Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – 2019
It really seems that every movie Quinten Tarantino makes is a good one. They all have engaging plots, and some wonderfully interesting characters. There is always a certain amount of really shocking and intense violence. And there are always the perfect music selections to underscore the action. Tarantino definitely has his own style and it is always exciting to watch.
The main plot and its two leading characters were fictional, but most of the supporting cast were based on real people. Leonardo DiCaprio played Rick Dalton, a western film and TV star whose career seemed to be stalling, and his faithful stunt double, Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt. It had been a while since Cliff had done any stunts, but he had become Rick’s driver, gopher, and best friend. The main plot follows them as they face the prospect of being out of work as the Golden Age of Hollywood comes to a close.
But there were a lot of characters based on real people, like the lead actress in a different storyline, Margot Robbie, playing the part of Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s young wife. We were also treated to amazing cameo portrayals of historical figures like Jay Sebring, Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, Steve McQueen, Squeaky Fromme, Charles Manson, James Stacy, Connie Stevens, and Bruce Lee, among others. It lent an extra amount of realism to the somewhat fictional story.
But there was one thing that I couldn’t seem to get over. That second story line that followed Sharon Tate seemed to be largely unnecessary. I mean, nothing much really happened, and there seemed to be no dramatic or emotional payoff at the end of the film. It wasn’t until I did my research on the characters in the film that I understood why the storyline was in the movie. You have to know about how Tate was murdered in her home, along with four other people, by members of the Manson “Family”.
And that led me to understand why the movie was titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It was ultimately a fairy tale, because in the movie, the murderers invaded Rick Dalton’s home instead of Polanski’s. In true Tarantino style, Rick and Cliff super-violently kill all three of Manson’s would-be murderers. Just before the credits roll, Cliff is taken away in an ambulance, and Tate invites Rick into her home as a friend. And that was it. That was the emotional payoff of her story. She lived. Learning what actually happened made the movie so much more impactful, especially the ending. But if you don’t know those historical events before watching it, you might be as confused as I was about Margot Robbie’s part in the movie.
Now, I have to mention DiCaprio’s portrayal of Rick Dalton. I have come to respect DiCaprio as an incredible actor who really throws himself into the rolls he plays. Every time, he turns in a really fantastic performance, and when you sit down to watch one of his movies, you know you are in good hands. He is consistently dynamic and yet believable, intense and yet relatable. The moments in this movie where he breaks down as he sees his career dying were ironically comical, and strangely powerful. As an actor, he has a way of easily drawing in an audience and holding their attention, and this film was no exception. He’s one of those actors who will actually draw me into a theater, no matter what kind of movie he’s doing.
And I particularly liked his climactic finale here, when he takes out one of Manson’s murderers with a flame-thrower. She crashes through his glass patio door and falls into his swimming pool. His surprised reaction is priceless. She is standing in the pool, her face beat to a bloody mess, firing a gun wildly into the air. Rick runs and gets his flame thrower, a working movie prop, and sets her on fire. She burns, screaming bloody murder, until she dies and sinks into the water, dousing the flames. So violent, and yet so cool! How do you do it Tarantino? How do you consistently make such awful violence so awesome and satisfying?
Brad Pitt has also proven himself to be a very good actor, but his roll in this film was less emotional and more bad-ass. Even though his character was on an acid-trip during the home invasion scene, he still managed to dispatch his attackers in a way that was really frightening to watch. Pitt totally sold it and did a great job. And of course, Tarantino’s writing is so good because he didn’t ignore Cliff’s injuries or his acid-trip when the action was over and the police arrived to question him.
There was also the period piece angle of the movie that was wonderful. It all took place in the late sixties and was perfectly executed. The costumes and the music were spot-on. The cars, the characters, and the general vibe were flawless. I wasn’t even alive in the sixties, and it still all felt right. Yes, Tarantino really knows what he is doing! Actually, I often wonder why he hasn’t won a Best Picture Oscar, or at the very least, one for Best Director, though he has been nominated several times. In fact, the only Oscar he’s actually taken home was for the screenplay of Pulp Fiction in 1994.