Quentin Tarantino Says This Performance Changed Cinema Forever

Quentin Tarantino is known for talking openly about the movies and performances that shaped him. This time, he surprised fans by naming a performance that hit him harder than ever before and even feels personal now.

The moment came during a recent episode of the Video Archives Podcast, which Tarantino hosts with longtime collaborator Roger Avery. While revisiting older films, Tarantino talked about the 1971 movie The Hospital, directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Paddy Chayefsky.

The film stars George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Bock, a man whose life is falling apart. When Tarantino watched the movie again recently, it landed very differently than it did years ago.

I thought The Hospital was just fantastic, Tarantino said on the podcast. It knocked me out. I’ve seen it before, but watching it with you [Avery] was really special.

Tarantino did not hold back when talking about Scott’s acting. He placed it among the best work he has ever seen on screen.

I think that George C. Scott gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s just one of the best performances I’ve ever seen, he said.

The Hospital follows Dr. Bock as he struggles with a broken marriage, distant children, and a hospital in chaos, where staff members are mysteriously dying. The story mixes dark humor with deep sadness, something Tarantino says hits harder with age.

He explained that even as a child, the movie stayed with him, though he did not fully understand it at the time.

Even though I didn’t know what he was talking about, I think I understood that as a little boy, Tarantino said. Now, watching it as an older man… There’s a quote, ‘Most men end their lives in anguish’, and I think that is actually true.

According to Tarantino, Scott’s character feels painfully real now. He believes the actor shows something raw and honest that many people only recognize later in life.

I think there is something to George C. Scott’s character, into his id, that he reveals that once you get older, it’s just kind of devastating, Tarantino said. I see something of myself in him at this age, alright.

By the end of the discussion, Tarantino returned once again to how deeply the film and performance affected him.

Now I’m at the right age… I think it’s one of the best characters I’ve ever seen in my life and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in my life, he said.

George C. Scott, who died in 1999, was known for intense roles and a rebellious streak. He famously refused his Best Actor Oscar for Patton, calling the awards ceremony a “meat parade.” Later in his career, he delivered strong performances in The Exorcist III and the 1997 TV remake of 12 Angry Men.

The Hospital remains an important film from the early 1970s, a time when Hollywood leaned into darker stories and sharp social commentary. The movie also starred Diana Rigg, who would later become widely known for her role on Game of Thrones.

As for Tarantino, he is still figuring out what his final film will be. He recently walked away from The Movie Critic, which was expected to be his tenth and last movie. While fans wait for news, Tarantino seems happy revisiting older films and giving credit to performances he believes deserve more attention.

Do you agree with Tarantino about George C. Scott, or is there another performance you think stands above the rest?