a lifetime of loneliness

Plainview: Mr. Bankside, I'm not going to waste your time; I'd certainly appreciate it if you didn't waste mine. Now, if you wish to sign with me, we can have a well drilling within ten days, but your lot is further north from the discovery well up here, and so... Well, that means we'll probably have to dig deeper. And if there's as much oil here as I think there is, it'll be harder to reach, but once we find it, we can take it right out. You have to act quickly, because very soon these fields will be dry. Now... I need you to know what you want to do. Now, because of the distance from the discovery well, I'll pay you a smaller royalty than you'd get down there, but I'm prepared to give you a thousand dollar bonus on your lot.

Mr. Bankside: What kind of royalty are you talking about?

Plainview: 1/6th, plus a guarantee to start drilling within ten days. Now, that's something you won't find anywhere else.

[long silence]

Plainview: What age your children, ma'am?

Mrs. Bankside: 10 and 12. Mr. Plainview, a question, sir. Where is your wife?

Plainview: She died in childbirth, Mrs. Bankside, so I... so... Well, it's just me and my son now.

Paul Sunday: Mr. Plainview?

Plainview: Yes?

Paul Sunday: Are you Daniel Plainview?

Plainview: Yes. What can I do for you?

Paul Sunday: You look for oil.

Plainview: That's right.

Paul Sunday: What do you pay for a place that has it?

Plainview: Well, that depends.

Paul Sunday: What does it depend on?

Plainview: On a lot of things.

Paul Sunday: If I told you I knew a place that had oil, where land could be bought cheaply, what do you think that would be worth?

Plainview: Oh, I think that, uh... you should let me know what you know, and, uh, and then we'll try and work something out.

Paul Sunday: Can I sit down?

Plainview: Please.

Paul Sunday: [Paul sits] What church do you belong to?

Plainview: I, um... I enjoy all faiths. I don't belong to one church in particular. I... I like them all. I like everything. Where are you from?

Paul Sunday: That would be telling you. That's what I want to sell you.

Plainview: What are you doing in Signal Hill?

Paul Sunday: We have oil and it seeps through the ground. Do you want to pay me to know where it is...

Plainview: Well, just because there's something on the ground doesn't mean there's anything beneath it.

Paul Sunday: Why did Standard Oil buy up land?

Plainview: Is it in California?

Paul Sunday: Maybe.

Plainview: How much land they buy?

Paul Sunday: I'd like it better if you didn't think I was stupid.