Quentin Tarantino Slams Paul Dano’s Acting in SAG Critique
Quentin Tarantino has shared his admiration for There Will Be Blood, but his sharp criticism of Paul Dano’s performance has sparked debate. Discover what the director had to say.
Quentin Tarantino has recently unveiled his personal selection of the finest films produced since the turn of the century. Yet, his commentary was not without controversy, as he took aim at Paul Dano’s performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 film, There Will Be Blood. During a conversation on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, Tarantino placed the film fifth on his list of twenty-first-century favourites, but his praise for the production was tempered by a pointed critique of one of its stars.
High Praise for Craft and Lead Performance
Tarantino began by lauding the film’s craftsmanship and the work of Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrayed Daniel Plainview, a determined oilman with ambitions of dominance. The director remarked,
“Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship is evident in the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that.”
He went on to highlight the film’s unique place in Anderson’s body of work, noting its narrative focus over spectacle.
“It was the only film he’s ever done, and I brought it up to him, that doesn’t have a set piece. The fire is the closest to a set piece. This was about dealing with the narrative, dealing with the story, and he did it fucking amazingly.”
Sharp Words for Paul Dano
Despite his admiration for the film’s direction and lead, Tarantino did not hold back when discussing Dano, who played the twin roles of Eli and Paul Sunday. He suggested that the film’s standing in his ranking would have been higher if not for Dano’s involvement.
“There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being one or two if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano.”
Tarantino continued,
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander.”
Alternative Casting and Final Judgement
The director went further, proposing that another actor might have elevated the film.
“He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. [Dano is] just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest fucking actor in SAG [Screen Actors Guild].”
As of now, Dano has not responded to these remarks.