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Quentin Tarantino Is Wrong: 5 Reasons Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday In ‘There Will Be Blood’ Is A Masterpiece

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In the pantheon of modern cinematic villains, few figures are as unsettling and memorable as Eli Sunday, the fiery young preacher from Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 epic, There Will Be Blood. The character’s intense, almost frantic religious fervor and his bitter rivalry with oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) form the dark, beating heart of the film. However, the performance by actor Paul Dano has recently been thrust back into the spotlight—not for praise, but for a scathing critique from legendary director Quentin Tarantino, who called Dano's work "weak sauce" on a recent podcast, sparking a fervent industry-wide debate in late 2025.

This controversy demands a fresh look at Dano’s extraordinary, last-minute casting and his nuanced portrayal of twin brothers Eli and Paul Sunday. Considering the immense pressure, the dual role, and the on-screen sparring with a Method Acting titan, Dano’s performance is not a flaw, but a masterstroke of casting and a testament to his unique acting style, earning him a BAFTA Award nomination and securing the film’s status as a modern classic.

Paul Dano: Biography and Career Profile

Paul Dano is an American actor, director, writer, producer, and musician known for taking on complex, often unsettling roles in both independent films and major blockbusters. His career is marked by a consistent collaboration with world-class directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Steven Spielberg, and Bong Joon-ho.

  • Full Name: Paul Franklin Dano
  • Born: June 19, 1984
  • Birth Place: New York, New York, U.S.
  • Age (as of December 2025): 41 years old
  • Career Highlights:
    • Made his Broadway debut at age 12.
    • Received critical acclaim for his supporting role in Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
    • Gained international recognition for his dual role in There Will Be Blood (2007).
    • Starred in films like Prisoners (2013), Love & Mercy (2014) (Golden Globe nomination), The Fabelmans (2022), and as The Riddler in The Batman (2022).
    • Made his directorial debut with the film Wildlife (2018).
    • Upcoming projects include the psychological thriller Bunker and an untitled comedy he is set to write and direct.
  • Key Awards/Nominations for There Will Be Blood: BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The Crisis Casting: How Paul Dano Became Eli Sunday in Four Days

The story behind Paul Dano’s casting as Eli Sunday is as dramatic as the film itself, adding a layer of legend to his performance. Dano was initially cast in the minor role of Paul Sunday, the twin brother who sells the oil lease to Daniel Plainview in the film's opening scene.

However, two weeks into filming, Paul Thomas Anderson was forced to recast the actor playing Eli Sunday, the main antagonist. In a moment of creative crisis, Anderson asked Dano to step into the much larger, more demanding role of the charismatic, manipulative preacher.

Dano had a mere four days to prepare for a performance that would require him to stand toe-to-toe with one of cinema’s most intense actors, Daniel Day-Lewis, who was deeply immersed in his Method Acting portrayal of Daniel Plainview. This impossible timeline makes his final, nuanced performance all the more remarkable.

The decision to have Dano play both Paul and Eli Sunday—twin brothers who represent the two sides of the American dream: the capitalist and the religious—was a brilliant thematic choice. It subtly suggests that the opportunism of Paul is merely a different manifestation of the hypocrisy and greed embodied by Eli.

Why the Eli Sunday Performance is a Cinematic Triumph, Not a Flaw

Quentin Tarantino's recent critique, while provocative, ignores the complex brilliance Dano brought to the role, particularly when considering the dynamic between Eli Sunday and Daniel Plainview. Critics and co-stars have widely defended Dano, arguing that his performance is the perfect, necessary foil to Day-Lewis’s towering presence.

1. The Perfect Foil to Daniel Plainview

Dano's performance is not meant to match the sheer, overwhelming force of Daniel Day-Lewis's Plainview. Instead, Eli Sunday is the perfect counter-balance. Plainview is a force of nature, a man of earth and oil, while Eli is a man of air and words, a self-proclaimed prophet whose power is entirely performative. Dano plays Eli with a brittle, almost desperate energy—a necessary vulnerability that makes Plainview’s eventual, brutal domination of him so satisfyingly tragic.

2. Mastering the Dual Role

The subtle distinction Dano creates between the two Sunday twins is a testament to his skill. Paul Sunday is quiet, shrewd, and pragmatic—a pure businessman. Eli Sunday is loud, frantic, and theatrical—a pure showman. Dano ensures that the audience immediately understands the difference, even though the same actor plays both roles. This dual performance enhances the film's theme of American greed and hypocrisy, where the pursuit of oil and the pursuit of God are merely two sides of the same corrupt coin.

3. The Intensity of Religious Fervor

Eli Sunday's religious intensity is portrayed with a chilling blend of sincerity and manipulation. Dano captures the essence of a snake-oil salesman hiding behind the pulpit. His performance during the baptism scene, where he violently "exorcises" the sin from Plainview, is a masterclass in controlled mania. This high-wire act of theatricality is exactly what Paul Thomas Anderson needed to represent the toxic blend of capitalism and fundamentalist religion in the early 20th century.

4. The Unforgettable Final Scene

The film's climax, famously featuring the "I drink your milkshake!" line, is entirely dependent on the chemistry and tension between Dano and Day-Lewis. Dano’s portrayal of a broken, desperate Eli, stripped of his power and begging for a pitiful oil deal, is devastating. His shift from a fiery prophet to a pathetic, whimpering victim is one of the most powerful character arcs in modern cinema. Had Dano's performance been truly "weak," the final, shocking bowling alley confrontation would have fallen flat.

5. A Career-Defining Performance at Age 22

At just 22 years old, Paul Dano delivered a performance that earned him a BAFTA nomination and cemented his reputation as a serious, versatile actor. Few young actors could step into such a demanding, high-stakes role with virtually no preparation and hold their own against an actor of Daniel Day-Lewis's caliber. The fact that the performance is still being debated and analyzed years later proves its enduring power and complexity, making any dismissal of it as "weak sauce" an oversight of cinematic history.

Beyond the Oil and the Blood: Dano’s Lasting Legacy

Paul Dano’s work in There Will Be Blood is a foundational piece of his legacy. While his career has seen him tackle other iconic roles, from the troubled Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy to the calculating Riddler in The Batman, his portrayal of Eli Sunday remains the benchmark for his ability to embody complex, morally ambiguous characters.

The film’s topical authority on themes of greed, religion, and the American West remains potent today. Dano’s ability to inject a sense of frantic, desperate youth into the epic struggle between Plainview and Sunday ensures that the film is not just a historical drama, but a timeless psychological thriller. As Dano moves into directing and continues to choose challenging roles, the story of his four-day preparation and his unforgettable dual performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece will undoubtedly continue to be studied and celebrated by film lovers for decades to come.

paul dano there will be blood
paul dano there will be blood

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