Question re: There Will be Blood (spoilers)

was mr. plainview's lack of sanity not clearly enough on display for you before that scene?

hell, he had nearly beaten him to death once already and then told him in no uncertian terms that he was going to kill him one day.

It was my first time watching the movie. I knew he was pretty much a crazy alcoholic at the end of the movie but I didn't know if there was another reason why he did it.

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I didn't know if there was another reason why he did it.

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well he also hated religion

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Why did DDL's character kill the preacher at the end of the movie with the bowling pin?

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If you pay attention to the themes of the movie, you will be able to figure this out.

Daniel is the embodiement of corrupt capitalism. In the end, he degrades and makes Eli grovel. Eli is the embodiement of religion, a false prophet, a charlatan.

Daniel humiliates him in the end, completely subjugates him, and then finishes him off. Capitalism and greed wins.

I'm finished.

Keep in mind it's based on a Sinclair Lewis book, and Lewis wrote several books disparaging religion and false prophets - Elmer Gantry being the most famous. DDL's character didn't like religion, but in order for his oil business to flourish there he had to succumb to the preacher's pressure to be saved. He resented for it, and hated him. So in the climax, he forced the preacher to come clean that he was a fraud, then killed him.

He got tired of Eli's shite and since he had already drank his milkshake there was no need to keep him around anymore.

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Sinclair Lewis

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Upton Sinclair

I finally woke up when I heard someone getting bludgeoned

The theme was religion is veiled capitalism competing using the same rules and morally questionable practices used in big business.

In his defense: If forced to let Paul Dano slap & scream at me in front of people for 3 minutes, I'd also wait patiently for the right moment and one day kill him.