"There will be greed. There will be vengeance."
There Will Be Blood - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!
— Daniel Plainview
Context:
In the final scene, Eli, desperate for money, tries to sell Daniel the drilling rights to the last untouched parcel of land in Little Boston. Daniel toys with him before revealing that the land is worthless because he has already drained the oil through surrounding wells. He screams the line while chasing a broken Eli around his private bowling alley, just before murdering him.
Meaning:
This iconic line is the culmination of Daniel's victory over Eli. The milkshake is a metaphor for oil drainage, symbolizing how Daniel has surreptitiously taken all the oil—the source of wealth and power—from under Eli's feet. It's a declaration of absolute, humiliating dominance, signifying that Daniel has not just won, but has consumed his rival entirely.
I'm finished.
— Daniel Plainview
Context:
Daniel utters this line to his butler after having just bludgeoned Eli Sunday to death with a bowling pin. He is sitting on the floor of his bowling alley, beside the corpse of his lifelong adversary, in his vast, empty mansion. The line is delivered with a sense of finality and exhaustion.
Meaning:
This is the final line of the film, and it is deeply ambiguous. It can be interpreted as Daniel declaring that his destructive work is done—he has vanquished his final enemy. Alternatively, it can mean that he himself is spiritually and morally finished, having achieved everything he ever wanted only to find himself empty and at the end of his journey with nothing left to strive for.
I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people.
— Daniel Plainview
Context:
Daniel says this to the man impersonating his half-brother, Henry, during a moment of supposed intimacy and confession. He is explaining why he is the way he is, admitting to his own deep-seated envy and contempt for humanity, which he believes separates him from others.
Meaning:
This is a rare moment of stark self-awareness from Daniel, where he plainly states his misanthropic and competitive philosophy. It encapsulates his entire worldview: life is a zero-sum game, and his purpose is not just to win, but to ensure everyone else loses. It reveals the deep-seated hatred that fuels his ambition.
I am the third revelation!
— Daniel Plainview
Context:
Daniel screams this line maniacally at Eli during their final confrontation in the bowling alley. He is mocking Eli's faith and asserting his own dominance, effectively declaring that his power (derived from oil and money) has superseded Eli's (derived from a false spirituality).
Meaning:
By shouting this, Daniel usurps Eli's religious authority. Earlier, Eli claimed to be the vessel of the 'third revelation.' For Daniel to scream it while terrorizing Eli signifies his belief that he has become the true prophet of the new American religion: capitalism. In this new world order, wealth and power, not God, are the ultimate forces, and Daniel is their messenger.