Love how his partner is the only one to ask about HW, and as soon as he hears he isn’t okay he runs to check on him - while Daniels just looking at the fire and probably dreaming about all the oil he’s standing on
Even further: the worker who saves HW goes straight for him, climbing up the side of the hutch to get to the boy as quick as he can. Daniel uses the stairs and passes the oil well first.
Right after Daniel's partner runs off to check on the boy, the camera closes in on Daniel's face, covered in oil, with a demonic look in his eye as he stares back at the flaming well. What you are seeing (or what this shot is implying) is Daniel Plainvews soul, entirely corrupted by greed. And the oil covering his face is a manifest image of that, as greed (oil) has literally covered his entire being. This close-up perfectly summarizes the entire point of the movie, and is one of the greatest close-ups in film history.
thats why the kid was on top of the roof on the rig. Daniels doesnt give a fuck about him. he knows how dangerous it is. the kid should be nowhere near the rig. nevermind on top of the roof.
@@The_Digital_Dolphin I think he loved him like a son until H.W. became damaged. Daniel even tries to get that feeling back by desperately hugging the kid in many scenes to follow, but the moment he became deaf H.W. stopped being useful to him.
I think Plainview feels for his son deeply, but he is kind of a broken man and sociopath, so that gets in the way. Can't help but feel Daniel was devasted when he called his son a Bastard in a Basket, among his hatred is his only connection to humanity, his son.
Did you ever read what he said about created the fake oil for the movie? He said they used a coloring they put in McDonald's chocolate milkshakes. Made me laugh!
I just can't get over how the different beats and instruments are gradually and chaotically layered in to eventually become one (semi) cohesive sound... Masterful, honestly. And I never noticed it until my third viewing of the movie yesterday, but boy did it ever hit me! Hence me searching the scene up here, just so I can experience it all over again a day later. 😝
@@jcsharkster First viewing went over my head. Second what a masterpiece, third the relationship with his son, forth sweet lord the music. Spaced out over years, still my favorite film.
2:14 The music rapidly picking up while Daniel's running always gives me goosebumps, along with it being a single long take without cuts. Expertly shot. This entire set piece is such a marvel to watch.
Exactly. It was all just background noise till he starts running with his kids, the music picks up and the men running toward the fire. Such a brilliant scene
As a teen I saw this film in theaters. This scene in particular has always stuck with me. The manic race towards profits at all costs. The toll of greed.
I’ll be honest the two most satisfying scenes of the film, in my opinion, happen to be when Daniel whoops Eli’s ass and humiliating him the first time and of course the ending when he manipulates Eli into denouncing his position as a “servant of God” by demanding that he state he’s a “false prophet and that God is a superstition.” in exchange for money considering he pissed away all his
@@vicdeakins2238 I felt kind of sad for Eli in the first scene where he humiliates him, but that last scene was so damn satisfying. He was a total scum
I love how the oil makes him almost invisible in the darkness, contrasting with his partner who stands out. The former ignores his adoptive son to revel in future gains, while the latter hurried back to help him.
The "No He Isn't." and then the extended, gradual, zoom onto Daniel's face as the sound just blares in though we can still faintly here Greenwood's music in the background. It's like hell has erupted and his soul has officially started to drain from him. Just immaculate film-making. And then in Phantom Thread he's also mad but sensitive and gentle. PTA and DDL bring out the best in each other, I hope they collaborate at least ONE more time. If anyone can get DDL out of retirement, it's Paul. Also that shot of Paul Dano staring at the flames, creeps me the hell out.
@@sameerahmed-gx8js in a zoom you adjust the focal length of your camera, while the placement of your camera remains unchanged. whereas, when you push-in or dolly with a camera the focal length remains unchanged, while you physicially move your camera closer to your subject. if you want a more detailed explanation of this i recommend the video "SFX secrets: the Zoom" by the channel Fandor. it's a perfect short video that's illustrates the difference between the two and how you as a viewer can recognise if what you're seeing is a zoom or dolly.
John Greenwood is just an unreal composer. His music in this and “The Master” just always have this horrific uncomfortable feeling when played in scenes yet they work so elegantly.
Robert Elswit won the Academy Award simply because of this scene. As much as I love Roger Deakins, Elswit earned this one. Glad to see Deakins win two of his own since.
The whole gimmick of the prologue having no dialogue is taken straight out of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Its used in a genius way, he doesn't get a voice until he bonds with and adopts a son. At the end also, when it shows HW and Mary jumping off the porch and it cuts to the future where they are married, it is a direct reference to the bone cut in 2001 as well.
Now that I've been a father of a son I love dearly for a little more than 14 months this scene has taken on new meaning for me. This film is a tragedy. The spectacle of Daniel Plainview's descent into inhumanity is laid bare before us and - for those of us who love the film - we know his fate is sealed from the very first frame. But, in this scene - this tremendous scene - the last shred of spontaneity, the spontaneity of a father doing everything he can to protect the son he loves, is on display. It's the last time I feel hope Daniel may yet not extinguish his humanity; and it's short-lived. I've heard others say he shows his love for HW later in the film, for example, when he brings him back from the school he ships him off to, or when he confesses his abandonment of HW before the church, but I disagree. His ulterior motives are easily discernible in those scenes. In this scene, however, his reaction is guttural, instinctual. He runs to save his son. He cries when he asks him "where it hurts." I'm rooting for Daniel in this scene. I want him to salvage the last shred of decency he has left. But then, the realization hits; the ocean of oil is beneath him! And the last shred of his humanity sinks into it. Fathers, cherish your sons and daughters. Money and greed aren't worth it.
I think this point would be valid if HW were actually his son and not a prop for him to sell his “family business” to unsuspecting land owners who were ripped off by his parasitic practices.
@TC8787-yq7og You're right. Daniel clearly uses HW throughout the film to get what he wants. However, I think HW also serves as a subtle foil to Daniel's self-centered ambition. HW could save Daniel, if he'd let him. And at times (like in this scene) Daniel's fatherly love unintentionally spills out, even if only for a moment. It's alloyed with his own ambition, sure, but it seems real to me, too.
@@TC8787-yq7ogJesus wasn't Moses's son, but who taught Jesus how feed himself? That boy loved him till the end of the movie but the oil baron loved his money and power
@@deadmeatjb Hey, I don't suppose you could elaborate on "Jesus wasn't Moses's son, but who taught Jesus how feed himself?" This piqued my interest, but I can't think of what (metaphorically or literally) Jesus would have derived from his awareness of Moses in this context. Ty in advance
90% of reviewers of this movie claim that Daniel only uses HW as a prop ... after all, he says so himself. This scene is one of many that prove otherwise. HW is the only person he loves.
When someone you "love"; especially the "only person" you "love" has a terrible accident from which no one knows either if they'll recover or what will its consequences be and they *BEG* you not to leave them more than once, you certainly don't leave them to go watch oil.
+SpocketteINFJ If you had or have a child; would you act the same way then if the same happened to them? Would you leave them "with someone you trust"? I know I wouldn't. Not for any job on this Universe. We all know perfectly well he could had with no problem at all sent Fletcher in his place. Whom, by the way, is obviously more worried about H. W. than Plainview. One needs just to look at and hear the way Plainview dryly, nonchalantly says "No, he isn't" when Fletcher asks him if H. W. is OK. Plainview even asks him: "What are you looking so miserable about?" What kind of parent asks that question to anyone right after their own child has had a terrible accident? Plainview just didn't want the "sweet face he used in order to buy lands" (his words) to die. That's all. I'm tired of people romanticizing the monstrous and evil character that is Daniel Plainview; just like so many do with Michael Corleone.
Vaurie You’re thinking wayyyy too into it. That is the anamorphic lens vignette from too much light. If you aim an anamorphic lens at any bright light you’ll get the same effect. It’s an oval lens rather than spherical. It’s also the only lens that does horizontal lens flares. JJ Abrams loves those lenses.
7:30 is probably the coolest cinematography I’ve ever seen. The zooming out effect while keeping Daniel as the focus is an amazing effect (to my eye at least). Also the music ending with the explosion is rad!
@@screwhelpdoesn’t look like a dolly. You can see the hard stop of the zoom and also the ground infront of Lewis would be moving relative to him but it’s not.
A single shot of Day-Lewis carrying H.W. for 45 seconds was one of the first 'wow' moments I remember from the first time I saw this film. DDL, in his 50's, carrying that boy of 100-110 lbs over that terrain for that long for the sake of "the shot" is impressive (the music making it that so much more). Right after he goes out and takes a sledgehammer to the spike and sets it free with one swing. All that more impressive when considering the pyrotechnics going on, that he would only have one real take at it.
Between the two I go with Blood but that's just my personal opinion. Blood had way more of an impact on me as a teenager than Country. Hell I would even say Blood made me appreciate cinema at an early age. Every part of it I wanted to dissect and figure out how they shot it and what drove people to make this.
The main character: so loving and caring of his adopted son. Intimate with his affections and feelings for his well being. Yet a monster to him years later. What a complex character. One of the best filmed scenes ever!
One of the most remarkable scenes in any movie. Ever. On multiple levels. The music makes it absolutely riveting. And it captures the complexity of Plainview's character: yes, he is a ruthless and driven oilman, and later in the movie we see he is truly a monster, but here he still has some humanity: he cares about the boy, he rushes to save him before anything. DDL is amazing.
When will it be revealed that Daniel is a monster? What is the scene that makes many people say this? Since the events of the film are not so abundant in Daniel's bad deeds, tell me the scene that makes you think he is evil! I mean, sure, he's a bit really evil, but why is he more evil than any other evil character, for example Vito Corleone in the godfather? Why compare you all to psychopaths?
Yes you are right. The 70s look of this film comes from the use of anamorphic lenses, which were used in many classic movies from that decade. And also because Paul Thomas Anderson last 4 films have been shot using old fashioned 65mm cameras. The photography work they did on this film is perfect, reminds me of Kubrick.
This is the climax of the movie, in my opinion. The relationship between Daniel and H.W. is changed forever with H.W's deafness. Daniel has ascended from being just another oil man betting on land to produce, to then being unimaginably successful. It's interesting how this scene on the surface shows so much destruction, but the underlying aftermath of this is Daniel striking it rich and everything afterwards in his business falls in line.
I remember watching this scene when the movie first came out and I was like Wow!! Now that is damn good movie making!! The music, the fire and oil strike, and the fact that Daniel only has 1 heart for 1 person and that's his son. Reminds me of my father when I was a little boy and that's what kept going through my head. Why this movie didnt win Best Director and Picture is beyond me!! This SCENE made the movie!!!
@@jayantrajshastri He did save his son first. Put himself in danger to get him out and get him to safety. It's like people forget that part. Sure. His love isn't perfect. But it's there.
He doesn't care about the kid. There's some basic concern for him that all humans would instinctively have, but any deeper feelings are inaccessible to a person like Daniel.
@@1994mrmysterymanlol damn I mean, have you seen the movie? It’s literally about how he uses his son to portray himself as a family man, but he really doesn’t care about him at all. He tells him at the end of the movie in the ‘bastard in a basket’ scene. Also yes, as it’s been pointed out, this scene is literally him choosing oil over his son, he saves him because he’s not a complete psychopath, and also he would look awful to everyone there.
This is one of the best runs I've ever seen in the history of cinema. Strength and endurance are amazing. All the time I ask myself an obsessive and painful question: could I run like that for the sake of my beloved son , would I have had the strength not to drop my son and keep my composure? Hell relay!
It's interesting how daniel doesn't even pay attention to what he says and just keeps asking "Were you hit in the head?!" while he doesn't even understand he's son is deaf at that moment.
Daniel was always painted as a villain, greedy and heartless, which he is to an extent, but the fact that the first thing he did was to run to get HW and to bring him to safety, shows that he indeed did love the boy, in his own way
Hands down one of the best scenes in film history. Everything about it is just perfect between the camerawork, acting, sound design and music. I might be bias as this is my #1 film ever, but holy hell this scene is a masterpiece in itself.
Amazing how little the process of snuffing a gusher fire has changed in the past 100+ years. The guys who extinguished the Kuwait oil fires in 1991-92 used drums filled with dynamite carried on cranes but the technique is still exactly the same.
This scene + 2001 space Odyssy star gate sequence + good bad and ugly final duel scene + taxi driver mohawk scene + apocalypse now climax scene + blue velvet Frank booth let's hit the road scene meant so much impact on life.
i watched this film about so many times when it came, it was such a wonderful film. i just can't antmore, it's too depressing. but it remains one of the greatest films i have ever seen.
I love films like this that not only transport you back in time to another era but also just give you a particular feeling that you don't get from other films, a feeling which can't really be explained. It makes you wish that the film wouldn't end. This is one of those films. Another that always comes to mind is Master and Commander.
I remember watching this scene for the first time, thinking to myself, "Dude, what the fuck is going on with the music? None of the instruments are synced up. Where's the beat?" Then it pulls back into that night shot with the rig in flames, and I was just like "HOLY SHIT." Absolute genius.
This scene where Daniels son is watching him care more about that oil than him is the turning point in him during the movie. Later in the movie his son tried to burn down the house they were in while Daniel was still sleeping. May not be Daniel's biological son, but he sure learned his behavior.
Daniel has been reduced to naked man. He sits bewitched staring at a column of belching, roaring fire, as primitive man did millenia ago, worshipping it, revering it, at once horrified by its power and astounded by its beauty.
Fun fact: This entire sequence, once the oil caught fire, was filmed in one attempt. The prop derrick was made of wood and they had nothing to replace it with once it collapsed.
