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Originally Posted by wisehandpoker
I'd say Plainview was insane all along, but his success replaced the need to hide that fact. I'd also say that while i never saw the ending coming, no other ending could have been as satisfying for me.
Agreed. I think throughout the movie he is hiding his true nature, or at least trying to, except for the beginning and the end. While mining for silver in the beginning, he can be himself because no one is around and because he needs all his strength and will to crawl back with that broken leg. In the bowling alley, he can be himself because **** it, he's going to kill Eli anyway.
That may be one reason that he killed the fake brother, too. He told him the speech about competition and 'these people,' and that was fine when the guy was his brother, but he can't have some rando walking around who knows what's in Daniel's heart. (I'm not saying Daniel decided this all consciously, it's just the way he feels.)