“Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” Reflects on Filmmaking Past
Quentin Tarantino’s newest film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” came to theaters Friday, July 26 and impressed audiences and critics everywhere. A few highlights of the movie include a cast chock full of A-list actors, the first on-screen partnership between Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, and dialogue rich with clever one-liners. The movie has only been out for a week and has already made a whopping 45 million dollars, making it Tarantino’s biggest opening weekend yet. Both the set and the character wardrobes seem to perfect the minutiae of the whirlwind of neon signs, chirpy music and classic cars that made up the Summer of Love in 1967 California. Just these details were enough to mesmerize me through the whole 160 minutes of the film.
If you’re looking for a strictly plot-oriented movie, you may be disappointed. The movie is primarily a period piece and the product of Tarantino’s breadth of knowledge on film history and the admiration he has for the films and TV shows he grew up watching.
The story revolves around two fictional characters, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) a washed up Hollywood western actor and his stuntman-turned-personal-assistant and friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). The story centers itself on Dalton coping with the gradual demise of his stardom as hot new directors and actors, like his next door neighbor actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), rise in a changing Hollywood. Once one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Dalton can now only land mediocre roles in phony Italian westerns and guest appearances on TV shows.
Throughout the movie, there is increasing tension as the audience anticipates Charles Manson and the Manson family’s involvement in the plot and the imminent murder of the lovely rising star Sharon Tate. Main character Cliff Booth encounters members of the Manson Family on multiple occasions throughout the movie, however their role in the movie does not come to a head until the movie’s violent ending. The ending, which ultimately revises history, is gory and shocking. This kind of ending is a staple in many Tarantino films.
Many critics are calling this a “hang-out” movie. This is a term originally coined by Tarantino himself. It means that by watching the movie, audiences are spending time with the characters, getting to know them and seemingly befriending them.
Tarantino presents Sharon Tate to the audience not as a murder victim, but as a young actress with promising talent and a zeal for life. I felt her character lacked substantial dialogue, but despite this, her angelic presence left a lasting impression that humanized her, setting the tragedy aside to inform the audience of what came before her murder.
Pitt’s scenes with his adorable, yet terrifyingly muscular pitbull are undeniably amusing. The tough cool guy exterior his character maintains throughout the movie is broken when we find that he has a soft spot for his pitbull, Brandy. DiCaprio’s character’s insecurities play out as theatrical and maybe even over the top, but his blunt sarcasm and perseverance in the strive for excellence won me over. The thoughtful cinematography and the dark historical events that serve as an intriguing backdrop only add to the captivating personalities that dominate the movie overall.
The movie comments on the growth of screen violence that emerged in the late 1960’s which broke away from the strict traditions of 1950’s cinema. Rick Dalton’s character struggles with this changing Hollywood where depictions of sexuality and violence were expanding rapidly. In a way we get a glimpse at the origins of Tarantino’s films. It’s in these circumstances that Tarantino was able to make movies that embrace extraordinary violence, starting with Pulp Fiction in the 1990s. In this movie Tarantino transports the audience back to the old Hollywood he grew up with. There is a clear sense of longing for the past, a theme which overlaps with main character Rick Dalton’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) coping with the end of his glory days as a big star in Hollywood.
This movie feels like one that will become a classic years from now. With a stellar cast that is almost too good to be true, a carefully curated soundtrack and humorous dialogue, it seems like a movie I could watch repeatedly and never grow tired of. This movie is not to be missed this summer.