Well crafted movie with no plot. The lead character is a one dimensional evildoer who simply gets worse and worse

Rating: 1/10 (4 February 2008)

This movie is a tedious bore. The main character, oil wildcatter Daniel Plainview, is a callous guy when we first meet him. His only hint of complexity is his relationship toward his son, but this possible redemptive aspect soon dissipates.
Plainview cheats people out of their land, strikes oil, gets rich, and matures into an overt villain who simply gets worse and worse for another two tiresome hours. Plainview is devoid of redeeming characteristics. He is a repellent character who goes from mean to meaner to monster.
I am astounded that anyone enjoyed this movie. Are its admirers simply upset because they are paying $3 a gallon for gasoline? Do they hate Exxon/Mobil? Or do they think Daniel Plainview is a representative prototype of the entire race of evil, morally bankrupt and greedy oil company fiends? It's okay to think that oil men are terrible, but this is no justification for making a pointless, flat movie.