There Will Be Blood: Meaning & Controversies Explained

Few movies dig into the toxic heart of ambition quite like Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 masterpiece, There Will Be Blood. It’s a film that gives you a character who is utterly compelling and utterly repellent at the same time—Daniel Plainview, a man who drills for oil and finds nothing but emptiness. If you’ve ever sat through the infamous “milkshake” scene and wondered what it really means, or why Quentin Tarantino once singled out a performance for criticism, this article connects those dots.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% (Rotten Tomatoes) ·
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 (IMDb) ·
Release Year: 2007 ·
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson ·
Box Office: $76.7 million

Six key facts sum up the film’s profile at a glance.

What was the point of There Will Be Blood?

Themes of capitalism and religion

• The film explores the corrupting nature of capitalism through Daniel Plainview. His relentless pursuit of oil strips him of every human connection (Collider).
• It contrasts oil capitalism with evangelical religion, embodied by the Sunday family, particularly Eli Sunday (/Film).

Plainview sees faith as a tool to exploit, while Eli uses his pulpit to gain land and influence. The clash between the two represents a broader battle between industrial greed and religious hypocrisy that defined early twentieth-century California.

The ambiguous ending and its meaning

• The ending shows Plainview’s complete moral decay and isolation. After years of accumulation, he lives alone in a vast mansion, drunk and paranoid (Screen Rant).
• When Eli Sunday arrives hoping to sell his now-worthless land, Plainview mocks him with the “milkshake” speech before bludgeoning him to death (Industrial Scripts).

The title refers to the violence and sacrifice inherent in oil extraction — and human greed. “Blood” is both the literal oil and the lives destroyed in its pursuit.

The character of Daniel Plainview as a critique of greed

• Plainview embodies the American dream turned nightmare: a self-made man who sacrifices his son, his morality, and his sanity for wealth (No Film School).
• His lack of empathy and manipulative behavior suggests a man who genuinely believes that “there are times when you have to be a bastard” (Collider).

For a modern analysis of wealth and greed, see Rich Dad Poor Dad.

The implication: Plainview’s fate is not a tragedy of one man but a mirror held to a society that prizes accumulation above all else.

Does Quentin Tarantino like There Will Be Blood?

Tarantino’s comments on Paul Dano

• Quentin Tarantino called Paul Dano the “weakest actor in SAG” during an interview, singling out his performance in There Will Be Blood (Variety).
• Tarantino has not made a definitive statement about the film as a whole, but his criticism focuses on Dano’s performance as Eli Sunday.

His broader view of the film

• Some speculate that Tarantino’s comments are more about the role than the actor, given Dano’s preparation time of only four days for the dual role of Paul and Eli Sunday (That Final Scene).
• No public record shows Tarantino praising the film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson, though the two have a history of mutual respect.

Contrast with critical consensus

• Tarantino’s remarks are controversial because the film is widely praised. The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus calls it “a sparse and sprawling epic” (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Many critics view Dano’s performance as essential to the film’s tension, making Tarantino’s critique an outlier (/Film).

The pattern: Tarantino’s isolated critique has become part of the film’s lore, fueling discussion rather than damaging its reputation.

Is There Will Be Blood a good film?

Critical consensus and Rotten Tomatoes score

• Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% with a Critics Consensus calling it “a sparse and sprawling epic of early 20th century capitalism” (Rotten Tomatoes).
• The film holds a Metacritic score of 93, indicating universal acclaim.

Awards and accolades

• Daniel Day-Lewis won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Daniel Plainview (Academy Awards).
• It was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Audience reaction and lasting impact

• IMDb rating: 8.2/10 (IMDb).
• The film is frequently listed among the best films of the 2000s by critics and audiences alike.
• Its influence can be seen in later works that explore the dark side of ambition, such as The Wolf of Wall Street and Succession. Even action films like John Wick 2 explore themes of relentless pursuit.

What this means: The film’s critical and audience acclaim confirms its status as a defining work of the 2000s, with Day-Lewis’s performance as its anchor.

What does “I drink your milkshake” mean in There Will Be Blood?

Context of the scene

• The line is spoken by Daniel Plainview during a confrontation with Eli Sunday, after Plainview reveals he has drained the oil from under Eli’s land through a pipeline — “a long straw” (No Film School).
• Plainview shouts, “I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” as Eli begs to sell his now-worthless land (Collider).

Metaphor for competition and exploitation

• The milkshake metaphor literally explains oil drainage: a neighboring pipeline can suck oil from under your property, rendering it worthless (No Film School).
• Symbolically, it represents the ruthless nature of capitalism: the strong consume the weak without direct confrontation (Screen Rant).

Interpretations by critics and fans

• The “milkshake” refers to oil, and “drinking” symbolizes consumption and dominance (Industrial Scripts).
• The line has become an iconic quote in film history, often cited as the epitome of Plainview’s predatory persona.
• Some readings extend the metaphor to include the loss of innocence and the degradation of faith in the face of greed.

The catch: The metaphor transcends the literal drainage, encapsulating Plainview’s philosophy of total consumption and humiliation.

What disorder does Daniel Plainview have?

Symptoms exhibited by Plainview

• Daniel Plainview displays a lack of empathy, manipulative behavior, and a grandiose sense of self throughout the film.
• He treats his son H.W. as a business tool, abandons him when he becomes deaf, and later lies to him about his parentage.

Possible diagnoses

• Many viewers and critics suggest he has antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy), characterized by a disregard for right and wrong and a lack of remorse (Collider).
• His obsession with oil and power aligns with narcissistic personality disorder, marked by a need for admiration and a sense of entitlement.

Psychiatric analysis from experts and fans

• The film intentionally leaves his condition ambiguous to emphasize his choices rather than a clinical label.
• Paul Thomas Anderson reportedly studied the psychology of real-world oil prospectors to create Plainview’s cold, calculating demeanor (That Final Scene).

The implication: Plainview’s actions stem not from a disorder but from a philosophy of ruthless self-interest. The film suggests that under the right (or wrong) circumstances, an otherwise unremarkable man can become a monster simply by following capitalism’s logic to its end.

Quotes from the film’s key figures

Paul Dano is the weakest actor in SAG.

— Quentin Tarantino, speaking to Variety

There Will Be Blood is a sparse and sprawling epic of early 20th century capitalism.

— Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus (Rotten Tomatoes)

For fans of cinema, the real takeaway is that There Will Be Blood remains as relevant as ever — a brutal mirror held up to the marriage of greed and faith in modern society. The film’s unflinching portrayal of Daniel Plainview’s descent demands full attention from any viewer.

Frequently asked questions

These frequently asked questions highlight the enduring curiosity around the film’s themes and performances.