as part of the arrangement that we made!
Don't even try it, you little runt! You splash around in here.
That's it, that's it.
I'm going to bury you underground, Eli.
I'm going to bury you underground.
You are a stupid man, Abel.
You've let someone come in here and walk all over us.
You let him in and do his work here,
and you are a stupid man for what we could have had.
I followed His word, Eli. I tried.
You didn't do anything but sit down.
You're lazy, and you're stupid.
Do you think God is going to save you for being stupid?
He doesn't save stupid people, Abel.
I will tear you apart for what you've done, you stupid man!
How did he come here? Do you really know? I know!
- Son, don't do this, please! - Be quiet!
Shut your mouth, Abel! It was your stupid son!
It was Paul who told him to come here. I know it.
He went to him and he said,
"My stupid, weak father will give away his lots.
"Go and take him." And you let it happen.
A stupid father to a stupid son.
Get out of there!
Can I help you?
Daniel?
- Who's that? - My name is Henry.
Yeah?
I'm Henry.
What can I do for you?
I'm Henry Plainview. I'm from Fond du Lac.
I'm your brother, from another mother.
Ernest is my father.
Who are you?
Henry.
- Mary Branch? Is that your mother? - Yes, sir, that's right.
I read about your gusher in the paper, about your success.
You heard about my strike? You just show up?
Our father's dead.
Ernest died, I heard. I wanted to find you.
When?
Three months ago. I got a letter from Annabelle.
My sister, Annabelle?
- Where is she? - Still at home. Fond du Lac.
You came all the way from Wisconsin to tell me this?
I'm coming from New Mexico. I've been there.
I came to find you.
Did you know about me?
Do you have identification?
Do you have this letter?
- Where are you coming from? - From New Mexico.
Yes, I know, but from where?
Silver City. I've been there for two years.
I was trying drilling of my own for years.
- Getting leases in Texas. Louisiana. - Anything that produced?
No. Not like your success, no.
- Are you married? - No.
I spent time in jail. I had a stretch of very bad time.
I had nothing. I was picked up in Louisiana.
I worked on a chain gang for six months building roads.
That was a very hard time.
Are you married?
What were you in jail for?
Believe it or not, for all the terrible things I've gotten myself into,
when they picked me up, I hadn't done anything.
But I've done my share of things
that shouldn't be talked about.
Drink it. Drink it!
Come on.
So...
What do you want, Henry?
Nothing.
If you can spare something, I can work for you in any way.
I know I'll keep moving, before long, to get back to Fond du Lac.
- Do you have any money? - Some.
- Not much. - Just answer me directly.
You say "nothing," then you say you'd like to stay and work.
And it's better, I'd just like to hear you say you'd like to be here.
I'd like to be here.
I'm a good worker. I worked cable tool rigs, built railroads.
I won't need any favors.
Good.
What did my mother know?
I don't know.
I don't know if she knew and looked the other way, if she never knew.
Why did you leave?
I know you didn't get on with our father.
I worked for Geological Survey and went to Kansas.
I couldn't stay there. I just couldn't.
I don't like to explain myself.
- Are you an angry man, Henry? - About what?
Are you envious? Do you get envious?
I don't think so, no.
I have a competition in me.
I want no one else to succeed.
- I hate most people. - That part of me is gone.
Working and not succeeding,
all my failures have left me...
I just don't care.
Well, if it's in me, it's in you.
There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking.
I want to earn enough money I can get away from everyone.
What will you do about your boy?
I don't know.
Maybe it'll change.
Does your sound come back to you? I don't know. Maybe no one knows that.
- Doctor might not know that. - Where's his mother?
I don't want to talk about those things.
I see the worst in people, Henry.
I don't need to look past seeing them to get all I need.
I've built up my hatreds over the years, little by little.
Having you here gives me a second breath of life.
I can't keep doing this on my own
with these people.
Daniel! Daniel, wake up! Daniel!
Just have to go and have a word with the conductor.
I'll be right back.
You stay here. You understand? You stay here.
I'll be right back.
No! No!
No!
- Tilford! - Plainview.
This is my brother, Henry Plainview from Fond du Lac.
H.M. Tilford. Pleasure.
Henry Plainview. J.J. Carter.
So...
- Shall we? - Yes.
How's your boy?
- Thank you for asking. - Is there anything we can do?
Thanks for asking is enough.
So what are your plans?
Is this about buying up my tracts here?
Yes.
The cable was about my Coyote Hills lease.
- We'd like that, too. - What's your offer on Coyote Hills?
- We'll offer 150,000 for full title. - That's a deal. What's next?
You have 11,000 acres in Little Boston. You have one proven well
- that was damaged... - I have three wells proven.
You haven't been paying attention. That's three proven wells.
We'll make you a millionaire while you're sitting here
from one minute to the next.
And what else would I do with myself?
- Are you asking me? - What else would I do with myself?
Take care of your son.
I don't know what you would do.
If you were me and Standard offered to buy what you had
for a million dollars, why? So, why?
You know why.
Yeah, you fellas should just scratch around in the dirt
and find it like the rest of us, instead of buying up someone else's hard work.
I've scratched around the dirt, son.
You going to change your shipping costs?
We don't dictate shipping costs. That's railroad business.
You don't own the railroads?
'Course you do. Of course you do.
Where you going to put it all?
Where?
Build a pipeline? Make a deal with Union Oil? Be my guest.
But if you can't pull it off,
you've got an ocean of oil under your feet with nowhere to go.
Why not turn it over to us? We'll make you rich.
You spend time with your boy.
It's a great discovery.
Now, let us help you.
Did you just tell me how to run my family?
It might be more important now that you've proven the field
and we're offering to buy you out.
One night I'm going to come to you, inside of your house,
or wherever you're sleeping, and I'm going to cut your throat.
What?
What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy?
- Did you hear what I said? - I heard what you said,
- why did you say it? - You don't tell me about my son.
Why are you acting insane and threatening to cut my throat?
- You don't tell me about my son. - I'm not telling you anything!
I'm asking you to be reasonable. If I've offended you, I apologize.
You'll see what I can do.
This parcel here is the 3,000-acre ranch owned by B.L. Harper.
This is San Luis Obispo County land.
And from here to the coast, it's all Union Oil.
What's this? Why don't I own this?
- Why don't I own this? - That's the Bandy tract.
He was the holdout, when we were doing the buying.
He had hoped to speak with you.
Can't you just build the pipeline around this tract?
Can I build around 50 miles of Tehachapi mountains?
Don't be thick in front of me, Al.
- I can go to him again. - No, I'll go and talk to the man.
I'll talk to him. Show you how it's done.
All right. Pack it up, Henry.
- How big is his room? - He's sharing with another boy.
- Who? - An older boy. About 12.
He's been there for a year. Named Ballard.
- How big is the room? - It's a fair size. Got enough space.
Are you taking Henry with you to meet Union Oil?
- Are you the son of William Bandy? - Grandson.
- Is he here? - No, he's out.
Where is he?
Told you, he's out. Now, what do you want?
I'm Daniel Plainview. I want to talk with him about his property.
- About what? - I believe I'll talk with him about that.
- You're that oilman, aren't you? - That's right.
We don't want you drilling out here.
I don't want it either. Now, when will he be back?
Few days.
Tell him I'd like to speak with him. Not about drilling.
And I'll be back in a week.
Put that in a glass case.
Here's to Union Oil.
Hundred miles of pipeline,
and all the independent producers of this great state.
Cheers.
There's that house in Fond du Lac
that John Hollister built. Do you remember it?
I thought as a boy that was the most beautiful house I'd ever seen,
and I wanted it.
I wanted to live in it.
And eat in it.
And clean it.
And even as a boy, I wanted to have children to run around in it.
You can have anything you'd like now, Daniel.
And you should.
- Where are you going to build it? - Here, maybe. Near the ocean.
Would you make it look like that house?
I think if I saw that house now, it'd make me sick.
We can eat and get some women.
Take them to the Peachtree dance.
I say get liquored up and take them to the Peachtree dance.
Yeah.
Can I have some money, please?
I want you to tell me something.
What?
What's the name of the farm next to the Hill House?
What was the name of the farm next to the Hill House?
- I can't remember... - Who are you?
I'll leave, Daniel.
Who are you?
I'm no one.
Just let me get up and go.
Do I have a brother?
I met a man in King City who said he was your brother.
We were friends for months.
Working in King City.
And he wanted to make his way to you, Daniel.
We didn't have any money.
He died of tuberculosis.
He wasn't harmed.
Wasn't killed, nothing bad.
But he told me about you,
and I just took his story,
used his diary.
Daniel.
Daniel, I'm your friend.
I'm not trying to hurt you.
Never.
Just survive.
No!
Who is it?
I'm Bandy.
Yes. Yes.
William Bandy.
Yeah, I'd like to lease your land.
I had asked for you to come and talk to me before.
When you were leasing land.
That's right, yes.
My boy's been very sick, you know.
This was before your boy got sick.
Now, I know that you would like to build a pipeline
through my property.
- Is that right, what I've heard? - It's absolutely right. And,
well...
Eight inch pipe. It could be buried with your consent.
I guarantee you absolutely no disruption...
God.
God has told me what you must do.
And what is that?
You should be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.
But I am.
I have been washed, Mr. Bandy. I have been.
It's your only way to salvation. And your only way for what you want.
You can take it at the Church of the Third Revelation.
I'll pay you $3,000.
I'd like you to be part of our church.
I'll pay you $5,000.
Be baptized.
Be forgiven for the sin that you've done.
What sin are you referring to, Mr. Bandy?
My sin of drilling?
I truly wish everyone could be saved, don't you?
Yes.
I am afraid that's just not the case.
The doctrine of universal salvation is a lie, is it not?
- It's a lie. - It's a lie.
I wish everyone could be saved, but they won't. No, they won't.
You will never be saved if you...
Reject the blood.
Good.
Now, is there a sinner here looking for salvation?
A new member?
I'll ask it again.
Is there a sinner here looking for God?
Yes.
Allow me.
Thank you for coming, brother Daniel.
Thank you, Eli.
We have a sinner with us here who wishes for salvation!
- Daniel, are you a sinner? - Yes.
The Lord can't hear you, Daniel.
Say it to him. Go ahead and speak to him. It's all right.
- Yes. - Down on your knees.
Pray to him.
Look up to the sky and say it.
What do you want me to say?
Daniel, you've come here and you've brought good and wealth,
but you have also brought your bad habits as a backslider.
You've lusted after women, and you have abandoned your child.
Your child, that you raised, you have abandoned
all because he was sick and you have sinned.
So say it now. I am a sinner.
- I am a sinner. - Say it louder.
- I am a sinner. - I am a sinner.
Louder, Daniel! I am a sinner!
- I am a sinner. - I am sorry, Lord.
- I want the blood.
- You have abandoned your child.
I have abandoned my child.
- I will never backslide. - I will never backslide.
I was lost, but now I am found.
- I was lost, but now I'm found. - I have abandoned my child.
Say it. Say it.
- I abandoned my child. - Say it louder. Say it louder!
I've abandoned my child!
I've abandoned my boy!
Now beg for the blood!
Just give me the blood, Eli. Let me get out of here.
Give me the blood, Lord, and let me get away!
Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
- Yes, I do. - Get out of here, devil!
Out, devil! Out, sin!
- Let me feel the power of the Lord, Eli. - Do you accept
the Church of the Third Revelation as your spiritual guide?
- Get out of here, ghost! - Where is your Lord, Eli?
- Get out! Go back where you belong! - Where is he? There he is!
Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior?
Yes, I do.
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood
Power in the blood
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's a pipeline.
There's wonderful power in the blood
There is power, power wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
Praise the Lord!
Welcome to the fold, brother Plainview.
Welcome, brother Daniel. God bless you.
- Hallelujah. - Amen.
Welcome home, brother.
That's enough. That's enough, now.
He must take the spirit in on his own.
We have a new member.
- Yes, brother. - Hallelujah.
- Amen.
- My sweet Mary. - Mr. Plainview has been generous
enough to make a $5,000 donation
to the church which we are still waiting for.
That does me good. That does me good.
Welcome home, son.
This here's George Reynolds. Teacher from the deaf school.
- Mr. Plainview. - Fletcher.
You're too heavy for me.
Do you want to get something to eat?
That's the pipeline, see? All the way to the sea.
Come here.
I love you, son.
Let's take a look at you.
All right. That's it, that's it. That's it.
Let's get some decent food inside of you.
That's all we need here is a good, strong, expensive meal.
You hungry?
- Waiter? - Yes, sir.
Two steaks, a whiskey, and water for him.
- And goat's milk. - Very good, sir.
We're going to have this teacher help you.
He's going to help take care of all of this. Understand?
'Cause I need you. Need your help.
Got everything we need now to build this company. Come here.
Good afternoon.
- How are you doing? - It's nice to see you again.
- We need four. - I'll have them right up.
- Good afternoon, Daniel. - Tilford.
Good afternoon.
- Hello! H.M. Tilford! - You don't have to shout.
Pleasure.
It's good to be in Little B.
- Could use some rain out here. - Yeah, we could.
- There we go. - R.J., how's the London broil?
Believe we ordered these drinks before those people.
- R.J., tell us. How's the London broil? - Excuse me, gentlemen. Sorry.
I am sorry about that, sir. I'll have your steaks right out.
- So that green turtle soup is fantastic. - Is it?
It's delicious.
Sounds good to me.
So Standard offered us a million dollars for the Little Boston leases.
I told H.M. Tilford where he could shove that.
And we made a deal with Union! On the pipeline!
And that whole ocean of oil underneath our fields.
...$150,000. - Yes.
We needed the money to drill.
- Who is this guy? - I go out to meet him.
He's getting oil on the property. We're trying to make a claim on it.
Offered him a million dollars.
- Turned us down flat. - Well, I'm hungry.
Orange fritters, mashed potatoes, green peas.
- All the way around? - All right.
Hold on.
I want you to look over there.
- Daniel, let me introduce... - Look over there. You see?
That's my son. See him?
- Yes. - Do you see?
I see him.
You don't tell me how to raise my family.
I told you not to tell me how to raise my family.
Daniel...
So what do you see?
- I'm very happy for you that the deal... - Yes, I made a deal with Union.
- My son is happy. He's safe. - Congratulations.
- I'm taking care of him now, so... - Excellent.
You look like a fool, don't you, Tilford?
- Yes. - Yes.
Yes, you do.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
Excuse him, gentlemen.
I told you what I was going to do.
My son.
Mr. Sunday, I understand that you're leaving our fair community.
- Yes, I'm going on a mission. - Where you going?
Oildale, Taft, and then on to Bakersfield.
Well, I want you to know...
Three quarters of an hour.
...you done a great job for us.
- Thank you. You will be in my prayers. - I thank you very much.
Union Oil Company, Santa Paula, California.
"The woman saith unto him, 'Sir, give me this water
"'and I shall thirst not, neither come hither to draw."'
Come in, come in.
Can we be alone?
This is my closest associate. He hears everything.
- I'd prefer to speak to you in private. - You can't speak.
So why don't you flap your hands about
and have what's-his-name tell me where you've been.
Or do you think I don't know?
This is hard for me to say.
I'll tell you first, I love you very much.
I've learned to love what I do because of you.
I'm leaving here.
I'm going to Mexico.
I'm taking Mary, and I'm going to Mexico.
I miss working outside.
I miss the fields.
It'll only be for a time,
for me to do my own drilling
and start my own company.
It's time to make a change.
This makes you my competitor.
- No. No, it's not like that. - It is like that, boy.
Your own company, huh?
That's right.
In Mexico?
Yes.
You are making such a misstep. So, what are you doing?
I know you and I have disagreed over many things.
I'd rather keep you as my father than my partner.
Then say it.
If you've got something to say to me, then say it.
I'd like to hear you speak instead of your little dog.
I'm going to Mexico with my wife.
I'm going away from you.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
Killing us with what you're doing.
You're killing my image of you as my son.
You are stubborn. You won't listen.
You're not my son.
Please don't say that. I know you don't mean it.
It's the truth. You're not my son. You never have been.
You're an orphan!
Did you ever hear that word?
Tell him what I said.
You operated here today like one.
I should have seen this coming.
I should have known that, under this all, these past years
you've been building new hate for me, piece by piece.
I don't even know who you are because you have none of me in you.
You're someone else's.
This anger. Your maliciousness.
Backwards dealings with me.
You're an orphan from a basket in the middle of the desert.
And I took you for no other reason than I needed a sweet face to buy land.
Did you get that?
So now you know.
Look at me! You're lower than a bastard.
You have none of me in you. You're just a bastard from a basket.
I thank God I have none of you in me.
Not my son. Just a little piece of competition.
Bastard from a basket.
Bastard from a basket!
You're a bastard from a basket!
Get up, Mr. Daniel.
Mr. Daniel.
Mr. Daniel, you've got a visitor.
Wake up, Mr. Daniel.
Sir?
You can leave us now.
Daniel.
Daniel Plainview, the house is on fire!
Brother Daniel, it's Eli.
Yes, it is. Yes, it is.
I'll make us a drink.
Your home is a miracle.
It's beautiful.
God bless it.
I've been spreading His word far and wide.
Far and wide.
So much travel for Him.
I've been working in radio.
Yes, so much... So much has been happening.
To be here and find you and see you well is wonderful.
And we have a chance to catch up.
No. Thank you so much.
My brother.
Daniel, my brother by marriage.
We're such old friends. So much time.
Things go up, things go down,
but at least the Lord is always around.
We've seen ups and downs, haven't we?
Are things down for you right now, Eli?
No. No.
But I do come with some sad news.
Perhaps you remember Mr. Bandy?
Mr. Bandy has passed on to the Lord.
He lived to be 99 years old, God bless him.
Mr. Bandy has a grandson. Have you met his grandson, William?
William Bandy is one of the finest members we have
at the Church of the Third Revelation.
He's eager to come to Hollywood to be in movies.
He is very good-Iooking.
- And I do think he will have success. - That's wonderful.
Would you like me to speak with him?
Daniel, I'm asking if you'd like to have business
with the Church of the Third Revelation
in developing this lease on young Bandy's 1,000-acre tract.
I'm offering you to drill
on one of the great undeveloped fields of Little Boston.
- I'd be happy to work with you. - You would?
Yes, yes, of course. That's wonderful.
But there is one condition for this work.
All right.
I'd like you to tell me that you are a false prophet.
I'd like you to tell me that you are, and have been a false prophet.
And that God is a superstition.
But that's a lie.
It's a lie. I cannot say it.
- When can we begin to drill? - Very soon.
How long will it take to bring in the well?
It shouldn't take long.
I would like a $100,000 signing bonus,
plus the five that is owed to me with interest.
That's only fair.
I am a false prophet, and God is a superstition.
If that's what you believe, then I will say it.
- Say it like you mean it. - Daniel.
Say it like it's your sermon.
Don't smile.
I am a false prophet.
- God is a superstition. - Why don't you stand up?
Put your glass down.
I am a false prophet.
- God is a superstition. - Eli, stop.
Just imagine this is your church here and you have a full congregation, so...
I am a false prophet. God is a superstition.
Say it again.
I am a false prophet. God is a superstition.
They can't hear you at the back.
I am a false prophet. God is a superstition.
Say it again.
I am a false prophet! God is a superstition!
Say it again.
I am a false prophet! God is a superstition!
Those areas have been drilled.
What?
Those areas, they've been drilled.
- No, they haven't. - Yes, it's...
It's called drainage, Eli.
See, I own everything around it, so, of course, I get what's underneath it.
But there are no derricks there.
This is the Bandy tract. Do you understand?
Do you understand, Eli?
That's more to the point. Do you understand?
I drink your water. I drink it up every day.
I drink the blood of Lamb from Bandy's tract.
You can sit down again.
Daniel.
Please.
- I am in desperate times. - I know.
- I need a friend. - Yes. Of course, you do.
I've sinned.
I need help. I'm a sinner.
I've let the devil grab hold of me in ways I never imagined.
I'm so full of sin.
The Lord sometimes challenges us, doesn't He, Eli?
- Yes, He does, Daniel. - Yes, He does.
Yes, He does!
He's completely failed to alert me to the recent panic in our economy.
- And this... - Oh, dear.
I must have this, Daniel. I must, I must, I must have this.
My investments have...
Daniel, I won't bore you, but if I could grab the Lord's hand for help I would,
but He does these things all the time.
These mysteries that He presents, and while we wait...
While we wait for His word!
Because you're not the chosen brother, Eli.
'Twas Paul who was chosen.
He found me and told me about your land. You're just a fool.
- Why are you talking about Paul? - I did what your brother couldn't.
- Don't say this to me. - I broke you and I beat you.
It was Paul told me about you.
He's the prophet. He's the smart one. He knew what was there
and he found me to take it out of the ground.
Know what the funny thing is? Listen, listen.
I paid him $10,000 cash in hand. Just like that.
He has his own company now. Prosperous little business.
Three wells producing, $5,000 a week.
Stop crying, you sniveling ass. Stop your nonsense.
- You're just the afterbirth, Eli. - No.
That slithered out on your mother's filth.
No.
They should've put you in a glass jar on the mantelpiece.
Where were you when Paul was suckling at his mother's teat?
Where were you?
Who was nursing you, poor Eli? One of Bandy's sows?
That land has been had. Nothing you can do about it. It's gone.
- Lf you would just take this lease... - You lose.
Drainage!
Drainage, Eli, you boy.
Drained dry. I'm so sorry.
If you have a milkshake
and I have a milkshake,
and I have a straw, there it is. That's the straw, you see?
Watch it.
Now my straw reaches across the room
and starts to drink your milkshake.
I drink your milkshake!
- I drink it up! - Don't bully me, Daniel.
Did you think your song and dance and your superstition would help you, Eli?
I am the Third Revelation. I am who the Lord has chosen.
- Daniel! - Because I'm smarter than you!
I'm older!
I'm your old friend, Daniel!
- I'm not a false prophet... - Help me! Help me!
...you sniveling boy!
I am the Third Revelation! I am the Third Revelation!
- I told you I would eat you. - We're family!
- I told you I would eat you up! - We're brothers! We're brothers!
Daniel, please forgive me. I beg you.
That's it. That's it.
Mr. Daniel?
I'm finished.