Quentin Tarantino has ignited a fiery debate in the film world after launching a scathing critique of actor Paul Dano, labelling him the "giant flaw" in Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed masterpiece, There Will Be Blood.
Tarantino's Controversial Podcast Take
Appearing on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast this week to list his top 20 films of the 21st century, Tarantino placed There Will Be Blood at number five. However, he immediately qualified his choice with a brutal assessment of Dano's dual role as the twins Paul and Eli Sunday.
"There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being No 1 or 2 if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano," Tarantino declared. He contrasted Dano's performance with Daniel Day-Lewis's iconic turn as oilman Daniel Plainview, stating, "Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister."
Defending Dano's Acclaimed Performance
Tarantino's comments have been met with widespread disbelief from critics and audiences who have long praised Dano's portrayal of the sanctimonious, greed-driven preacher Eli Sunday. At just 23 years old, Dano was suddenly thrust into the twin roles after the original actor, Kel O'Neill, was fired two weeks into filming for not being the "right fit".
Facing off against Daniel Day-Lewis, widely considered one of cinema's greatest actors, Dano delivered a performance that is both pitiful and cunning, a perfect foil to Plainview's monstrous ambition. Ellis himself pushed back on the podcast, noting, "Daniel Day-Lewis also makes it impossible to make it a two-hander because there are aspects of that performance that are so gargantuan."
A Career of 'Transformative' Roles
Far from being a "weak, weak, uninteresting guy," Dano has built a reputation as one of Hollywood's most versatile and compelling character actors. His filmography includes transformative roles in Little Miss Sunshine, Prisoners, and Love & Mercy, where he portrayed Brian Wilson. He has shown remarkable range, from unhinged villainy in The Batman to gentle humanity in The Fabelmans.
When pressed by Ellis on whether he had ever enjoyed Dano in a project, Tarantino doubled down, replying, "I don’t care for him. I don’t care for Owen Wilson, and I don’t care for Matthew Lillard." He later clarified, "I’m not saying he’s giving a terrible performance. I’m saying he’s giving a non-entity performance."
This stark dismissal stands in direct opposition to the consensus view of Dano as a performer of rare depth and commitment, often cited as one of the finest actors of his generation yet to receive an Oscar nomination. For many, Tarantino's hot take says more about his own particular tastes than any objective flaw in a performance that has been studied and admired for nearly two decades.
