It’s generally agreed upon that not only canQuentin Tarantinowrite and direct, but that he can do both of those things extremely well. What he’s less great at is acting (besides maybeFrom Dusk Till Dawn, if you’re feeling generous), as some of the cameos he’s given himself leave a lot to be desired. But it turns out there’s a clear separation between knowing how to act and knowing how to get great acting out of others.
This is demonstrated by the fact that Quentin Tarantino has directed numerous great performances during his time as a filmmaker, havingdirected nine actors who gave Oscar-nominated performances, with three wins.Below are some of the best performances found in the director’s movies, with everything exceptDeath Proofrepresented (thoughKurt RussellandZoë Bellare both great in that), and a limit of one performance per actor (as Tarantino has liked casting a handful of people multiple times).
10Harvey Keitel as Mr. White
‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)
Reservoir Dogsis amazingly confident for someone’s first feature film, though it does have a certain lack of polish to it only in hindsight; you know, after seeing what Tarantino could do with a little more money and experience.This first film of his does rely on acting a ton, because while it’s suspenseful and exciting, there isn’t really much action to fall back on, what with the central heist inReservoir Dogshappening off-screen and all.
Much of the film sees the survivors of that heist gone wrong retreat and regather, then fall into suspicion regarding the fact that one of them might not be a criminal and may in fact be working undercover.Michael Madsensteals one hard-to-forget scene, andTim Rothis fantastic, even though he spends most of the movie bleeding out, but it’sHarvey Keitelwho’s arguably the standout here, playing someone close toReservoir Dogs’ central character and successfully portraying someone who reallyfeels stuck in the middleof many things, all the way trying to maintain calm and collected.
Reservoir Dogs
9John Travolta as Vincent Vega
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
A little likeReservoir Dogs,Pulp Fictionhas an impressive group of actors in its cast, all of them firing on all cylinders constantly to the point where singling out one (or even five) standout performance(s) proves hard.For example,Christopher Walkenhas just one sceneand still feels like he could be highlighted here, but the closest thingPulp Fictionhas toa lead is arguablyJohn Travolta.
He’s a pivotal part of two of the three main stories inPulp Fiction, and does show up briefly – and memorably – in the other, whichfocuses onBruce Willis’s character.Travolta walks a linebetween kind of cool and truly stupid, being iconic, silly, and effortless all at once. The actors playing smarter characters here might be more outwardly impressive, but the odd comedy and uncanny vibe Travolta brings to the film is essential in making so much of it work; essential to furthering that unique energyPulp Fictionhas.
Pulp Fiction
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (2019)
Giving the third Oscar-winning performance in a Quentin Tarantino movie,Brad Pitt’s second-billed toLeonardo DiCaprioinOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, but both make a similar impact. DiCaprio’s given the opportunity to have the showier performance of the pair, and he is excellent, butPitt’s cool-headed, fiercely loyal, and occasionally terrifying stuntman Cliff Booth also emerges as a top-tier Tarantino character.
It feels like a role that was written for Brad Pitt, as he’s perfectly cast and utilized here. He has to be captivating, too, because much of the time,Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodshrugs its shoulders at the idea of plotand oftentimes feels like a hangout movie. It’s to Pitt’s credit that even when his character is just driving around, interacting with his dog, or thinking about a time when heapparently beat upBruce Lee, he’s always a magnetic screen presence.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
7Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie
‘Django Unchained’ (2012)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie, holding a hammer and smoking a cigarette, in “Django Unchained.”
Speaking of Leonardo DiCaprio, he was Oscar-nominated for his role inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, but his best single performance in a Quentin Tarantino movie is debatably his villainous role inDjango Unchained. Thewhole film has consistently great actingthat elevates a simple revenge/rescue narrative, with honorable mentions worth giving to the likes ofJamie Foxx,Samuel L. Jackson, andChristoph Waltz(Waltz won an Oscar forDjango Unchained, but his best performance in a Tarantino movie came a few years earlier).
DiCaprio hams it up as Calvin Candie, but never to the point where he feels silly or laughable. He is an excessively evil and irredeemable person in this film, but DiCaprio walks right up to the line, to the point where there’s still something sickly real about him. He’s a heightened version of the kind of evil person who did exist during the Antebellum South era, andit’s still the most intense villainous role Leonardo DiCaprio’s played to date.
Django Unchained
6Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren
‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015)
Look, you could pretty much populate an entire list like this one with nothing but Samuel L. Jackson performances,given he’s shown up and proven memorable in so many Quentin Tarantino films. He’s arguably Travolta’s equal inPulp Fiction, he’s excellent inJackie Brown, and he’s terrifyingly intense inDjango Unchained… but his role inThe Hateful Eightis worth highlighting, because he’s kind of the lead here.
It’s not often that Jackson gets to be more than a supporting character, even in Tarantino’s filmography, and he shows, withThe Hateful Eight, that he should be at a film’s center more often.Kurt Russell feels like a lead of sortsfor a while, but Jackson steals the movie at a few key points throughout, and then dominates much of the back half. To be fair, most cast members inthis brutal and downbeat Westernare very strong, withWalton Gogginsand an Oscar-nominatedJennifer Jason Leighalso excelling.
The Hateful Eight
5Robert Forster as Max Cherry
‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)
Robert Forsterwasn’t theonly Robert inJackie Brown, but he shone arguably even brighter thanthe (also great)Robert De Niro. In a similar way to howPulp Fictionmade John Travolta cool again,Jackie Brownserved as a comeback vehicle of sorts for Forster, who’d certainly been in movies before 1997, but continually felt underrated and perhaps even underused by the film industry at large.
He deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for his role inJackie Brown, bringing a distinctive kind of warmth and earnestness to the character of Max Cherry, who serves as the title character’s love interest.Forster’s character and performance add a great deal of heart to what’s arguably Tarantino’s most heartfelt (and perhaps most mature) film, though the film does contain one other great performance worth pointing out.
Jackie Brown
4Pam Grier as Jackie Brown
That other performance inJackie Brownwas byPam Grier, who plays the titular character. Grier’s still well-known for some of her1970s movies, includingCoffyandFoxy Brown, but as was the case with Forster,Jackie Brownfelt like arguably the first time Grier was wholly utilized in a part only she could’ve played.
Because, yes, Jackie Brown is a crime-thriller of sorts, in line with the genres thatReservoir DogsandPulp Fictionbroadly fall into. There is a good deal of fast-paced dialogue, a lot of profanity, a plot that involves stealing something, and some moments of sudden violence… but italso takes its time more than his prior movies had, and the focus on older characters – like Grier’s and Forster’s – proved refreshing. Thepair are at the center ofJackie Brownand essential in making it work, with other cast members like Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, andBridget Fondaalso being great, of course.
3David Carradine as Bill
‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’ (2004)
GivenKill Billis a duology, it’s fair to highlight the two best performances found within Quentin Tarantino’s four-hour-long revenge epic. Certainly, it’sVol. 2wherethe actors get to shine a little more, or at least have more dialogue to work with, given the first volume was most focused on action. Indeed, the titular Bill is only heard in the first volume (well, that and you see his hand), withDavid Carradinegetting far more to do inVol. 2.
Bill was established as the lead antagonist and final target of revenge forKill Bill’s protagonist early on, but viewers don’t entirely come to an understanding of who Bill is and what he’s capable of untilVol. 2. Carradine’s performance is surprisingly complex for someone who was once a mostly off-screen villain, andKill Bill: Vol. 2is made all the more superb because of how great he is.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
2Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa
‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
No actor had won an Oscar for a role played in a Quentin Tarantino movie until Christoph Waltz did for his role inInglourious Basterds… and, as mentioned earlier, he scored that honor again just three years later withDjango Unchained. Ittakes a lot to basically steal what’s alreadya great movie stacked with phenomenal performances, but that’s honestly what Waltz did here.
The opening scene establishes Waltz’s character, Col. Hans Landa, perfectly, and then he continues to dominate every scene he’s featured in,making Landa an instantly iconic movie villain. To his credit, Waltz avoided type-casing post-Inglourious Basterds, even though the character of Landa was what made him a star, with the more heroic character he played inDjango Unchainedlikely helping a great deal, in that regard.
Inglourious Basterds
1Uma Thurman as The Bride (AKA Beatrix Kiddo)
‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1’ (2003) and ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’ (2004)
Uma Thurmanhad a key supporting role inPulp Fiction(and earned an Oscar nomination for her work), but the definitive Thurman + Tarantino movie would have to beKill Bill. Thurman is phenomenal across both volumes, proving more than capable of kicking ass andgetting into a great many sword fightsthroughout the relentlessKill Bill: Vol. 1.
There’s stilla little bit of action to be foundinVol. 2, but that second part is where The Bride’s shown to be more than just a killing machine; the character’s past is explored, her future is hinted at, and she’s also finally given a proper name: Beatrix Kiddo. Uma Thurman absolutely carries both volumes ofKill Billwhile being asked to do fairly different things in each.It’s a duology that puts her character through so much emotionally and physically, with Thurman selling every second of it. There’s plenty tolove when it comes toKill Bill, but it’s Thurman who emerges as its MVP.
