Hateful Tarantino

 

Times have changed. Not even Pulp Fiction could save Quentin Tarantino from the massive mistake he just made. The response to his recent comments on writer Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast about Paul Dano was immediate and forceful. A new generation put a stop to the director who called Dano “the weakest actor in SAG” and “the big failure” of There Will Be Blood. From the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis to Tarantino’s own fans, many became critics of his remarks. For the first time in decades, the filmmaker ran into a collective opinion that seems fed up with his brutal verdicts.

Tarantino, the same man who in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood pitted Brad Pitt and DiCaprio against the Manson Family portrayed by Sydney Sweeney, Austin Butler, Margaret Qualley, and Mikey Madison, built his career as pop culture’s most ruthless sniper. But this time he fired at the wrong target. Dano isn’t just an actor: he’s the kind of artist filmmakers respect, the one who chose Little Miss Sunshine and Prisoners over empty blockbusters. Attacking Dano is spitting on one of the last remnants of integrity in an industry that’s already sold everything else. Something deeply revealing is happening here.

The defense came from all sides. Ben Stiller: “Paul Dano is brilliant.” Reese Witherspoon: “An incredibly talented actor and, more importantly, a gentleman.” Matt Reeves, who directed him in The Batman: “An incredible actor and an incredible person.” Even Tarantino fan accounts pointed out: “Sorry, Quentin, but Dano is one of the most underrated actors of his generation.” Tarantino didn’t ignite a conversation. Tarantino wasn’t provocative. Tarantino was wrong to the point that even his most devoted followers voiced their disagreement.

Daniel Day-Lewis, the only actor with three Best Actor Oscars, broke years of public silence. Not directly, but through his representatives, the message was conveyed: “Dano is one of the most talented of his generation.” When the role of Eli Sunday opened up in There Will Be Blood after the originally cast actor dropped out, it was Day-Lewis who personally recommended Dano, who was just 23 at the time. When the most demanding actor in modern history backs you, anyone else’s words, even Tarantino’s, sound like desperate noise. Is Tarantino’s reign as one of the industry’s most powerful figures coming to an end? Tarantino suggested that Austin Butler would have been the better choice for Eli Sunday, but does Tarantino remember that Butler was only 16 at the time, doing small roles on iCarly?

Tarantino might have emerged unscathed after comments defending director Roman Polanski, in exile over accusations of abusing a minor. Or when he downplayed allegations against Harvey Weinstein regarding sexual harassment of Uma Thurman. Or when he claimed it was his “writer’s right” to use racial slurs in his films. Now it seems the public is telling Tarantino it’s tired of narcissistic autocracy, and that even he must face consequences. The narrative slipped out of Quentin’s control.

Not long ago, Tarantino boasted that, alongside David Fincher, he was one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. Yet his towering self esteem seems to reveal the truth when his attacks on Dano expose insecurity. Did Tarantino need to assert superiority over Dano? In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, two Generation X icons symbolically slaughtered the millennials and Gen Z who were coming for their throne. The title meant something: once upon a time, there was a Hollywood where guys like Tarantino decided who mattered. That time is over. Now it’s Dano, Sweeney, Madison, and actors who build careers without insulting anyone who appear to be inheriting the kingdom.

Matthew Lillard, also targeted by Tarantino in the same interview, put it bluntly: “You wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to a top tier actor in Hollywood.” The audience is tired of Tarantino’s inflated ego, which in his mind justifies cruelty toward others. Relevance is earned by making great films, not by provoking with abusive comments. Tarantino ran into a new generation that seems to say: doing good work matters more than just making noise.

More than saying “don’t mess with Paul Dano,” younger generations have sent a strong signal to Tarantino and other elevated figures in the film industry: doing good work is far better than merely making noise. Tarantino has done legendary work as a director. His films are indisputable masterpieces of cinema. He built a reputation as Hollywood’s “enfant terrible.” But times have changed, and new generations identify more with a Paul Dano, delivering great performances against all odds, without major scandals or controversies. More importantly, fear should not be confused with respect. Today, it seems many have lost their fear of Tarantino and shown great respect for Dano’s career.

More paradoxical still, it seems Tarantino has done Dano a huge favor by giving him more free publicity than he’s ever had. People are already talking about how interest from directors in working with Dano has surged. If Dano can spark such a range of emotions, it’s no accident: it’s talent. Tarantino is no longer seen as iconoclastic or brave for speaking his mind. The public has backed Tarantino into a corner: make a good movie already, or stay quiet. The power dynamic in Hollywood appears to have shifted. Tarantino tried to cancel Dano and only made him stronger. Will the public “cancel” Tarantino? That’s something even Tarantino himself didn’t expect. Do you think Tarantino was wrong? Did Tarantino unintentionally do Dano a huge favor?