Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Once Upon a time in Hollywood is the 9th film written and directed by Quinton Tarantino, the story follows a fading star actor Rick Dalton played by Leonardo DiCaprio who with his stunt double Cliff Booth played by Brad Pitt tries to survive in Hollywood, the movie takes place in 1969 with the backdrop of Manson Murders of Sharon Tate and her friends, the actress is played by Margot Robbie. The movie also features a stellar cast which includes Al Pacino, Kurt Russel, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning Margaret Qualley and the late Luke Perry. The movie itself is a love letter for 60s. Hollywood from Quinton Tarantino who grew up at the time.

Once Upon a time in Hollywood’s Critical Reception

The film just as many other Tarantino movies debuted with rave reviews at the Canned Film Festival. Minor criticism regarding the sexist aspects of the movie were made by few of the female critics, later Bruce Lee’s daughter came forward and described her father’s representation in the movie was demeaning. However despite the accusations the movie bagged 10 Oscar Nominations with 2 wins.

One win was the first acting Oscar for Brad Pitt in the supporting category in a career spanning 3 decades. At the gloves the movie won Best Film Musical or Comedy and a best screenplay award for Quinton Tarantino. American Film Institute also included the film in their Top 10 movies of 2019.

Characters of Quinton Tarantino

The movie takes plays in 1969 Hollywood which means they are bound to have few real life figure in the film. Indeed, the film includes Sharon Tate played by Margot Robbie as one the 3 lead of the movie. Sharon Tate’s husband at the time Director Roman Polanski is also included in the film for brief glimse. The movie has a scene at the playboy mansion and we have a short cameo of Steve McQueen.

The film also showcases Charles Manson the notorious person who started a cult and his Manson Family who were responsible for the killings of Sharon Tata along with her friends, Tate was pregnant at the time. The two lead actors Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt do not play real life individuals but Quinton Tarantino draw inspiration from real life personalities. Leo’ Rick Dalton was inspired by actors whose careers began in Classical Hollywood but faltered in the 1960s, such as Ty Hardin, who went from starring in a successful TV western to making spaghetti westerns.

Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt modeled Booth after Tom Laughlin’s portrayal of Billy Jack. Booth is inspired by Gary Kent, a stuntman for a film made at the Spahn Ranch while the Manson Family lived there, and Gene LeBell, who worked on The Green Hornet after complaints by other stuntmen that Bruce Lee was “kicking the shit out of the stuntmen.” Al Pacino plays a cunning Hollywood Agent Schwartz, interestingly Tarantino wrote the role with Pacino in mind.

ce upon a time in Hollywood Cinematography

Quinton Tarantino re-teams with Robert Richardson who has directed several of Tarantino films which includes Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight. The movie is shot on film 35mm.

The movie is so on the spot that it shoots the normal scenes with newer models for up to date images and uses different older film rolls to shoot the Western scenes depicted in the film. It also cut’s some scenes in 1:1 aspect ratio used in older television sets. The team behind the film worked day and night to convert 2019 Hollywood into 1969 Hollywood. The result can be seen in the film and was appreciated at the Oscars as it won Best Production Design Oscar.

Written by Quinton Tarantino

If he’s directing, he will write it too. Tarantino writes every movie and he writes good. Tarantino in the past has crafted many great scenes, he does the same here. There many great scenes involved.

Bruce Lee v Cliff Booth

This scene is nuts it operates on so many levels. The great comedic dialogues, how the fight is choreographed it’s just the best. Obviously it didn’t happen in real life, it’s just fiction.

Playboy Mansion

This isn’t what you call writing but the way it builds up how things were in Hollywood back in the 60s is fun to see. Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski and Steve McQueen are all featured in the scene.

Western Shoot

In the film Rick Dalton gets a job playing the villain in TV Western. The way the whole scene is shot is just amazing, the writing takes you into the scene engaging with the characters. It’s like a film within a film.

Manson Killing

Ending with with a bang totally has a different meaning after this film. The face off between Cliff and Manson family is a scene which has ‘classic written all over it. The scene ends with Dalton with his flamethrower. It is classic Tarantino Violence which we all love. He kept away from it in this movie but he couldn’t keep it away for this scene.

9th Film by Quinton Tarantino

Tarantino made his debut with Reservoir Dogs (1992) and has cult classics like Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003), Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004), Death Trap (2007). He visited history with Inglorious Bastards (2009), Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015). He visits History again with Once upon a time in Hollywood (2019).

Now the reason why 9th film tag is so important is because Tarantino has made it public that after his 10th film he will retire. So he only has 1 film in his bag. After Once upon a time in Hollywood was released, In January 2020, Tarantino confirmed that he is creating a real television series titled Bounty Law, stating he has already written five episodes and will direct them.

References to other Tarantino film

Cliff Booth is a reference to Brad Pitt’s character in Inglourious Basterds, Aldo Raine, who takes the cover of a stuntman. Speaking of Inglorius Bastards, there’s a recreation of the flamethrower scene by Rick Dalton in the film. Tarantino invented fast food chain Big Kahuna Burger appears on a billboard.

The final scene features Rick Dalton in a commercial for fictional Red Apple cigarettes, which appear in many Tarantino films. When Dalton and Booth get back from Italy they walk by the blue mosaic wall in LAX, the same wall that the title character in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown starring Pam Grier moves past in the opening credits of that film.

Tarantino’s History

After Inglorious Bastards, Quinton Tarantino made a name for himself who is guy who can change history. The reason stated by Tarantino is that ‘he changes it, because he can’. In Tarantino’s History Hitler was successfully assassinated, Black People were able to kill their ruthless ‘masters’. Now with Once upon a time in Hollywood makes it clear that Sharon Tate didn’t die, instead the murderers were violently killed by a washed up star and his stunt double, and also one them was torched.

Harvey Weinstein Scandal

After the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, Tarantino cut ties with Weinstein and sought a new distributor, after having worked with Weinstein for his entire career. On July 11, 2017, it was announced that Quentin Tarantino’s next film would be about the Manson Family murders. Harvey and Bob Weinstein would be involved, but it was not known whether The Weinstein Company would distribute the film. Tarantino has constantly denied that he knew anything about Weinstein’s devious behavior, he thought of him as a good friend. Many tabloids made articles against the film using this angle but eventually the the movie reigned supreme.

The Movie Culture Synopsis

As it was the 9th film, we ourselves cut it short to 9 topics, wonder if you guys noticed it reading the article. We love this film. We remember how we thought it was so different than any of Tarantino’s other works in the past, how this movie was just a layer back ride through the best and worst parts of Hollywood in the 60s, yes it does come back to the gruesome violence Tarantino is known for but we really liked what we got.

The criticism regarding the films are valid upto a certain line. What we think about is, that when Tarantino writes he operates on two levels. The movie is written as how one would if it was 1969, it’s full of racist elements against the minorities, as people were back at the time. Misogynistic elements too are something that Hollywood of 60s was responsible for doing. Don’t forget James Bond came out in 60s and well know how he treats his women. So I guess it’s just that, you must understand before you watch.