20 Things You Somehow Missed In There Will Be Blood

During his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, cinematographer Robert Elswitt quipped: "Thank you Paul (referring to Anderson). But we're really standing here on the shoulders of Daniel Day-Lewis".

As magnificent as the film is, it cannot be denied that without Day-Lewis, the show wouldn't have gone on. And it certainly didn't - almost.

The actor is present in every scene of the film except for two instances. In almost 143 minutes, we do not see him for just under 9 minutes. That number in itself is staggering, given how epic TWBB is on all technical fronts.

The first scene in question is when we see H.W. and Mary grow up and marry in a small continuation from childhood to adulthood. Plainview wouldn't have even wanted to be present after the "derrick" incident. The other one involves Eli Sunday, just after he is rolled in the mud by Plainview when he asks for money for the church. Eli sits at the dining table with his father, Abel, and climbs on him in anger for "letting the Devil in".

The world pushes you harder when you are down. At your worst, you get worse treatment from others. This hard fact of life comes out in a brief, narcissistic Plainview moment in the climax. When Eli's brother Paul brother visited Plainview's office at the beginning of the film, he was offered $500 for the location. A caveat was so attached: "If I find out that you're lying to me, I will find you and take more than my money back".

Plainview gave him the money and it turned out pretty well for him. But when Eli visits him in the climax and Plainview is just getting started with getting it all out, he is ruthless. There is no cap on him. He begins by fooling Eli to say he's a false prophet and God's a superstition. If ripping away his identity and faith was not enough, he falsely claims he paid Paul "$10,000 cash in hand".

He even claims that Paul now has three wells producing. Although its veracity cannot be confirmed because it is never told to us, this humiliation comes naturally to Plainview. You do not think about these things in the moment: they just come out.

The joy and delight in his eyes stare out at you in an intentionally insulting way. He relishes destroying Eli emotionally. That is the kind of man Daniel Plainview is. Says everything about him.

It is often said kids have a sixth sense. M. Night Shyamalan made an entire movie about this instinct but we still wonder if it is true. In There Will Be Blood, H.W. seems to have it when he senses the truth about Henry even before Daniel. That is only true if you haven't looked closely enough.

Actually, the scene where we get the famous "I have a competition in me" monologue, is prefaced with a brief sequence showing H.W. going through Henry's things. It could have been just out of curiosity, or even, for argument's sake, the instincts. But the fact is he does. And he proceeds to read the diary in the bag. He realizes that when he reads its content that reveals Daniel's real brother has tuberculosis.

The real Henry writes he will never see his brother again and "die in this beautiful valley", referring to King City, where he met the fake Henry. This is the explanation that he gives Daniel when he has him at gunpoint and asks him the "name of the farm next to the Hill House".

H.W. was raised a smart boy by Plainview, and lighting Henry on fire was perhaps his way of letting Plainview know the truth about him.

This is one thing that you can only realize in hindsight. It is when you start looking for these little things, they speak out to you in the ingenious way they're planted there. In the burning oil derrick scene, we see H.W. has lost his hearing. He is hurt and Plainview immediately brings him to safety in his cabin. After a while, though, he asks Fletcher to look after him and goes out to stop the fire from spreading.

He does the needful but does not come back. Maybe because he is with his real baby. Daniel sits in the chair all night. Imagine that. He does not move from the precious sight to go check on his son, although it is completely possible that he might have gone back in the middle. But it is the same as the opening sequence when he fractures his leg. All PTA does is to show us the ominous mountains Daniel would have to overcome in that condition to get to a place of safety.

There is a reason we see him planted in the chair in the same position first, at night, and then in the morning. It is PTA's way of showing what really mattered to Plainview.

This aspect of Plainview's personality is intrinsic given how successful he became in the end. You cannot do that if you're a bad salesman. There must be some charm and deception that can woo the other person, even if the benefit from doing that thing is mutual. We see examples of that in the film.

In a scene with the Bankside couple, Plainview tries to buy their land. He sits opposite them with H.W. The couple seemed hesitant to agree to his proposal. The moment he senses that things aren't going his way, he pauses. Looking over at Mrs. Bankside, he asks about their children and fakes a story about H.W's mother, who "died in childbirth". Appealing to someone's personal nature without being offensive is an art few businessmen have.

From the moment he arrives at the Sunday ranch, Plainview works Abel and his family - with Eli's exception - for their oil. The Little Boston community at large is given false hopes of better education, road infrastructure, and "bread" by Plainview. He knows exacly when and what screws to loosen or tighten, and to what extent.

We have seen how Plainview lies and deceives masterfully to get what he wants. In one of the most famous scenes from the film - the Baptism scene - we see Plainview at his best. Bandy's tract is the only piece of land that Plainview needs to make his pipeline dream a reality. Once he gets the pipeline, all his hard work will pay off.

Bandy asks him to go to the church and leaves him at Eli's mercy. Not because he is conniving with him but because of his staunch faith in absolution. The start is rough when he is accused of fabricated lies engineered to turn the people against him. Abandoning his son, though, is a true confrontation he faces at the moment. Day-Lewis acts it out perfectly. But after that, it is all a Plainview show.

He has Eli right where he wants him. By completing this scene, he not only wins the approval of the community - including Bandy - but also uses Eli's own perversity against him. Eli clearly wanted his revenge for all the humiliation and pain Plainview has given him. But the oil magnate emerges victorious in the end.

He ends the scene with "there is going to be a pipeline" and that is all he ever wanted.

There is no doubt that the oil in the film looks real. The texture and color that the technicians have used are almost perfect. It was actually made from the stuff McDonald's puts in their chocolate. That is where the nuanced texture comes from. It obviously makes sense, as using anything else which was not edible or harmful to humans would not have been feasible.

Imagine getting all that chocolate off your face and body. And the scenes with the ants!

While this might fall in the category of trivia, it is such an important detail that it must be mentioned to prove how well Day-Lewis understood his character. Paul Thomas Anderson said in an interview that the speech that Plainview gave to the people of Little Boston when he was first setting up camp was improvised.

It was not in the script and Day-Lewis came up with it all on his own. It is a noticeable addition along with his other characterizations. Of the scene, PTA said, "It was delicious. It was Plainview on a platter". This is probably one of the reasons why PTA wrote the character specifically for Day-Lewis.

The British actor is so finely tuned when in character, he is a living, breathing manifestation from paper to the real world. The speech indeed proved the facetious nature of Plainview's businessman promises to the community. His exploitative hypocrisy is for all to see.

There are times even the best need the help of special effects to make things believable. David Fincher uses them for their convenience, even when he can shoot on set or on location. So there's nothing wrong when certain mishaps like this one in There Will be Blood happen. There are almost zero uses of special effects in the film.

If someone did mention that the effects were indeed used, one would imagine it for other scenes, like the oil derrick burning, or the levers falling down in the drilling hole. But actually, it is used in one of the first scenes of the film. When Daniel is still an unsuccessful hustler, circa 1898, he mines and looks for silver and gold.

We can clearly spot the made-up CGI sparks in that scene. Before Plainview picks into them, some places give way to misplaced special effects being used. It is a small detail but proves that Day-Lewis does not do everything in character.

Day-Lewis is a method actor and it is a fact. Many fables about his behavior on set, while in character have done the rounds. Actors have spoken of their fear, in some cases, of seeing Day-Lewis live and breathe as his character. So there should be no surprises when he does something on-screen to another person in character.

We see a glimpse of that in a scene involving Eli (Paul Dano). Plainview promised a sum of money to the church to gain an upper hand in his plans to buy out the lands. But, once he got what he wanted, he forgot about the promise, which was a lie to begin with. Eli didn't know this. With an ocean of oil in front of him, he metaphorically walks through it to get to Plainview.

Mind you, this was right after Plainview's son lost his hearing. Once Eli asks for money, all hell breaks loose. Plainview drags him around in the mud, slapping and berating him. All of that is actually real. Day-Lewis did not hold back and went on to play his role to "perfection". Hats off to Dano for taking it like a champ!

The climax of There Will be Blood is iconic in every sense. "I drink your milkshake!" is probably the most recognizable part for the ordinary cinemagoer. But there is so much thought put into the final scene that remains hidden.

Foremostly, Day-Lewis' rage-filled attack on Eli. When Plainview throws Eli on the floor of his bowling area, we see a low-angle camera capturing him walking towards Eli. His particular style of walking resembles an ape. Actually, director Paul Thomas Anderson wanted to represent the primal hatred that Plainview harbored towards Eli.

Throughout the film, their rivalry was topsy-turvy. The cloak came out on top on most occasions, much to Plainview's chagrin. Gradually, we saw the oil magnate lose control over himself and the climax was the final nail in the coffin. Once he found Eli at his mercy, there was no looking back for Plainview. It is a small detail but says so much about PTA's incredible eye for such things.

While we knew Plainview didn't like to support Eli's endeavors, there was some ambiguity about whether his attitude was specific to Eli or against religion altogether. As we saw more of him in the course of the film, the answer leaned towards the latter. There is one moment that cements the notion, more or less. But it is so brief, that you could have easily missed it.

It comes when one of his men dies in an accident on the oil derrick. Fletcher informed him of it as Plainview lied on the floor, and passed out due to alcohol. The next morning, as they pack his things to send them to his family, we see Plainview hold the man's cross. If you look closely enough, you can see him almost wincing as he passes it.

It is almost as if he is the devil and the cross burns him. That is the level of hate and disbelief Plainview had against religion. Probably why he hated the living manifestation of it in Eli so much.

This entire scene was a majestic sight. It is truly one of modern cinema's most exhilarating marvels. Turns out, it was all shot in one go. Not because of choice but a necessity.

PTA revealed in an interview that the structure that the team erected was fastened with simple cables to the ground, weak enough for Day-Lewis to break them in one go, and strong enough to stay standing.

The execution on Day-Lewis' part had to be spot on because to get the setting right again, it would have taken the crew at least another day. A lot was riding on how it would eventually pan out. But Day-Lewis does a sublime job. We get to see the perfect shot in the final cut, all a product of the team's hard work.

Daniel Plainview's life is an assimilation of different oil men from that era. But a significant part, including factual details, is taken from the life of Edward Doheny. He was a real-life oil magnate known for his abrupt style and sharp business mind. The literary source from where PTA borrows the outer structure for his story also lays out the details.

The final scene of the film - the bowling alley shot - and the interior mansion sequences were shot in Doheny's previous mansion. He gifted it to his son and it is located in the Beverly Hills area in Los Angeles.

It is called Grey Stone and proved to be a challenging place to shoot in because of how narrow it was.

The scene where the oil derrick lights on fire is fascinating.

In the lead-up to it, we see H.W. playing on the planks. Daniel sits in the make-shift cabin, working. And things are mostly normal. Once the rope starts vibrating viciously, gas explodes from underneath, followed by the oil.

H.W. is thrust backward to fall on the wooden base. If you notice closely, the editing on that particular shot has PTA use a shot two times in a row. We see the repeat because it all happens so quickly that cutting those shots becomes nearly impossible. Although it is not a very significant thing, it shows how true PTA remained to use the footage they filmed on set.

Daniel initially finds silver in the mines. Unfortunately for him, he breaks his leg trying to extract it. Despite that, he drags his body across miles of hard, unyielding terrain that would be difficult even to walk on. In the mine itself, he makes sure to see if the silver is there for sure before tending to his leg.

He does not go to a hospital afterward. Instead, he visits the assay's office first to get the stones looked at. While lying down on the floor with his leg in a make-shift brace, he carefully watches the assays weighing the material and churning it right to get the silver out.

If that does not prove how greed fueled him, God knows what will. Great touch from PTA to include that in the visual storytelling.

The burning well is an extremely important scene for the film, both in terms of Daniel's characterization and the plot.

Once he finds the oil underneath the lands, Daniel knows he has in his grasp all that he has worked on for the past few years. With this, he can be an "oil magnate". As far as the characterization goes, we see Daniel conflicted with a choice.

Choosing between H.W. and the burning well. His decision to sit outside and take in his "discovery" shows his fundamental drive. It is not to say that Daniel does not care about his son at all. But this scene shows where his priorities lie. The pleasure he takes in watching the fire unmasks his hypocrisy and exposes the true Daniel Plainview that has been hiding behind his sweet child and family-man image.

Daniel's humane side came out numerous times in the film. Sure, it was overshadowed by his greed and capitalist streak, but here are some instances that humanize the man that you might have missed.

When H.W. came back from the place with his teacher, Daniel was busy laying his pipeline. He hugs him the instant he sees him and whispers "I love you", the very first time in the film. What does H.W. do? Slap him.

When H.W. told him that Abel beats Mary, he not only stood up for her, he also took care of her afterward. It shows how genuinely he cared for both of them. Daniel mercilessly kills fake Henry after he discovers the truth about him but sobs uncontrollably. He said how having a brother "breathed fresh life" in Daniel's journey.

There is another moment right after H.W. walks off after Daniel calls him "lower than a bastard". He sits in his chair, alone, and winces. A flashback montage shows a scene where he playfully coddles H.W. and he plays with Mary.

The narrative in There Will be Blood brings out sharp observations about the nature of Daniel's work. PTA's masterful and deceptive narrative blurs the lines between blood & oil. One of the most powerful tools Anderson uses to bring out the metaphor is Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

His blood thirst is compared with Daniel's thirst for oil. Like the Count, Daniel is shown as a secluded figure who operates from the shadows. To reach his goals, he is prepared to do anything, even if it means stepping on someone else. This image is the perfect showcase to highlight this recurring theme in the film. Daniel uses the phrase "I drink your milkshake" figuratively but it is mostly true in literal terms as well.

He has drained out all the oil from underneath Bandy's lands, leaving nothing for him or Eli. In hindsight, the title seems like the perfect way to describe Daniel's urge and ambition.

We always knew Daniel would be hugely successful one day. Earning all that money was something he was good at it. But making a home and a family is something he missed out on in all those years. As we approached the end of the film in the year 1927, H.W. married his childhood sweetheart Mary. The two wanted to start a new life together and move to Mexico.

When H.W. gave this news to Plainview, he was less than pleased. Even though he brought him in for his own benefits - of being perceived as a family man - Plainview was reluctant to see him go. One shot was peculiar in this entire sequence. We see it just before H.W. walks into his office.

Daniel fires four shots into a random wall in his mansion. The wall, though, is perforated with many such holes. One can imagine what Daniel does all day. Are the riches really worth it, if you're going to sit around consumed by alcohol and luxurious trappings firing bullets in a wall all day?