Tarantino's Epic Critique: "Paul Dano is the Huge Flaw of 'There Will Be Blood'... The Weakest Actor Combination"

Director Quentin Tarantino made a shocking evaluation of 'There Will Be Blood (2007)', which is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the 21st century. While he praised the film itself, he harshly criticized lead actor Paul Dano, calling him a "huge flaw."

On the 3rd (local time), during an appearance on the 'Bret Easton Ellis Podcast', Tarantino mentioned Paul Thomas Anderson's (PTA) 'There Will Be Blood' while selecting the top 20 films of the 21st century.

◆ "Dano is weak sauce... He doesn't match Daniel Day-Lewis"

Tarantino pointed out, "This film is a masterpiece that could compete for the top two spots, but there is one obvious and huge flaw. That is Paul Dano."

He criticized, "This film should have been a two-hander against Daniel Day-Lewis, but Dano was just too 'weak sauce'. He felt like a 'weak sister'."

He continued, "If an actor like Austin Butler had played that role, it would have been great. Dano is really weak and uninteresting. He would be the weakest actor in SAG (Screen Actors Guild)," continuing his high-level criticism.

◆ "Muhammad Ali vs. Jerry Quarry"

This is not the first time Tarantino has made such comments. In the past, he compared Daniel Day-Lewis's overwhelming performance to the legendary boxer 'Muhammad Ali' and Paul Dano to the ordinary boxer 'Jerry Quarry', stating, "Dano's performance isn't bad, but it seems like he compromised in the duel with Daniel."

◆ Fans: "Perfect patheticness against madness" vs. Tarantino supporters

Tarantino's remarks immediately sparked debate among movie fans. Many critics have evaluated that Paul Dano's portrayal of 'Eli Sunday' perfectly executed a nervous and vile counterpoint against Daniel Day-Lewis's volcanic energy.

In fact, Paul Dano was hastily brought in to replace the actor (Kel O'Neil) who had to leave shortly after filming began. Dano recalled in an interview with IndieWire, "I had only 4 days of preparation. I had no time to analyze the script; I just had to throw myself into it and rely on instinct."

Director Paul Thomas Anderson also praised Dano as "the most promising and amazing young actor in the industry," showing a view that is completely opposite to Tarantino's.