There Will Be Blood : Great movie but didn't like the end

Great movie but didn't like the end

Just watched this for the first time. Wow. Great movie, no doubt...But didn't like the end.

Anyone else have the same opinion?

What are some insights on the meaning of the ending?

I thought the end could have been better. It was such an epic movie and deserved an epic ending, but felt like it ended abruptly and somewhat meaninglessly for a film that seemingly had displayed so much more throughout...

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

I could see how the ending might feel that way to some but I took it as an appropriate ending.
Daniel's character was mostly focused on himself and simply getting everything he wanted. This still makes him an enjoyable character that I rooted for even with his wrong doings. Eli was a constant thread in his storyline, from the beginning of selling the land through to Daniels success and personal slope the two were constant emenies.
Both characters sneaked and lied to get what they wanted at times and to even get at each other. The biggest conflict between them was the selling of the land and Eli just wouldn't let it go. At the end when Daniel tells Eli that he will make a deal with him if he says he is a false prophet and denounces god it's and exact mimic of when Eli forced Daniel to stand up in front of the church.
In the end Daniel got all he wanted and when Eli came back to give him a hard time again that was the final straw for Daniel (no pun intended). By killing Eli he was finally ending the on going battle between the two. And by saying I'm done at the last moment it's almost like he's referring to being done with Eli and in a way it feels like he might also mean he's done with his pursuits and ladder climbing. He has everything he wanted and still ends up alone and drunk and not appearing very happy or fulfilled. Even though we don't see what happens after that moment I think it's meant for the viewer to imagine or decide what would be next for Daniel. This is just my take on I'm sure there are others who see another take on this.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

I loved the ending, it was only fitting it end that way, no happily ever afters for this movie character. I only wish he could pounded on that fake judas Jimmy swaggert type fake ass Christian some more.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

The ending sucked compared to the first two hours. Him using the son is arguably a huge plot hole because he showed genuine strong emotion for the boy in a way that only a father could. It didn't even match the story that they turned it into that "twist". That was the first part that was a disappointment and a let down.

The second let down was the "abrupt" ending. After an epic experience, it didn't fit and was a huge disappointment. They could have gone with a great cinematic score and cinematographic fade out at the least, and at the most they could of at least had a slight extension showing more of Plainview beyond that moment doing anything beyond that one action. The movie was close to three hours; a few more minutes isn't going to matter. But the bottom line is it just didn't fit the two and a half hours that came before and felt extremely lazy in comparison. The ending was not good at all, not even close.

I don't really care. Great movie, but the ending sucked. 7/10, all 3 points come off because of the poorly executed final 20-30 minutes.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

Sounds like you have only seen the movie once and very recently, at that.

Give it another try.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end


Him using the son is arguably a huge plot hole because he showed genuine strong emotion for the boy in a way that only a father could.


These are just words. He's too proud and stubborn to admit to any serious emotional attachment - even to himself.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

I agree with you after my initial viewing. The final scene seemed like a real departure in tone from the amazingly well constructed previous acts. It almost seemed... slapstick?

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end


What are some insights on the meaning of the ending?

What do you mean by that? DANIEL hated ELI so he killed him. I think it was very clear.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

I think it's one of the most classic scenes in film. The acting is spectacular by both gentlemen involved.
It ties the movie up in a bloody little bow, like the title promises. It's not a hard puzzle to figure out.
Watch the movie again.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

Exactly Bob! "There will be blood" begins in the beginning, and continues throughout the film until the ending.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

The ending itself is epic! It's perfect! Intellect over superstition!

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

Typical atheist. Siding with a murderer.

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

It's perfectly executed imo.

"You're not a standup guy today, Pat!"

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

In my view, the whole movie was a depiction of the struggle between greed (as represented by Daniel) and religion (as represented by Eli) in the U.S. In the end, greed wins out (and I think in part it does because Eli is also greedy and corrupted - i.e., he's a hypocrite, which is typical of a great many so-called "religious" folk, including priests and pastors). Greed prevails, and in the process destroys everything despite the fact that Daniel becomes fabulously wealthy (Eli dies a brutal death, H.W. completely repudiates Daniel, etc.).

Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

Someone had an interesting theory that the ending is a fantasy in Daniel's head. Don't know what PTA has said, but it kind of makes sense. The scene fades in from Daniel in a drunken stupor after disowning H.W. Eli looks exactly the same as he did when Daniel last saw him despite the 15+ year gap. The butler has zero reaction to a dead body on the floor. And obviously getting Eli to blaspheme before killing him is something Daniel would fantasize about anyway.

Then some other things don't add up, though they may be me misunderstanding or forgetting things. Eli is still asking for the $5000, even though it seemed like Daniel paid it along with the baptism for the pipeline. Then everything Daniel says about Paul is odd (like how he paid Paul $10,000 even though Paul only asked for $600).

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Re: Great movie but didn't like the end

This movie didn't SAY anything to me and it felt like a movie with a message whether it was about morals, about love, or about politics. This movie didn't really set out to make me feel anything other than watch Daniel Plainview get rich. I did enjoy watching the process of him ascertaining wealth and vesting his competitors though. In the end, this movie to me was like watching a sporting match or a game.

I don't get why people compare this to No Country for Old Men, which to me spoke a lot about the human condition and mortality than TWBB did, but that's just my opinion.
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