Film theories from the article: Research Film Theory
| Cue | Notes |
| What are the views and opinions of a Marxist? | Marxists believe that “getting and keeping economic power” is what motivates “all social and political activities” (Tyson 5). |
| What are the two groups Marxists place people in? | Bourgeoisie: “….those who control the world’s natural, economic, and human resources” (Tyson 5). Proletariat: the rest of society “who live in substandard conditions and who have always performed manual labor” (Tyson 5). |
| How do Marxists view the American dream? | Marxists believe the American dream is “not a natural way of life” but “one of many ideologies”; an ideology that “falsely presupposes that the pursuit of wealth is an inherently good and meaningful pursuit” (Tyson 5). Marxists do not believe that the poor are poor due to a lack of application. They don’t believe that the American dream is “universally attainable” (Tyson 5). |
| What messages are portrayed in There Will Be Blood? | Anderson (director) illustrates what the quest for wealth and power can do to a man and finds that it will result in turning “them back into animals” (Anderson 5). The end of the film portrays the main character as more of a caveman than a Homosapien. |