Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has ignited a firestorm in Hollywood with his scathing criticism of actor Paul Dano's performance in the acclaimed 2007 film 'There Will Be Blood'. The controversy erupted during a recent podcast appearance, leading to a swift defence of Dano from fellow industry professionals, including a Batman writer and Shang-Chi star Simu Liu.
Tarantino's Controversial Critique on Podcast
While appearing on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino was listing his picks for the best films of the 21st century. He placed Paul Thomas Anderson's 'There Will Be Blood' at number five but cited a "major flaw" that prevented it from ranking higher. Tarantino directed his criticism squarely at Paul Dano, who played the dual roles of twins Paul and Eli Sunday opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.
"Dano is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]," Tarantino stated. He further elaborated, calling Dano a "weak, weak, uninteresting guy" and controversially labelled him "the weakest fu***** actor in SAG." Tarantino suggested that actor Austin Butler would have been better suited for the role, a point later contested by fans who noted Butler was only 16 when the film was released.
Hollywood Rallies to Paul Dano's Defence
The director's blunt remarks prompted immediate support for Paul Dano from within the film community. Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of the upcoming Batman 2, took to social media platform X to praise Dano. "Not only is he a terrific actor, but he’s an astonishing director who exudes control and tremendous empathy," Tomlin wrote.
Simu Liu, the star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, also joined the defence with a simple yet powerful post on X: "I don’t know, man. I think Paul Dano is an incredible actor."
Adding a voice from the film itself, Dillon Freasier, Dano's co-star in 'There Will Be Blood', told TMZ that the film is "perfect" and "a work of art," stating it achieved that status because "everyone was perfectly cast."
The Legacy of 'There Will Be Blood'
Despite Tarantino's criticism of one performance, the film's stature remains largely untarnished. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie is widely considered a modern masterpiece and Anderson's magnum opus. It won two Academy Awards in 2008 for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Cinematography. The film also featured actors like Ciaran Hinds and Kevin Breznahan.
This incident highlights the subjective nature of film criticism, even among iconic directors. While Tarantino prepares for his final film, his unfiltered opinions continue to generate headlines and debate within the global film industry, particularly among audiences in India who closely follow Hollywood news and controversies.
