There Will Be Blood
The intersecting life stories of Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday in early twentieth century California is presented. Miner turn oilman Daniel Plainview is a driven man who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He works hard but he also takes advantage of those around him at their expense if need be. His business partner is his son H.W., who in reality he "acquired" when H.W.'s biological single father, who worked on one of Daniel's rigs, got killed in a workplace accident. Daniel is deeply protective of H.W. if only for what H.W. brings to the partnership. Eli Sunday is one in a pair of twins, whose family farm Daniel purchases for the major oil deposit located on it. Eli, the local preacher and a self-proclaimed faith healer, wants the money from the sale of the property to finance his own church. The lives of the two competitive men often clash as Daniel pumps oil off the property and tries to acquire all the surrounding land at bargain prices to be able to build a pipeline to the coast, and as Eli tries to build his own religious empire.
Despite a mid-range budget of $25.0M, There Will Be Blood became a financial success, earning $77.2M worldwide—a 209% return.
2 Oscars. 114 wins & 138 nominations
Roger Ebert
"Anderson has created an epic about greed and power that feels like a novel from another era, with Day-Lewis delivering one of cinema's great performances."Read Full Review
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
There Will Be Blood (2007) reveals meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Paul Thomas Anderson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 38 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 3.1, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Daniel Plainview alone in a dark silver mine shaft, picks at rock in solitude. No dialogue for nearly 15 minutes establishes his isolation, self-reliance, and the brutal physicality of his existence. He is a man who trusts no one and works alone.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Paul Sunday arrives at Daniel's oil field claiming he knows where an "ocean of oil" lies beneath his family's ranch in Little Boston. This unexpected visitor brings news of the opportunity that will define the rest of the film and introduce Daniel to his nemesis Eli Sunday.. At 10% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 104 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, H.W. Announces he's leaving to start his own oil company in Mexico and marrying Mary Sunday. Daniel explodes in rage, revealing H.W. Is not his son but a "bastard in a basket," disowning him completely. Daniel loses the only authentic relationship he had. His empire is complete, but he is utterly alone—the "death" of his capacity for human connection., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 114 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Eli Sunday arrives at Daniel's mansion, desperate and broke. He needs money and offers to sell Daniel the Bandy ranch—the final piece of land Daniel needs. The power dynamic has reversed completely. Daniel now has the opportunity to complete his humiliation of Eli just as Eli once humiliated him., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
There Will Be Blood's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping There Will Be Blood against these established plot points, we can identify how Paul Thomas Anderson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish There Will Be Blood within the drama genre.
Paul Thomas Anderson's Structural Approach
Among the 8 Paul Thomas Anderson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. There Will Be Blood takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Paul Thomas Anderson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Paul Thomas Anderson analyses, see The Master, Licorice Pizza and Boogie Nights.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Daniel Plainview alone in a dark silver mine shaft, picks at rock in solitude. No dialogue for nearly 15 minutes establishes his isolation, self-reliance, and the brutal physicality of his existence. He is a man who trusts no one and works alone.
Theme
Daniel's pitch to townspeople: "I am a family man... There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking." The theme of greed, misanthropy, and false fellowship is stated early as Daniel uses his adopted son H.W. as a prop to appear trustworthy while harboring deep contempt for humanity.
Worldbuilding
Silent prologue establishes Daniel as a lone prospector in 1898. After discovering oil and surviving a mining accident, he adopts orphaned H.W. and builds his oil empire through the early 1900s. We see his methods: self-sufficiency, manipulation, using H.W. as leverage to appear as a "family man" to landowners. His world is one of ambition, distrust, and transactional relationships.
Disruption
Paul Sunday arrives at Daniel's oil field claiming he knows where an "ocean of oil" lies beneath his family's ranch in Little Boston. This unexpected visitor brings news of the opportunity that will define the rest of the film and introduce Daniel to his nemesis Eli Sunday.
Resistance
Daniel investigates the Sunday ranch under the guise of quail hunting. He confirms the oil, negotiates with Abel Sunday, and plans his strategy. He debates whether to trust this opportunity and how to handle the religious community. Daniel meets Eli Sunday, the young preacher, and immediately senses a rival—someone else who craves power and manipulates people.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Eli Sunday demands Daniel acknowledge God and the Church of the Third Revelation during the well dedication. Daniel grudgingly performs a hollow blessing, revealing the central conflict: two false prophets—one of oil, one of God—locked in a battle for dominance. Eli represents the religious hypocrisy that mirrors Daniel's capitalist deception.
Premise
Daniel's drilling operation in Little Boston—the promise of the premise. Wells are drilled, oil flows, money is made. But tragedy strikes when an accident causes a massive fire and leaves H.W. deaf. Daniel coldly sends his son away to a school, prioritizing business over family. Meanwhile, Eli's church grows, feeding off the community's newfound wealth, creating parallel empires of exploitation.
Opposition
Daniel discovers "Henry" is a fraud who killed the real Henry Plainview. In a chilling scene, Daniel murders the imposter and buries him. H.W. returns, now a young man, but their relationship is fractured. To secure a pipeline deal, Daniel is forced to be baptized by Eli in a humiliating public spectacle where he must confess his sins and renounce his abandonment of H.W. Eli extracts his revenge, and Daniel submits, seething with rage.
Collapse
H.W. announces he's leaving to start his own oil company in Mexico and marrying Mary Sunday. Daniel explodes in rage, revealing H.W. is not his son but a "bastard in a basket," disowning him completely. Daniel loses the only authentic relationship he had. His empire is complete, but he is utterly alone—the "death" of his capacity for human connection.
Crisis
Time jump to 1927. Daniel lives in a mansion, wealthy beyond measure but completely isolated. He drinks heavily, bowls alone in his private alley, and is haunted by his choices. The dark night of his soul is his realization that his misanthropy has left him with nothing but money and emptiness.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Eli Sunday arrives at Daniel's mansion, desperate and broke. He needs money and offers to sell Daniel the Bandy ranch—the final piece of land Daniel needs. The power dynamic has reversed completely. Daniel now has the opportunity to complete his humiliation of Eli just as Eli once humiliated him.
Synthesis
Daniel forces Eli to renounce his faith and admit he's a false prophet, just as Daniel was forced to confess during baptism. Daniel reveals he already drained the Bandy land years ago ("I drink your milkshake!"). In a fit of rage, Daniel beats Eli to death with a bowling pin. He has destroyed his mirror, but also destroyed himself—pure corruption arc complete.
Transformation
Daniel sits beside Eli's corpse, exhausted. His butler arrives to find the carnage. Daniel mutters, "I'm finished." He has won everything and lost everything. The transformation is complete—from lonely prospector to wealthy murderer, his misanthropy and greed have consumed him entirely. The final image mirrors the opening: Daniel alone, in darkness.