases emissions in the world. Who are we to criticize? Who are we to critique the choices of others?
I mean, who are we?
This month, we will watch a film, one that penetrates deep into the realities and myths of America. Both the New York Times and the Guardian (among others) have cited it as the best film of the 21st century: PT Anderson's There Will Be Blood. It captures the hubris, the work ethic, the devotion to family, the greed, the maniacal focus on controlling and contorting the natural world that is part of who we have been, and who we are. With an amazing performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, this is one film experience not to be missed.