10 Behind-The-Scenes Screw-Ups That Created Iconic Movie Moments
9. There Will Be Blood The Sunday Twins Are Identical Because An Actor Dropped Out
Aside from watching Daniel Day-Lewis oil baron chew the scenery in the way only he can, a major plot thread of Paul Thomas Andersons oil-era opus was watching Paul Danos Eli Sunday be a bit of a tool. As the preacher of the evangelist Church Of The Third Revelation, hes smarmy, obsequious and he finds constant reasons to worm his way into Daniel Plainviews interests.
Of course, as befitting his status as the traditional antagonist, it all comes crashing down in the end, as Daniel reveals to him that the tract of land he was holding as a bailout for a terrible financial situation has suffered DRAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNAAAAAAAGGGGGGEEEEE (Im sorry, I couldnt help myself). Plainview then applies the coup de grace, saying that his brother Paul was the better son, as he sold an oil well to our hero before settling down with a prosperous little field elsewhere.
Now, the revelation that Eli is a failure, especially compared to what seemed like his more impoverished brother Paul is wearing rags when we seem him, a far cry from the more prim Eli is made all the more powerful by the fact both twins are acted by the same person, really hammering home Elis despair.
However as effective as it is, this dramatic device only came about because Paul Sundays original actor Kell ONeill dropped out just before shooting. Thats how good a director Anderson is he can turn anything to his advantage., even something which could potentially derail his masterpiece.