Tarantino Declares Paul Dano a “Weak Link” in ‘There Will Be Blood’
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A celebrated film of the 21st century, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, has drawn unexpected criticism from acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino, who recently identified a significant flaw in the 2007 film: the performance of Paul Dano.
A Ranking Marred by Disappointment
During a recent discussion on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino revealed his ranking of the best films of the 21st century, placing There Will Be Blood at number five. However, he asserted the film’s position could be significantly higher—potentially reaching number one or two—were it not for what he considers a critical weakness.
Dano’s Performance Under Fire
“And the flaw is Paul Dano,” Tarantino stated on the podcast, as reported by People. He elaborated that the film, intended as a two-hander, ultimately failed to achieve that dynamic. “Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, and it’s also so drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander… He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister.”
Tarantino was effusive in his praise for Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance, which earned the actor an Academy Award. He argued that Day-Lewis’s talent was so substantial that he didn’t require a strong counterpart. “Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need [a strong foil in the movie]. He doesn’t need anything. The movie would’ve had more—there would’ve been more stringiness to the beef. And again, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, and it’s not.”
A Question of Strength
When the podcast host suggested Day-Lewis’s performance may have simply overshadowed Dano’s, Tarantino responded with pointed criticism. “So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?”
Despite the harsh assessment, Tarantino clarified he wasn’t condemning Dano’s performance as “terrible,” but rather characterizing it as insignificant. “I’m saying he’s giving a non-entity [performance]. I don’t care for him. I don’t care for Owen Wilson, I don’t care for Matthew Lillard.”
Awards Recognition and Critical Acclaim
There Will Be Blood received significant recognition at the Academy Awards, securing two wins: Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Cinematography. The film garnered a total of eight nominations. In a 2007 review, The Hollywood Reporter predicted the film’s awards success, noting it was “built around another powerhouse performance by Daniel Day-Lewis” and a “certain awards contender.” John DeFore further wrote that Day-Lewis “stuns in Paul Thomas Anderson’s saga of a soul-dead oil man.”
Representatives for Dano have not yet responded to requests for comment from The Hollywood Reporter.
Tarantino’s candid critique underscores the subjective nature of artistic evaluation, even among the most respected figures in cinema.