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It takes only a thought exercise to realize how central certain performances are to Quentin Tarantinos films.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Hans Landa inInglourious Basterdsinstead of Christoph Waltz.
Jennifer Lawrence as Daisy Domergue inThe Hateful Eightinstead of Jennifer Jason Leigh.
All might have been great, but casting them would have changed the films on a genetic level.
Consider the famousfaux-biblical passage of Ezekiel 25:17 fromPulp Fiction.
But its Jacksons cadence, and the look in his eyes, that makes the scene unforgettable.
With that out of the way, lets start, appropriately enough, where it all began.
It set the table not just for the rest ofReservoir Dogsbut for all the films that followed.
(More on him below.)
Its jaw-dropping physical work, but Bells charming performance between action sequences is what makes herDeath Proofrole so winning.
She stares death in the face with a puckish smile.
(Gogginshas saidTarantino asked him to decide for himself and then never tell him his choice.)
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue,The Hateful Eight(2015)
The Hateful Eighttakes its title seriously.
But Leigh pushes back when pushed, or worse, by John and the others.
The world beat that out of her long ago.
In early scenes, Mike is all oily menace.
In other words, hes the perfect Big Bad for Tarantinos most ambitious film.
Yet the performance itself exemplifies how much more presence can matter than words.
(And just imagine what Robbie couldve donewithwords.)
(See also:Bad Lieutenant,The Piano, and so on.)
Tim Roth as Mr. Orange,ReservoirDogs(1992)
As the other half of the Mr. WhiteMr.
Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, a.k.a.
Michael Madsen as Vic Vega, a.k.a.
Mr. Blonde,ReservoirDogs(1992)
Reservoir Dogsnever lets viewers know where they stand.
Some, however, are less nice than others.
Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa,InglouriousBasterds(2009)
Some actors seem threatening when they scowl or grimace.
As the SS officer Hans Landa, Christoph Waltz never seems more dangerous than when he smiles.
In some ways, Landa serves as the flip side of Brad Pitts Aldo Raine.
Hes an Uncle Tom trope reborn as a monster.
Separately, they both deliver career-redefining performances.
If anything, Thurman outpaces him.
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