
The first time you see Daniel, he is mining in a dark and claustrophobic shaft. While this is an obvious comment that Daniel is an extremely hard worker, it's also a rather drab form of foreshadowing. Daniel Plainview, throughout the film, is digging himself into a hole. Anderson lets you know right from the start that (a) he will not stop until he is finished what he has set out to do (more on that further into the scene) and (b) that his story will not end on a bright note. In fact, Paul does not want to obscure that fact. The title of the movie is "There Will Be Blood".