Quentin Tarantino Savagely Rips into Paul Dano’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD Performance; He Is Not a Fan
Quentin Tarantino has always been pretty blunt with his opinion on things, but his latest comments about Paul Dano had me doing a double take.
While discussing his picks for the best films of the 21st century, the Kill Bill filmmaker didn’t just critique There Will Be Blood, he tore into Dano’s performance with a level of bluntness that was kinda shocking.
Paul Dano has built a reputation as a prestige performer thanks to standout work in films like 12 Years a Slave, Prisoners, Swiss Army Man, and of course, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.
Comic book fans also know him as Edward Nashton, The Riddler, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and across the industry he’s widely respected, which is why Tarantino’s recent remarks hit so hard.
Appearing on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast to run through his top 20 films of the 21st century, the filmmaker praised several titles on his list including Black Hawk Down, Toy Story 3, Lost in Translation, Dunkirk, and There Will Be Blood.
When he first brought up the Anderson film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, Tarantino sounded genuinely enthusiastic. He said:
“Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship quality to the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that.
“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 f*cking amazingly.”
Strong praise. But Tarantino wasn’t done. He takes a hard mean swing at Dano.
Tarantino explained that There Will Be Blood could have ranked even higher on his list if not for what he called a major flaw. That flaw, in his view, was Dano. He unleashed the fury:
“There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being #1 or #2 if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it […] and the flaw is Paul Dano.
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. [Dano] is weak sauce, man.
“He is the weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f*king actor in SAG [laughs].”
That’s about as harsh as it gets. Hearing Tarantino label Dano “weak sauce” and call him an “uninteresting guy” is wild especially since Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood is often cited as one of the early pillars of his career.
Tarantino is known for being candid, but even for him, this was unusually sharp. Most filmmakers avoid openly criticizing other artists, especially performers with the career credibility Dano has.
For many fans and critics, Dano’s work as Eli Sunday is a huge part of what makes Anderson’s film so intense and memorable.
Regardless of Tarantino’s take, Paul Dano’s career continues to speak for itself. Audiences and filmmakers clearly value what he brings to the screen.
Tarantino’s comments will no doubt stir conversation, especially among fans of There Will Be Blood, but they also highlight just how passionately people respond to both creators. It’s safe to say Tarantino won’t be working with Dano… ever.