Tarantino Slams Paul Dano’s Acting in There Will Be Blood
Quentin Tarantino lauded There Will Be Blood but took aim at Paul Dano, calling him the weakest actor in the Screen Actors Guild and claiming the film would have ranked higher without Dano’s part.
Quentin Tarantino has wrapped up his picks for the top films of this century, but he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing his thoughts on the cast of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 drama, There Will Be Blood. While chatting on a recent episode of the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, Tarantino put the film at number five on his list of favourites from the past twenty-five years. He kicked things off with a heap of praise for the production, especially for Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance and the film’s classic approach to storytelling.
Old-School Craft and Standout Performances
Tarantino was quick to highlight the film’s craftsmanship, saying,
“Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship is evident in the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that.”
Day-Lewis takes on the role of Daniel Plainview, a cutthroat oilman determined to dominate the industry. Alongside him, Paul Dano plays the twin brothers Eli and Paul Sunday. Tarantino reckoned the film stands out in Anderson’s body of work, noting,
“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.”
Tarantino’s Critique of Dano’s Role
Despite all the compliments, Tarantino didn’t mince words about what he saw as a major flaw. He admitted he would have ranked the film even 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.”
He went on to say,
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander.”
“Weak Sauce” and Casting What-Ifs
Tarantino didn’t stop there, describing Dano as
“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].”
According to Tarantino, the film’s dynamic suffered because of Dano’s performance, and he even suggested another actor might have lifted the film to greater heights. Dano hasn’t responded to the remarks yet, leaving punters to wonder if he’ll have anything to say about Tarantino’s blunt assessment.