Love how his partner is the only one to ask about HW, and as soon as he hears he isn’t okay he runs to check on him - while Daniels just looking at the fire and probably dreaming about all the oil he’s standing on

One of the greatest set pieces in film making history. EVERYTHING about this clip and scene is perfect. PTA is a visionary.

one of the best scenes in this movie, and the music OH GOD the music

When his second in command is more concerned with his son than he is i think is when we see Plainview for who he truly ism

2:14 The music rapidly picking up while Daniel's running always gives me goosebumps, along with it being a single long take without cuts. Expertly shot. This entire set piece is such a marvel to watch.

The film is a true masterpiece but this soundtrack is beyond the definition of masterpiece.

As a teen I saw this film in theaters. This scene in particular has always stuck with me. The manic race towards profits at all costs. The toll of greed.

I love how the oil makes him almost invisible in the darkness, contrasting with his partner who stands out. The former ignores his adoptive son to revel in future gains, while the latter hurried back to help him.

When that tower falls, so does plainview's humanity.

The "No He Isn't." and then the extended, gradual, zoom onto Daniel's face as the sound just blares in though we can still faintly here Greenwood's music in the background. It's like hell has erupted and his soul has officially started to drain from him. Just immaculate film-making. And then in Phantom Thread he's also mad but sensitive and gentle. PTA and DDL bring out the best in each other, I hope they collaborate at least ONE more time. If anyone can get DDL out of retirement, it's Paul. Also that shot of Paul Dano staring at the flames, creeps me the hell out.

One of the most subdued action sequences ever constructed....

This scene doesn’t receive enough attention, hands down one of the greatest scene in cinema history.

John Greenwood is just an unreal composer. His music in this and “The Master” just always have this horrific uncomfortable feeling when played in scenes yet they work so elegantly.

I always felt the rig collapsing was a fantastic metaphor of what was left of Daniels soul collapsing in that moment as well. Masterful scene.

What a f&*ing incredible scene... this is beyond filming.. this is art

5:10 one of the best shots I have ever seen

This is Stanley Kubrick level of filmmaking. True art from PTA 💯

Robert Elswit won the Academy Award simply because of this scene. As much as I love Roger Deakins, Elswit earned this one. Glad to see Deakins win two of his own since.

P.T. Anderson such a big filmmaker at the point this clip works like a short film by itself.

the greatest actor of our generation

5:10 you can see the eye with fire, representing Daniel's hell fury lust for financial gain. This film is brilliant.

A single shot of Day-Lewis carrying H.W. for 45 seconds was one of the first 'wow' moments I remember from the first time I saw this film. DDL, in his 50's, carrying that boy of 100-110 lbs over that terrain for that long for the sake of "the shot" is impressive (the music making it that so much more). Right after he goes out and takes a sledgehammer to the spike and sets it free with one swing. All that more impressive when considering the pyrotechnics going on, that he would only have one real take at it.

The blending of Jonny's music and the official soundtrack is insane

6:39 For me, this shot has the same meaning as the shot of Michael before he kills Solozo in The Godfather

Now that I've been a father of a son I love dearly for a little more than 14 months this scene has taken on new meaning for me. This film is a tragedy. The spectacle of Daniel Plainview's descent into inhumanity is laid bare before us and - for those of us who love the film - we know his fate is sealed from the very first frame. But, in this scene - this tremendous scene - the last shred of spontaneity, the spontaneity of a father doing everything he can to protect the son he loves, is on display. It's the last time I feel hope Daniel may yet not extinguish his humanity; and it's short-lived. I've heard others say he shows his love for HW later in the film, for example, when he brings him back from the school he ships him off to, or when he confesses his abandonment of HW before the church, but I disagree. His ulterior motives are easily discernible in those scenes. In this scene, however, his reaction is guttural, instinctual. He runs to save his son. He cries when he asks him "where it hurts." I'm rooting for Daniel in this scene. I want him to salvage the last shred of decency he has left. But then, the realization hits; the ocean of oil is beneath him! And the last shred of his humanity sinks into it. Fathers, cherish your sons and daughters. Money and greed aren't worth it.

what a stunning piece of cinema

No country for old men is good but....this

7:30 is probably the coolest cinematography I’ve ever seen. The zooming out effect while keeping Daniel as the focus is an amazing effect (to my eye at least). Also the music ending with the explosion is rad!

2007 was a hell of a year. This scene. The "friend-o" scene in No Country for Old Men. Elegy for Dunkirk scene in Atonement.

I can´t describe the cinematic beauty of this movie. It`s beyond words.

I need to see this movie again. It's definitely worth another watch.

90% of reviewers of this movie claim that Daniel only uses HW as a prop ... after all, he says so himself. This scene is one of many that prove otherwise. HW is the only person he loves.

7:00 master class. Great actor

Masterpiece, one of the greatest movies ever.

Very intense scene with great music and one of the most beautiful and inspiring cinematographies. Great work on this modern masterpiece.

That photography kinda evokes films of the 70s. Or maybe, it's just me.

The zoom out shot beginning at 7:30 is one of my favourite ever

Daniel was always painted as a villain, greedy and heartless, which he is to an extent, but the fact that the first thing he did was to run to get HW and to bring him to safety, shows that he indeed did love the boy, in his own way

"Did you see this?!" is the most parental thing to ask when your kid gets hurt.

The main character: so loving and caring of his adopted son. Intimate with his affections and feelings for his well being. Yet a monster to him years later. What a complex character. One of the best filmed scenes ever!

BREATHTAKING. Every time I see this..

The cinematography, soundtrack, acting, and writing combine in this one scene so perfectly. Maybe the best scene in a film filled with great scenes

One of the most remarkable scenes in any movie. Ever. On multiple levels. The music makes it absolutely riveting. And it captures the complexity of Plainview's character: yes, he is a ruthless and driven oilman, and later in the movie we see he is truly a monster, but here he still has some humanity: he cares about the boy, he rushes to save him before anything. DDL is amazing.

Incredible scene From an incredible movie With an incredible actor! This is how you movie people.

This is one of the best runs I've ever seen in the history of cinema. Strength and endurance are amazing. All the time I ask myself an obsessive and painful question: could I run like that for the sake of my beloved son , would I have had the strength not to drop my son and keep my composure? Hell relay!

From a technical standpoint, showing the drilling technology of the day, and the sequence of events in a blowout….absolutely incredible!

This is the climax of the movie, in my opinion. The relationship between Daniel and H.W. is changed forever with H.W's deafness. Daniel has ascended from being just another oil man betting on land to produce, to then being unimaginably successful. It's interesting how this scene on the surface shows so much destruction, but the underlying aftermath of this is Daniel striking it rich and everything afterwards in his business falls in line.

I remember watching this scene when the movie first came out and I was like Wow!! Now that is damn good movie making!! The music, the fire and oil strike, and the fact that Daniel only has 1 heart for 1 person and that's his son. Reminds me of my father when I was a little boy and that's what kept going through my head. Why this movie didnt win Best Director and Picture is beyond me!! This SCENE made the movie!!!

Oppenheimer definitely took inspiration from this even down to the dissonant string score with the percussion stomps to add the tension

I get chills from this scene every time.

Amazing how little the process of snuffing a gusher fire has changed in the past 100+ years. The guys who extinguished the Kuwait oil fires in 1991-92 used drums filled with dynamite carried on cranes but the technique is still exactly the same.

Crazy how far drillings came.

arguably the best piece of American cinematography of all time.

One of my favorite shots in any film is the guy running to the rig. Magnificent.

Everytime the kid says "I Cant hear my voice" tears come out of my eyes...

The long shots help build the Tension, i love that.

Best scene in movie history in my opinion.

This will always remain in my memories as one of the most intense scenes in cinema history personally

The greatest achievement in cinematic history.

"You wanna put out an oil fire, sir? You set off a bigger explosion right next to it. Sucks away the oxygen. Snuffs the flame."

This film from start to finish was an absolute masterpiece.

i watched this film about so many times when it came, it was such a wonderful film. i just can't antmore, it's too depressing. but it remains one of the greatest films i have ever seen.

Masterclass in the art of filmmaking

2007 was an insane year for movies

The music in this film is so anxiety inducing, what an amazing soundtrack.

Yes, this is the greatest scene in Cinema history.

When all those sillhouettes of men in cowboy hats are stood around that fountain of fire in the dark.... Pretty much filmed the birth of america there

I love films like this that not only transport you back in time to another era but also just give you a particular feeling that you don't get from other films, a feeling which can't really be explained. It makes you wish that the film wouldn't end. This is one of those films. Another that always comes to mind is Master and Commander.

If it's not the greatest film scene of the 21st century, then I don't know what is

What a tough decision to make between "There Will be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men." what a year for cinema

Everything about the music choice, camera work and pacing just works masterfully together.

Jonny Greenwood at his best. For some reason it has always been the music that has really stuck out to me about this scene.

Welp, here I am watching this scene again. See you all next month.

Probably the best shot scene of all time

Thank you DDL for this performance and greenwood for the music

"H.W. OK?" That's a full sentence that only requires 4 letters.

I get Goosebumps everytime the music kicks in

The silhouette shot of them watching in awe of the derrick ablaze ought to belong in an art gallery.

There are moments in film your realize damn they got this and nailed it this is one of those scenes.

This was the film that opened my eyes to cinema. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Daniel has been reduced to naked man. He sits bewitched staring at a column of belching, roaring fire, as primitive man did millenia ago, worshipping it, revering it, at once horrified by its power and astounded by its beauty.

I’ve seen this movie twice, and I’m astonished that the filmmakers were able to make a historical drama about an oil prospector digging up oil during the gold rush such an intense and thrilling experience. This set piece is an encapsulation of how this film hooked you from beginning to end, using both real and cinematic elements to create such a great film.

THAT MUSIC!!

I sincerely feel sorry for those who didnt watch this in a movie theatre

The music in this scene though

8:17 Oh that shot is iconic. This whole SCENE is iconic, but this shot in particular

That Jonny Greenwood score is phenomenal.

This sequence alone is better than most filmmakers' entire careers.

Hands down one of the best scenes in film history. Everything about it is just perfect between the camerawork, acting, sound design and music. I might be bias as this is my #1 film ever, but holy hell this scene is a masterpiece in itself.

What guts to have this kind of an odd soundtrack for this movie. Very original.

Every now and then, if I'm watching an excellent movie in the theater, I have this interesting sort of "out of body" experience. The greatness suddenly takes me out of the movie but in a good way - I find myself aware of the moment in time, the fact that I'm lucky enough to be watching what I know will be a classic that's beloved for decades to come, right then and there. It's not a thought of "oh man, this is good", it's a thought of "this is the scene that pushed me into the certainty of knowing that this movie is one of the greats, and I am so happy to be seeing it". For me this was that scene.

When chaos turns into synchronization in music, I'll probably love it.

Jonny Greenwood is just goated

The soundtrack though !!! why isn't anyone talking about it

DDL's tiny little nod at the very end: "Well that's that, let's rebuild and make some money."

This scene + 2001 space Odyssy star gate sequence + good bad and ugly final duel scene + taxi driver mohawk scene + apocalypse now climax scene + blue velvet Frank booth let's hit the road scene meant so much impact on life.

The music in this scene was insane 😭

Oil!!! The Spindletop scene with the gush busting out the works, and the sound of the Earth bellowing underneath. It's like you are actually there. True filmmaking masterpiece!

Fun fact: This entire sequence, once the oil caught fire, was filmed in one attempt. The prop derrick was made of wood and they had nothing to replace it with once it collapsed.

i just watched this movie for the first time a week ago and i have not stopped thinking about it at all ESPECIALLY this scene. truly amazing