My personal reading of that line is that he said it to hurt his son - sort of the nuclear option to break their relationship irrevocably. The film leaves it open to interpretation and that's mine. Here is a character so consumed by personal ambition and competitiveness that he can't even stand the thought of his own son competing with him. What is it he says earlier in the film? "I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people." Plainview is also a congenital liar, so why should anyone think that he's telling the truth about his son's paternity?miss buenos aires wrote:Weren't you paying attention? He was a bastard in a basket! A BASTARD in a BASKET!Who Shot Sam? wrote:This constant push and pull between personal ambition and loyalty to one's own blood.
His "bastard in a basket" comment if viewed in this light makes his actions toward HW even more horrific. But it's all a matter of interpretation and the film offers no clarity on this point.