Better Call Saul - Why Tony Dalton Is So Captivating As Lalo Salamanca

[Music] foreign if I had merely told you the Better Call Saul would introduce a new villain that would push the Mastermind Gus Fring to his limit you'd probably picture someone equally as smart strategic and Sinister and if I then added that they were to go salamanca's cousin you'd probably recalibrate and picture someone angry violent and out of control a complete monster but instead this is who we should have been picturing created by Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan and performed by Tony Dalton Lalo Salamanca would redefine our expectations of how a villain should look and behave someone that feels straight out of a comedy yet possesses a twisted disconnect that allows him to perform unmerciful acts of violence Tony Dalton had predominantly acted in Mexican films and television series until Better Call Saul offered him the opportunity to play Lalo this character could have been played a variety of different ways cold brooding aggressive calculated professional but at the age of 43 he would serve us up something completely fresh and Innovative that would earn him his first ever Screen Actors Guild nomination so let's examine what made Tony Dalton so captivating as Lalo Salamanca [Music] while the writers obviously had a huge role to play here for me there are three keys that made this performance stand out even more let's start with smiling Tony plays Lala with someone that always leads with a warm inviting smile he's consistently in a good mood which Dalton demonstrates by having Lalo singing to himself while he works foreign [Music] all of this makes him seem a little bit simple-minded which lowers our guard to underestimate him but as the series progresses and we see how cold-blooded he is with a complete dismissal for the value of human life his persistent smile stops being a source of comfort and starts being a source of stress as really his smile masks his intentions it's a bluff he's impossible to read so Tony's decision to persistently grin reframes the psychology of the character now we start realizing that Lalo is a psychopath that just views all of this as a game a source of amusement take this moment as an example and if he doesn't like me ah you'll be fine nacho is visibly worried about what might happen to him if Donna latio doesn't like him and Tony shows us this flash of violent potential washing past Lalo's face which tells us on the idea that Lalo doesn't really care what happens to Nacho if we look at it again it communicates that he's seen Eladio slaughter a man he didn't like before and this is clearly a positive memory for him this makes a lot of those relaxed demeanor more eerie there's actually no bad outcome for him if nacho dies it may not be ideal but that doesn't mean it will affect him emotionally he'd probably react the same way he did earlier when nacho tries to earn his trust by running into an apartment right before the authorities burst in and confiscate their drugs Lalo shows zero concern for his well-being and instead views this as a piece of entertainment notice how animated Tony plays it he's completely present a big toothy smile illuminated eyes bouncing around and this detail really matters he starts tossing snacks into his mouth like popcorn in a movie theater and it doesn't matter who it is whether the stakes are high or low he plays this way with Gus the exact same way simultaneously acting like his friend to sniff out a rat and openly letting him know that he's on to him a more guarded and strategic character like Gus would sit back and observe then execute a plan based on his assessment but by playing Lalo as someone so Fearless that he'll just smile in his face obnoxiously not caring enough to even conceal his suspicions it makes a huge difference to the tone of the show as there's no one else quite like him in the Breaking Bad Universe sure there's light-hearted characters and there's violent characters but they've never had someone who's both Lalo enjoys watching Gus lie he enjoys chasing him around and there's nothing more dangerous than a man who enjoys his work as he has no incentive to ever stop but unlike most characters in the show Tony chooses not to really show us loud though thinking instead he makes him constantly in the moment and bouncing off his intuition and that's why he feels more dangerous Gilligan and Gould have still written him as a smart and strategic character but Tony plays him as someone that doesn't need to stop and strategize he just does things based on his immediate Instinct making him harder to predict he might be about to kill you any moment and if he does it will not alter his mood whatsoever he'll still be smiling foreign [Music] Ty of the character Lalo has a completely different energy to every other character in the show from the very beginning we're introduced to him blasting Mexican music as he cooks he's the definition of active while nacho stays still demonstrating his discomfort Lalo is contrasting this by buzzing around he's always doing something if he's not cooking he's working on his car but make no mistake he's a force of nature he never stops It's a larger than life performance a touchy feely and oddly intimate character with no value for personal space most of Dalton's movements are big he has an active neck cranking his head to get a good look at everyone and everything he also uses a lot of hand gestures whether his conversation is serious or light-hearted and he points excessively even puts his feet up to show how usually relaxed he is no matter the context he's never worried because he knows you'll have to find a way to get him what he wants or you'll pay for it he's a true showman even using the table as a drum drum roll please if you put Ron Burgundy Dick Dastardly and Anton Shakur in a blender you get something similar to Lalo Salamanca I know that sounds ridiculous in almost every way but the reason Lalo stands out so much is that Tony is playing him in a comedic tone Michael is that you this just isn't what anyone expects the villain to sound like if you're listening closely there's a little Ron Burgundy in there Berner Ziegler Rick I've been meaning to talk to you about that 26 now according to Mrs Ziegler the only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show when it comes to Dick Dastardly yes he also has a mustache but it's his animated movement and the persistent smile and laughter [Laughter] and with Anton shiger it's about Lalo's posture and the way he walks notice how Lalo usually has his hands held down by his waist it's very open body language completely defenseless it's a small detail but this communicates that he has no fear for his life because of who he is and the power He commands he feels untouchable on top of that given we know Lalo is happy to kill with those same hurns his pose is even more threatening which is why they often shoot Tony's hands dangling there in the foreground as the other person talks under pressure most characters have their hands in their pockets or fold their arms or hold something but Lilo just walks up with his hands out ready to take what he wants and do what he wants and why wouldn't he feel this way when he enters your home it's his home now no one ever restrains him even when Jimmy tells him he shouldn't tap the fish tank once he's not getting what he wants from the conversation he goes back to tapping the fish tank and this time Jimmy knows he can't say anything so this demeanor Tony has created is really a powerflex it suggests it's his world and you're just living in it for now at least it's thrilling to watch because there are two distinct sides to Lalo smiling warm and active and murderous psychopath and you never know which Instinct he's going to follow next he can turn on a dime and that leads into our final key the stair Lalo has a psychopathic unsettling stare sometimes looking like he's being possessed by a bloodthirsty demon from the inside take this moment as an example he calls Hector to inform him of his plan and he hears a clicking sound that suggests the phone is tapped ruining his element of surprise now Dalton utilizes his eyes with these micro movements to show an unexpected feeling is taking over and then he hangs up because the enraged feeling has captured him now and he must lash out in all of his human interactions valo loves eye contact creating uncomfortable intimacy with whoever he's engaging with but the more you learn about him the more intimidating and deranged the stare becomes when he offers Jimmy the chance to be friends with the cartel he leans forward slowly and gawks at him with no blinking the intensity of his unbroken gaze is a blend of Seduction and intimidation trying to lure him into doing what he wants by offering him something he wants and when he distrusts Jimmy's story as to why he's late delivering the money he looks at him from afar then strolls up close again to get a good look in his eyes he then looks him up and down continues to stare at this point we know Jimmy is lying and we know Lalo suspects it so the tension is mounting but then Dalton follows an instinct and switches to a light tone to keep us on our toes and later in that same episode we see the power of the stair in action when Lalo enters Jimmy and Kim's home armed he sits down and asks Jimmy to tell him what happened in the desert while just staring at him with this warm welcoming smile he seems in a good mood at first but now it becomes clear it's a poker game to see who folds first Lalo is using his stare as an interrogation tactic asking the same question again and again and just watching him lie up close and this scene works so well because Dalton has built our expectations of this character as a live wire over the last season but now he's not active he's not using any hand gestures he's just sitting perfectly still and staring directly into his soul and the longer this scene drags out the more stressed and fearful we become as we can feel Lalo's eyes on us just like Jimmy does his murderous intentions become clearer and clearer with each passing second and Dalton does it all with just a look [Music] the Breaking Bad universe is famous for its morally ambiguous characters even transforming its protagonist from a hero to a villain by the end of the series but Tony Dalton entered that Universe at the latest stage of any cast member and somehow still managed to produce one of the most memorable performances in either series with a Charming funny energetic terrifying villain who possesses both comedic and murderous instincts in equal measure you can never predict whilst Tony Dalton's Lalo Salamanca is going to do next because it feels like he's not even sure he's just going to trust whatever feeling grabs him most intensely and enjoy the ride [Music] if you enjoy content like this and want to see more of it please do consider supporting me on patreon as it really does make a difference to how much content I can pump out or if you can't afford that then simply like the video subscribe and leave a comment down below to help the algorithm do its thing

Channel: Just an Observation

Views: 844,762

Keywords: better call saul tony dalton lalo salamanca, better call saul lalo, better call saul lalo salamanca, better call saul lalo video essay, better call saul lalo analysis, just an observation, better call saul video essay, breaking bad video essay, better call saul acting analysis, better call saul lalo acting, tony dalton video essay, tony dalton acting analysis, lalo salamanca acting video essay, lalo, breaking bad, tony dalton, gus fring, lalo salamanca character study

Id: ddXnhoQ1I-4

Length: 12min 59sec (779 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 12 2022

Reddit Comments

[u/darkrowst]

One of the greatest villains of all time. That charming smile and demeanor makes him so hard to hate, even though you morally should. Brilliant character and actor!

Need to see more of Tony Dalton!

[u/Bandsohard]

Tell me again.

[u/bbq62]

My favorite thing about him is that he’s not afraid to go into the details of an operation if he needs to. Someone tries to BS him saying “oh we can’t do X because of Y.”

His response is like “Show me, let’s go!”

It’s refreshing to see a boss cut through the nonsense and know when he needs to deal with the pawns and when he needs to see the rest of the board.

Obviously his charisma too. Too bad he’s a murderer. Oh well.

Still deserved much better ending than he received. So many contrivances in his last minutes of screen time. Again, oh well.

[u/Slightlydifficult]

It’s time for another Zorro movie with him at the helm.

[u/PhenomenalSanchez]

In addition to Dalton's performance, Lalo is the only antagonist in the Gilligan-verse that is personable and charismatic. Like if you came across him and weren't in the game/he had no reason to kill you you could have a genuine conversation with him. That doesn't apply for the rest of the Salamancas or Gus/his organization. Even when you see Gus talk to civilians he still comes off as an uptight weirdo.

The only other villains I can think of who had any sort of affability to them were the Meth Nazis, and 1) they weren't around long 2) they weren't "charismatic."

[u/D10SMessi]

I bet everyone here thought "tell me again" in their head as soon as they saw his name. Such a charismatic character.

[u/readwrite_blue]

Him interacting with Werner's window was fucking captivating. The two forces of my absolute fear of knowing what he would unquestionably do if cornered, and my need to not put her through more suffering were played against each other so brilliantly.

Amazing that two smaller characters (in the context of the full series) could have long sequences together and be so tense is a testimony to the command this series had over audiences. God damn I'm sad it's over.

[u/davwad2]

I haven't made it to BCS yet, but TD was fun in Hawkeye.

[u/Spartyjason]

His leap onto the overturned car is one of my favorite things.