Just finished watching this crazy movie.
Indeed, it is a jaw-dropper.
Each time I've seen it I want to go and buy a mountain bike.
Daniel Plainview is a force in himself.
Of this you are correct, although I do not feel that aspect of his nature has to do with his MBTI type.
I think that amount of greed, wealth, and power can forge even the most well intended of simple people into Machiavellian overlords.
All humans have this capacity - IMHO.
I think he's an INTJ 8w7.
I usually don't guess alot in threads like this, but here I will.
I say ISTJ 8w7.
I agree with you 87.5%
The only reason I say "S" over "N" is because he has extreme mastery of the details requisite to locate the petroleum, building a primoridal trench and transport system to get it to market, and then run the empir with guardian/"SJ" like efficiency and authority.
My brother is an INTJ.
He can program enterprise databases and information systems like a motherfucker, but he can't even keep his household in order.
His main foe in the film, Eli Sunday, vibes as a ESFJ 2w3.
Eli Sunday is fucking douchebag.
I was overjoyed to see him get the piss slapped out of him.
His murder at the end of the film was horrid, and I did not appreciate that.
But, he opened a can of whoop-ass on Daniel Plainview by beating him down in the church in front of "the flock" - and in so doing took away Plainview's honor and dignity in many ways.
Plainview beat the snot out of Eli in a fairly isolated arena as compared to the slapping in the church.
It's one thing to kick a man's ass because he crossed a line that he knew damn well he should not have crossed; it's another to physically punish him IN PUBLIC with clandestine shackles tied around his wrists for the sake of one's EGO.
Eli would have NEVER fucked with Plainview so far as a physical, violent confrontation were concerned if he had no
"power" over Plainview as he did, and that is abuse of power, and essentially holding Plainview ransom, so if Eli accidentally fell down into an oil well and I were near it when it happened, might even piss down the well onto Eli as I extended him a rope to pull himself out.
I cannot stand sissies who try to manipulate and control others.
Such people disgust me.
My thoughts are above.
I like your analysis, BTW.
-Alex