Analyzing Evil: Daniel Plainview From There Will Be Blood 

To me, when Daniel was yelling, "Bastard in a basket" at his deaf sons back, he was trying to convince *himself* that he never loved his son. There is no way his son heard him and he knows it.

I love how he got what he wanted the most - to be away from everyone in a big house. Yet once he is there, he has no clue how to exist in it. Ex. He camps on the cold wood floor of the bowling alley, he drinks his coffee in the kitchen, his bookshelves behind him are filled with items thrown into storage, he has turned his hallway into a gun range (perhaps just not to be in the outside world). His heaven turned out to be his purgatory, or worse, his own hell.

One thing that really stands out to me is that Daniel never bothered to learn sign language. He had no inclination to learn to communicate with his son if there was inconvenience.

" i have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people." That line stuck with me all these years.

I've always thought that his genuine affinity and compassion to children is because he experienced some sort of abandonment in his childhood. Thats why he adopted HW after his father died in his well, and why he felt protective over Mary. He breaks down after killing his fake brother, because it revived his childhood abandonment. It's also why he gets so vindictive when HW tells him that he's going out on his own.

Paul Dano is a highly underrated actor I think. I find myself hating him in everything he's in, but then have to step back a realize he's an actor and that's the idea. I hate him because he convinces me to hate him, therefore I highly respect him.

I don’t think he’s crying over the imposter but his actual brother.

When he said “I’m finished” I actually found it darkly comedic.

When Eli made Daniel confess that he abandoned son and slapped him up, Daniel whispered something to Eli afterwards that frightened Eli. What Daniel told Eli was , "There will be blood and I will eat you".

This movie is like a damn axe to your chest and leaves you empty. Genius.

"Don't bully me, Daniel!!" *gets bullied*

when he says "I dont like people, I want to make money so I can move away from them" really resonates honestly. HIs whole speech there was one of the best things Ive ever seen.

Best line in the movie: “I’m finished!” Delivered with every meaning that could possibly be discerned from the words. The way Daniel spoke it is like a jewel. Multifaceted, sparkling with imagery

I require a Bill the Butcher episode injected directly into my veins

When Daniel is floating in the waves starring at Henry is a great scene. I was scared what he might do.

I think everything you say about Plainview you can say about Eli. But Eli lacked the brains and the determination. He was an evil parasite. Both despicable characters, to be sure.

Evil or not, every time he shit on Eli, smacked the shit out of Eli, or even when he killed Eli, I had to root him on. That kid was obnoxious af

The most common characteristics of a narcissist is entitlement and validation from others. Daniel was very entitled, but I never got the impression that he cared what others thought of him

This is one I didn't know I wanted. But absolutely loved There Will Be Blood. One of the best RU-vid channels

I didn’t see remorse/regret in the church admitting he abandoned his son, I saw pure rage. He was furious that he was forced to say it he knew it was true but was unwilling to admit it. Just like the reverse seen at the end where Eli had to do the same thing Eli was not remorseful nor did he regret being a false profit he simply hated being bent to someone else’s will and forced to say it. Rage not regret.

you could almost make a villain movie about Eli too. It's a story in a way of a relationship between two villains - one who manipulates others through business for wealth, and one who manipulates others through religion for status

This film is the best example of a "slow burn", and many I have showed it to give up after the first few segments, but man is it BRILLIANT. I find myself so invested in it from even the very beginning. Truly an underrated film, more so than any I can think of.

Lewis is such a brilliant actor. I would even say he's one of the best to ever do it.

Isn't H.W the son of his deceased partner in the beginning? So he stole the identity of a father just like his friend the identity of a brother. Maybe he realized after killing him they have the same traits after all.

I’m surprised you left out the fact that Daniel adopted HW and created a tragic backstory for them purely for business relations and an attempt to look more human and sympathetic I do believe he still grew to love HW in the end and considered him a son but it still says so much about him as a person and his ambitions

I drink your milkshake. This film is a masterpiece.

Daniel was such a proficient manipulator, he managed to fool me for the entire movie. I kept waiting for his "good side" to prevail, and it wasn't until the final scene that I realized that he didn't have one... I was devastated that I had let him so thoroughly deceive me with his silver tongue and false empathy. I believed his adoption of the bastardized child, the business deal with the poor farmer, and the hiring of many men proved that he was not a selfish monster, until I realized with dread that it only proved his own greed. 10/10

At the end of the day he was successful. He got away from everyone...

narcissistic personality disorder, from what I’m told, does not exclude the potential for empathy or guilt. They are not sociopaths. The disorder is born out of insecurity. So when challenged, he gets narcissistically wounded, which means he is hurt more than the average person, which then results in narcissistic rage. The rage is when empathy and guilt leave the chat. And if he believes he was truly correct in being slighted or wronged, empathy and guilt don’t ever come back. When he is not being challenged, when he has enough narcissistic supply, he can feel empathy and guilt. Which is why he did have genuine sorrow over his son at that moment.

In the end of the movie, when he goes after Eli, he walks like a troll or gobelin screaming like a wild monster. The fact that he is holding the Bowling Pin like some sort of club accentuates this vision 🤣

This movie is one of only a handful that can be called "perfect"

He wasn't a psychopath, or even a sociopath. Just a very, VERY damaged individual who believes it's him against the world. He obviously loved his adopted son. We are reminded of that in the "flashbacks" after he drives his son away at the end. He's just very sad. And there are so many real people just like him.

Paul dano playing a Paul and Daniel day Lewis playing a Daniel had me checking if the whole cast had characters sharing their real first names

I'm so glad you mentioned that eli is just like him. Eli acts almost like a cult leader throughout the film, with a massive ego and narcissistic behaviour, the only difference I found is that eli shows a complete breakdown in confidence when confronted where as Daniel still breaks down in character but into more of a rage. I do feel there is some brief glimpses of actually care and love from Daniel to his son and the way I interpretated the end is that he loves his son so he doesn't want to destroy his son when he begins to collapse as a man and a person so in order to do this he shuns his son away

I love how complicated Daniel is. Evil may be a strong word (I understand it's the title of this great analyzing evil series), but also see a lot of good in him: his work ethic, standing up for the abused girl in front of her dad, and his love for his son.

I think the scene where Daniel threatens to slit the throat of that man just because he spoke of his family is really telling. That was Daniel's real reaction and he couldn't hold it back. Behind every tiny amount of empathy that man has left, there is a reaction just like that one.

Daniel is obviously a manipulative man who often does things just to impose his superiority but I do like to think that his protective actions towards Mary Sunday were genuine. That he truly does believe in being kind to children, in spite of his misanthropy and sub par parenting skills. Obviously that goodwill dries up the moment those children become adults but it always felt to me like his one true good human quality.

One of my favorite tattoo artists passed away and he told me that he did a tattoo for Daniel Day Lewis and I feel so honored to be tattooed by someone that tattooed such a brilliant actor

"I thank God, I have none of you in me" That line's haunted me to the core, ever since I saw this movie.

This movie though... holy shit can DDL act.

Next suggestion: Michael Corleone and in particular the evolution of his character (e.g. from a loyal family man to a ruthless mastermind) from Godfather 1 to Godfather 2.

It bothers me when people think that Daniel started off good but turned evil. He was evil the whole time; he just hid it.

What about Daniel Day-Lewis's character in Gang's Of New York?

Daniel: "I'm finished." Butler: "Very good, sir."

I noticed his “brother” say fond du lay and Daniel calls it fond du lac when they meet the 2 gentlemen. Maybe that is the first time he notices something is off with his bro

"I want to become so rich that I can get away with anything " says Daniel. And he, with his sheer determinism, did achieve it. The place he get away to, is a palace of grief, sorrow, spite and anger that lies on a bank of river where, "There will be blood" and nothing else for him.

Louis Bloom from Nightcrawler needs his own episode!!!

One of my favorite scenes is when Eli is slapping Daniel around in the church.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 It's worth the price of admission alone. You know its gonna be good when he slides on his back for miles with a broken leg though dirt, rocks, and sagebrush merely to cash in a piece of silver. Outstanding performance by Lewis. Award worthy many times over.

i love that movie. it's a goddamn masterpiece

One of the best characters of all time and my vote for absolute BEST Film Score EVER PS: The actor that plays Daniel's fake brother can be in as many films as he wants, playing as many characters as he wants BUT... To me, he will ALWAYS be Benny from The Mummy!!

The way you start all your videos with an actor seemingly mouthing “hello everyone” the same time as you is a solid touch!!

I get bummed out sometimes when my friends don’t really care about some of the films that I try to get them into. The first time I saw this movie I went ranting about it but no one in my friend group seemed interested. I really admire Daniel Day Louis. I think he’s his own tier of actor.

He is a malignant narcissist. He is addicted to his rage. They do rarely feel guilt, but it's not the way we process guilt- they see it as a flaw in their own execution of mastery/superiority. I love this movie, but always have a very hard time watching it because the character's 'way' is one I'm familiar with. There is nothing quite like watching a movie with a character that mirrors the character of who you're watching said movie with, and wondering if they will allow the awareness of recognition of themselves.

Something I always thought was that he must have gone and killed Tilford at some point. He said he would and he reminded him of this the second time they met before he walks away “I told you what I was gonna do”. I reckon he will have made good on that promise, he isn’t the type for hyperbole, he says what he means and means what he says when he’s in a bad mood

My friend summed this movie up for me perfectly. I told him it was in my top 10 so he watched it. The next day he told me “I didn’t really enjoy the movie, like the genre or want to watch it again. But it is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen”.

This was one of my favorite movies of all time. It really showed the raw greed that fueled the mans fire to succeed in a time when there was only yourself to rely on.

I love the detail of how the two main characters are named the same was as the actors portraying them. Daniel Day Lewis - Daniel Plainview. Paul Dano - Paul Sunday, Eli's identical twin brother who got the whole plot moving.

My favorite actor of all time, so good. Did a great job with this character, which is vastly different from the character in the Upton Sinclair book. Next please do Bill the Butcher Cutting from Gangs of New York!

When his "brother" comes back into his life, some humanity starts coming back to Daniel. He even starts entertaining the idea of starting a family and building a house. I think the betrayal of his false brother sunk him further into the abyss of madness. He felt like he could never trust anyone anymore.

Daniel was rotten from the core for almost his entire life. It's bizarre how such toxicity can radiate so much dread and sorrow and hatred on others. Daniel Day Lewis is a brilliant actor and convinced me as if he was actually mad

One of the most amazing characters ever created. Such unbelievable depth in any hero villain and protagonist in literature or film is staggering. To create someone from scratch of this depth is intimidating to any writer I'm sure. The fact that Anderson was able to put what was on the page into the hands of the greatest actor of maybe any generation is nothing short of some type of the universe lining up in a way it may never again. Wonderful breakdown of an incredible subject who as a fictional character with more to offer than many real people. Well done.

Suggestions: Lee Woo-jin from Oldboy Norman Stansfield from Leon the Professional Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction Keyser Soze from The Usual Suspects Catherine Tremell from Basic Instinct

The worst is more i'm advanced in age, more i understand Daniel Plainview.

are you serious, i literally just watched this movie four days ago and have been obsessed with it

One of my favorite parts is actually the shots of his son looking back and forth between Daniel and the translator and communicating. Idk what it is but I love it.

Idk what it is about this movie but as soon as I finish watching it I want to immediately rewatch it. That’s rare for an almost 3 hour movie where there’s no dialogue for the first 15 minutes

When I first saw this movie in theatres, I kept thinking that Daniel is an acute case of Borderline Personality Disorder. I need to rewatch this film.

Daniel's character is the personification of the evolving American corporation. All the traits, all of the manipulation, beautifully acted by one of the greatest actors in film history. Right down to killing its humanity when he beats the young priest to death in the final minutes of the film. "Finnished" is the final word spoken, and the meaning and message is loud and clear. The entire film experience changes when you view the main character from this point of view. Excellent analysis of this underappreciated film masterpiece.

I didn't really get the impression that Daniel had any guilt over killing "Henry." The sadness he expresses after reading the diary seems to suggest that he's mourning the loss of the real brother he never got to meet and is heartbroken that he had to learn about Henry this way. Since this grifter was ultimately nothing to him but a leech, Daniel doesn't appear to feel too bad about murdering him, wrong though it was.

As someone who lived with an utter madman, this is such an accurate performance. DDL deserves every accolade and more.

Your work is exemplary. The patience and dedication are obvious. And your delivery is wonderful. Keep up the good work.

I’m still waiting for: Analyzing Evil: Walter White

Daniel was a narcissist, I think. One thing that I thought of, while watching the movie, was that Daniel showed disdain toward his son in the later part. He mocked his son for using sign language- something that he never learned to communicate with his own son

Daniel Day-Lewis deserved every award he could possibly win for this film. The complexity he brought to the character gives Daniel Plainview so many dimensions and angles, even some likability in spite of how evil and violent he is.

*instaclick*

Imagine how intimidating it has to be to act alongside Daniel Day-Lewis

The scene when they find where the oil is in Little Elizabeth might as well of been a scene of horror. Just can't explain it better than that. So wonderful. This is a amazing movie that needs to be seen. This is a fantastic profile of this character. Thank you.

He achieved everything he wanted and it destroyed him and those around him.

This is my all-time favorite movie, and you broke it down magnificently.

One thing no one ever talks about is his soft spot for kids. It was a strange contrast in a man who hated people so much. Also, he so badly wanted Henry to be his brother. And he truly loved HW. That scene where those guys offer him a million bucks, tell him to take care of his son... He loses it. Doesn't want to be reminded of his shortcomings as a father who won't learn sign language. It's almost like these elements of humanity were in him, or rather he wanted them to be in him, but he didn't know really what to do with them or how to handle it all so he just lashes out. The more he fails at them, the more he lashes out. Fascinating character. A truly evil person.

Very keen observation that he rarely got on with people unless they were blood relatives who could inherit or share his legacy. A lot of Henry the 8th vibe to him.

HE ALSO DRANK MY MILKSHAKE

This is a really good analysis into the mindset of Daniel Plainview. At first, I didn't like "There Will Be Blood" at the time. But after a couple rewatches, I find myself to be drawn into Daniel Day Lewis' performance because it's really more of an inside look into a man who is so deep in his obsession with business that he doesn't know how to communicate normally with other people, including his adopted son. Even after he's earned everything (including a mansion), he's now officially a lonesome shrieking madman in a lavish prison with no connection at all. It's really a tragic film to watch.

This movie and No Country for Old Men came out at the same time. I used to get them confused because it felt like the titles would’ve worked better for the other movie.

when all your wishes are granted , many of your dreams will be destroyed also he could still have full blown narcissistic personality disorder , they can feel sorry for themselves , its not clear if he's mourning for the man he killed , or for sending his son away, or for his own loss , if its the latter then he is possibly a full blown malignant narcissist , they don't empathise with others , but they can feel bad for themselves

This movie is a modern retelling of Moses and Pharaoh, told from Pharaoh's point of view. He adopts a son found in a basket in the desert, and his own greed, pride, and vengefulness leads to his destruction and the loss of his adopted son.

Not going to lie he's more of an inspiration than warning for unchecked ambition.

Might one argue stating Daniel Plainview is "evil" is an oversimplification of his character? Worth noting, Daniel was the only one in the story - by his own relentless self-determination - who contributed or achieved anything. Everyone else sought to get something from him through some manner of manipulation. Who hasn't gone to Walmart or the DMV and thought "I hate most people" and "I see the worst in people; I don't need to look past seeing them to get all I need"? Daniel used his life to accomplish goals; everyone around him was greedy, seeking to cash in on his effort and hard work. "What else would I do with myself?" was his answer to the speculators' proposal. He didn't care one wit for the money, he needed to be successful on his own terms. It was the townspeople he attempted to co-op with who were bent on avarice, rudely interrupting his negotiations with "What is your offer?!" Later, when he presents significant financial windfall for their mere permission/cooperation (no real labor on their part) religious zealots invasively demand he further surrender his own spiritual inclinations by sadistically forcing confessions of faith and laying bare personal shortcomings, openly and publicly, in their church. Who wouldn't detest a conniving schemer like Eli Sunday? Who wouldn't be spiteful at the notion of being exploited by everyone whom they meet - to include his own "brother"? Eli is the true antagonist; Daniel the underdog protagonist. Who took action when they learned Mary was being abused by her father? The former or the latter? Who is the better person - her own brother who remained idle at her circumstances or a compassionate (albeit stoic) Daniel? He took on the responsibility of his coworker's orphaned son even though he wasn't particularly obligated or equipped to do so; this benevolent, charitable act is penalized as in the end even H. W. betrays him. Coincidentally, this seems to be the fulcrum point in the story when Daniel gives up on attempting to do right by his fellow man. He is now, from his perspective, not just alone but abandoned - ironically, by the very person he once rescued from abandonment. This story isn't a commentary about a narcissistic psychopath. As stated, he was capable of feeling guilt and empathy. While not glaringly obvious, it is about a good man - admittedly with some pedestrian flaws and interpersonal issues - driven to absolute madness and evil behavior after a lifetime of exploitation and mistreatment by nearly everyone with whom he has contact. That the audience misjudges him to be evil rather than those around him who so clearly are is what makes the movie so powerful. This is why you feel good after he "confronts" Eli in the bowling alley at the film's climax but you're not sure exactly why. Evil has been met with justice but we're hardly conscious of it owing to our bias against Daniel. Masterful!

Bruce Willis in The Jackal. One of his greatest roles to me of all time. His facial expression at the boat dock.... Still gives me chills.

Catching an upload when it's uploaded. Hell yeah.

Erm, gotta fix the description as it says "Our feature villain for this video is Daniel Plainview from Star Wars" :D

I find myself coming back to this video sometimes, it's such a good video

Analyzing Evil: Toecutter from the original Mad Max. He's absolutely insane to the point that any scene has in feels like he could snap at any moment

Really really good analysis, as always. I wouldn’t have even thought to recommend this character but damn was this video needed!

I think Daniel seemed like a decent fellow before he started to drink. I think he started to drink because of the guilt and pressure over manipulating people, overpromising stuff and such to gain oil. Then it was a simple downward spiral. To add, physical work suited him better.

Daniel Plainview - Nothing he does is wrong - everybody else is a fool in the movie

The grief Daniel experienced after killing Henry was not remorse for the murder, it was grief over the brother he never got to know. And we know from his speech how desperate he was to find someone who felt the same way he did and had the same traits, which he believed were genetic. He wanted to see himself mirrored in other people, and that was the only way he could feel affection for them. He 'loved' H.W., only insofar as he loved himself, because he believed he was raising the boy up in his own image. At the end we learn they disagreed about many things. So we know that as soon as H.W. became old enough to have his own differing opinions, the affection Daniel felt for him evaporated into hatred. These are 💯 narcissist qualities. The scary thing is how for the first half of the movie or more, these traits are so easily masked as virtues. Which again, is the textbook trick of the narcissist.

Came out the same year as No Country For Old Men. Both films tunnel into the misanthropic mountain from different sides. I found a certain similarity in atmosphere. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of those rare examples of the anti-prolific and "less is more" actor. The way he approaches a role is a very unusual immersion. He seems to inisist on making his characters almost a part of himself to the point of staying in character continually for the length of the project. Therefore, it should come as no surprise why Plainview is so scrutable in video like this.

Daniel was a character that I knew I wasn’t supposed to like or respect. But I do. I see a guy that will stop at nothing get what he desires. He even wouldn’t let his own son’s injury stop him. But I see the whole world just trying to beat him down and it truly breaks him in many ways. But Eli, I can’t stand him. A small man that likes to rub any little success he gets in life in people’s faces. If Eli hadn’t come to talk to Daniel, even gloats a bit, he would have lived. I believe this story is about the sin of pride and how it can be used to destroy you in many ways.

Both my parents were diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Daniel Plainview absolutely is a full blown narcissist. His external locus of control, blaming anything and everything except himself for the consequences of his actions. His 'guilt' is more akin to feeling sorry for himself for losing people or things that he valued or felt close to. His son was nothing more than something that helped him feel less alone.