The Red Carpet

By Liz Feuerbach


As Oscar night approaches I feel it is important to discuss my two favorite nominees: No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

I suppose I could write about my love for the cinematography and minimalist music in No Country For Old Men or that There Will Be Blood is this generation's Citizen Kane. But I won't. Instead I want to decide who the bigger badass is: Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview or Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh? Anyone who has seen both films knows what I am talking about. So much badassery going on it could cause a nuclear reaction.

On the one hand there is Chigurh, the alien-like assassin whose weapon is so unique and scary I still bug out just thinking about it. Bardem creates a multi-dimensional character by portraying his humorous side to create moments of creepy familiarity; you don't want to be able to relate to him but you do. He is a man of his word, even if that word is a promise of murder.

Then there is Plainview: a determined oil tycoon who is as ruthless as he is cruel. Yet you find yourself fascinated by him, trusting that he must have a shred of decency in him. Like Chigurh, he is a man of his word. As he so famously says: "I told you what I was gonna do." Daniel Day Lewis delivers lines with such intensity you start to question your own worth as a human being. Plainview's desire for revenge and success result in unthinkable outcomes yet you find yourself justifying his sins because you love him that much.

What do I think? I am leaning toward Plainview, but I'm still undecided. Let us know your thoughts on who's the bigger badass and what film you want to see win best picture.