how do you define "better" or "worse" in acting? Seems like you mean "more realistic". But it's only one of the many colors on the palette. The acting in Rebecca is better, in fact, it is ideal, for a film like Rebecca. The acting in Black Adder is ideal for Black Adder, without being realistic for a moment.
I agree that Mattrick's analogy is not perfect, so I'll offer another: it's like accusing Marc Chagall of not using the same chiaroscuro as Leonardo da Vinci.