Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is the ninth film from Quentin Tarantino, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, tv actor and stuntman duo. Eight years after their show Bounty Law ended in hopes of finding a film career, the two are met with a difficult crossroad: either Rick continues doing episodic tv with what fame he has left or go into Italian movies. All of this is happening, as Charles Manson’s cult is slowly coming more into the public eye.
If you were to ask me which director would I do anything to work for, it would hands down be Quentin Tarantino; I’ve made it no secret that he is my all time favorite filmmaker, and one of the only few working that still makes consistent quality films. From avoiding to shoot on digital, to paying homage to obscure genre projects in a new light, his heart has always been reflective of that New Hollywood Era vibe of filmmaking.
The news of Tarantino’s next project was something of a surprise, since we didn’t know if we were going to get another western or a new war film. The only two things we knew beforehand were that it was going to take place in 1969 Los Angeles and that Margot Robbie was in talks to play Sharon Tate, the late-actress and wife of Roman Polanski, who was tragically murdered by the Manson Family.
After finally cutting official ties with Harvey Weinstein, due to his predatory side coming into light and getting arrested, Tarantino’s follow-up to The Hateful Eight suddenly became this “Maltese Falcon” for major studios; it was even reported that Tom Cruise was almost attached to produce and star. Eventually, Sony and David Heyman (Harry Potter series producer) were able to secure the rights to the film, but only after meeting to every one of Tarantino’s demands, including final cut privileges and the rights returning to him after two decades; doesn’t happen that often with filmmakers anymore.
This is one of the biggest ensemble films in recent memory, that it got hard to keep track of who made the final cut and who didn’t. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are fantastic; Rick and Cliff are hands down the best leading duo, since Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction. Their friendship is based off of Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham’s true relationship, and despite this being their first film leading together, you totally buy these two had been buddies since high school. Tarantino always has a knack for making sure no character oversteps another’s bounds, and each of them always has a really fun element to their character. Cliff’s loyalty and friendship to Rick is what I relate to mostly. He’s broker than Rick, and has a bad rep due to rumors and bad circumstances, but he maintains this carefree attitude getting by with what he has (his best friend and his dog), and is happy to simply just be around. It’s an interesting contrast with Rick Dalton, somebody who wants to be more involved, yet is never happy with it since that’s his job. He’s also more concervative when it comes to changes in film trends, being a more 50’s tv western lead, stuck trying to find footing in a hippie generation; it also reflects how in a generation saturated with superhero films, Tarantino was making homages to westerns like Django Unchained and Kill Bill (to an extent).
The scene where Rick was the most empathetic was when he and Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters) are chatting, and you soon realize he’s describing what might have really happened with Bounty Law; his dialogue about being forgotten and useless, almost got me choked up, since I’ve been in that mental state before. I couldn’t tell you how many times I got rejected from short films, and that’s including ones that were class required; even when I asked for help on getting a real job or was critically depressed, hardly any student or professor actually understood what my dilemma was, or just brushed me off as a sad loser.
Recreating Los Angeles in 1969 also looks fantastic, clothes and shops galore; Tarantino truly took you on a trip down HIS memory lane, about the time Hollywood was at what he believed to be the peak of freedom. Working with Robert Richardson and Fred Raskin, Tarantino is able to bring forth a classic styled approach that isn’t seen too often anymore, while at the same time making sure you know who the artist behind the camera is; and if the film making techniques don’t get ya noticing, the constant shots of women’s feet will...ooh yeah, he was not hiding it here, and I can’t complain.
The story making the biggest news is the flashback fight scene between Cliff and Bruce Lee, played by Mike Moh. People have said the scene was a little disrespectful of Bruce’s memory, and even his daughter called it uncomfortable. I can understand people who actually did know him to find it that way, but I think it would have been more disrespectful to make him lose, like the script originally had planned; thankfully, even Brad Pitt said he wouldn’t finish the scene that way, so we got the tie we see in the film. There was also the drama that came about the limited female roles in the film, particularly with Sharon Tate’s role in the film. Tarantino had made it clear that the movie was not a biopic on Tate, but rather her life in ‘69 is the backdrop for a story of someone washed up in their career, as someone like Tate is rising in fame.
There has been a lot of discussion on where people stand on the ending, and here’s what I have to say: I thought how Tarantino did it was perfectly fine. Yes, it does change with history, but think about it; with how much of a manipulative madman Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) was, or even his colleague Squeaky (Dakota Fanning), would sit and let their friends’ deaths go unjustified? I just figured Tarantino delayed the inevitable, to give this particular story about an actor and stunt-double duo finding closure in this vastly changing business. Plus, after seeing Inglourious Basterds, how could you NOT expect some change of history? And if you look at it from the perspective of someone, who heard this news as a child living in that exact city and time, I think it’s safe to say Tarantino was adapting a childhood fantasy we all wish could have happened. Besides, at least this didn’t end like The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019)...don’t watch that.
With his 9th film finally under his belt, Tarantino delivers a fascinating nostalgia trip that pays the most tribute to the Hollywood he grew up in. DiCaprio and Pitt are truly empathetic, and worth the price of admission alone. The supporting cast is great, the production looks retro and slick, and the dialogue has that tradition Tarantino intrigue that always catches you off guard. You also have some old Hollywood trivia when looking up who’s playing who, especially Timothy Olyphant and Luke Perry (Rest in Peace) as the leads of Lancer. For Tarantino’s first film to take place in LA (and least violent, I might add) since Jackie Brown, it was a nice welcome home.
Rating: A
If you also get the chance, I highly recommend watching this movie as a double feature with Bad Times at the El Royale. With both films being 60’s homage pieces, with a similar soundtrack, captivating and inviting dialogue, unique and secretive characters, and clever non-linear storytelling, it’s comforting to know that even if Tarantino retires, we have filmmakers who are carrying a stylistic torch.
