The Bowling Alley: "DANIEL PLAINVIEW THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!"

I think him sleeping on the floor is definitely a drunk thing. The first time we see him sleeping on the floor after his injury is while he's having his gold counted (this is probably just due to the difficulty of trying to stand with a broken leg) and the second time is when they come in to tell him that someone was killed. The night before they were celebrating the opening of the well so it makes sense that he drank himself into oblivion and passed out on the floor as a matter of convenience. The reason I don't believe that he gave up the bed for H.W. is because of the way he holds him after he's lost his hearing; the bed is clearly large enough for both of them to sleep relatively comfortably.

As far as him sleeping on the floor. By the end it's just a comfort thing. When he is awoken to be informed about the death of his worker he even says something to the effect of "what about the other bed". He the one they had up for H.W. I'm sure there is symbolism in it, perhaps he is lower than most people, particularly at the end. However it starts because he has only one bed.

Plainview is lying on the floor of the bowling alley so that he can be literally lying in the gutter at the end of the movie. It's a visual gag, and a pretty funny one at that.

TheThirdRevalation17, Daniel actually asks "What about the bit?" (referring to the drill bit) not "bed". It's in the script.

Since alcoholism runs in my family, I can attest to the habit of falling asleep on the floor. It could have started out as a habit picked up during his recovery period for his leg injury, and simply continued because he often got so stinking drunk he couldn't make it into his bed.

My first thought when he drank the clear liquid was "OH MY GOD, he's not drinking more, is he?" but I soon deduced from the way he was drinking that it was water. Drinking causes dehydration, which in turn causes dry mouth. This is especially prominent upon waking up after drinking, as many could attest, I'm sure. It's water, people.

I don't think it was moonshine in the jug. Plainview had no shortage of money, he could swim in Johnnie Walker Black Label and flush his toilet with Armagnac if he so wanted, why bother with ordinary moonshine, no matter how fast it kicks in? And really, even an experienced drunk like Plainview would have gagged chugging it down like that.

A swig of whisky, a gallon of water and a salty snack are the perfect anti-dote to hangover, any college student knows that.

Surely a man of his means would have been able to aquire stuf from Canada. I see no problem with that.

Hey Everybody, Guess Where I Went Tonight!!

All right, 3rd. time viewing observations, in no particular order:

When Henry is eating his soup, there's a big plate of BREAD in front of him.

When he jumps out the boxcar, where the conductor says "Get Out of There," the train is being loaded with barrels of oil.

Baby HW sleeps in a hammock made by tying a piece of canvas with a rope at each end, no sign of civilization or comfort anywhere.

This is what I think I saw on the bowling alley floor: two blankets, including a grey wool one that looks just like the one that DP and HW laid on, on the mess hall table, plate with plank of wood "steak," bottle of ink, box of cigarettes, gold-rimmed glass, copper piss-pot (and I'm still not convinced that's what it was), silver knife, little pieces of food on the floor.

At first, Eli's congregation consists mainly of older women.

As a child, HW looks like there might be a slight resemblance to Daniel.  He does not look glaringly out of place as his son.  Adult HW looks quite a bit like Ailman.

I want Daniel Plainview's china pattern.

ELIdoesnotequalPAUL, I've seen two theories about why HW set off to ignite Henry, I don't really have a preference for either.

One is that HW just sensed something amiss with Henry. He secretly flips through "his" diary and sees an illustration of guns, which might have worried him. What would you think if some total stranger showed up, claimed to be your long lost relative, and you found pictures of guns in his stuff? Maybe that's too rash a judgement, but I think a lot of people would be suspicious, from a common sense standpoint. HW was a smart boy to begin with, sort of a man-child, and I think very perceptive. I can't help but think that because he couldn't hear, he was beginning to rely more on his other senses, mainly his sight, but also perhaps his simple intuition. Some people just give off bad "vibes." A lot of kids seem to pick up on bad intentions and "bad people" more readily and naturally than some adults.

The other theory is that HW can tell his father's love and affection receding following his injury. Plainview is very fickle like that, when people disappoint him in some way (and they often do) he simply drops them instead of forgiving or accepting their faults. HW was jealous of Henry, because he could see his father supplanting his (now deaf) son's presence and company with this new stranger. I can understand the reasoning behind this, but setting someone on fire is just so bizarrely, cruelly violent, I was suprised that HW would attempt such a thing. Who gave him the idea-- "Hey, you have someone you don't like? Set him on fire!"

Maybe he was a little inspired by his father's demolition of the oil derrick: see something that needs to be done away with? Blow it up. Set it on fire. Good idea.

It's reaching and it's on another tangent but I find it hilarious that both times Plainview is sleeping and warned that there's fire around him-- whether in his Little Boston cabin or his mansion later-- he doesn't really wake up automatically, like any sane person would. Maybe it can be seen as a little joke playing on the understanding of Plainview as "evil"-- fire isn't really a big deal when you're the "devil" anyway. Of course, the smart answer is just that he's a total drunk and its hard to wake him up.

Just saw the movie excited and disappointed - through provoking at the least.

As far as I saw there was no instance when Plainview showed HW affection in private.  I think as he stated later in the film - he needed a pretty face to gain buyers.  I think it was all an act especially when you get the flashback after he has told his adult son he is an orphan - the scene goes back to Plainview playing with the little girl and young HW - he pushes the son and then walks away - I always thought he was creepily more interested in the little girl.

As far as the large glass container goes - WATER - he has a hip flask why drink a huge guzzle of whatever people claim it is.  He doesn't drink that crudely in the rest of the film.

I also think HW is jealous of the so-called brother he would not have heard the man's claim of being Plainviews brother because he had lost his hearing and the diary would have lead him to think the man was the brother so he was concerned that Plainviews affections were wavering.

I also agree with the statement about Plainview "setting up camp" in the bowling alley - he obviously prepared himself the steak meal which was a reference to his former life because he could have had a fresh meal made rather than those left-overs.  I think you are all right as far as sleeping on the floor goes.  His whole life he slept on what was available - if he was drunk he made it to the floor - if he was sober and there was a bed available he slept on it.

DP is clearly anguished on the train before he sends HW off to the deaf school. He's affectionate during the quail hunt. I'm sure there are other examples.

Anyway, if DP hates most people, why the hell would he care what they think after he gets what he wants from them? While the pipeline is being built, why does he show affection to HW?  Why would he care what the interpreter and the ditch-diggers think? And clearly he doesn't need to put on a show for Fletcher.

Considering the way people were back then, most of the ditch-diggers would probably have gotten a kick out of seeing DP backhand HW after HW punches him. They would have thought he was putting the boy in his place. But DP doesn't do that. Of course, most turn-of-the-century children wouldn't have dreamed of striking their fathers.