Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is a comedy-drama from writer-director Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and a huge slew of celebrity cameos. It follows a faded television actor and his stunt double’s strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.
Under The Lens: Old Western Shows and Character focus
Old Western Shows: The character of Rick Dalton is a former western TV actor, seeking fame and fortune in Hollywood, the picture shows his work as a guest star on various shows, and his life in general. I have watched old western shows since I was a kid and am well versed in the tropes and styles, I was struck by how accurate Quentin Tarantino got the scenes from the sets of his old west show stand-ins. Watching the scenes of Quentin‘s old west show, was like I WAS watching a 60s western. It was indiscernible from the real thing, it just goes to show the amazing talent of Tarantino and how he is able to not just mimic old styles of filming but embody them.
Character Focus: This picture is mostly plotless, as it aimlessly followers its leads from encounter to encounter, the “plot” of the picture so to speak is its characters, each scene and unfolding adds another layer to the person on screen. We get to know them a bit better and understand why they tick. For example, the violence of Brad Pitt’s character at the end, when he brutally breaks a man’s neck and then beats a woman to death seems out of place, except for the foreshadowing of his violent behavior at the Manson Ranch and the rumor of him murdering his wife. Sharon Tait has a plot throughout the picture that many called pointless, but the focus was intentional, as Tarantino wished to rewrite her history and allow her to be remembered for something other than her murder. Its almost as if Tarantino used Once Upon A Time in Hollywood to give Sharon Tate the happy ending she never got in life. It’s like he said, “That’s not how her story should have ended so I’m going to change it”.
Highlights
The picture turns the deaths of the members of the Manson family into punchlines, illustrating that they were so feared in life, and they would not be feared on the screen.
The relationship between Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s characters was a true bromance and illustrated how loving and caring a platonic male relationship can be.
The color and saturation in this picture was outstanding and beautiful to look at. See it in 4K if you can.
Quotable Quotes
Trudi: Naturally, we never succeed, but it’s the pursuit..that’s meaningful.
Something to think about
How did you like the slow pace of the picture? Did you feel like it helped or hindered its plot and characters?
Conclusion
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it is a true masterpiece of filmmaking, its acting is spot on, its cinematography outstanding, and its script heartfelt and humorous. Tarantino injected a rare sweetness to his characters, Rick Dalton is a genuinely normal guy just trying to get by, and the other characters are shown to be human flaws and all. It’s packed with easter eggs and hidden gems that make a rewatches fun and necessary to catch everything. Its a monument to a Hollywood before it lost its innocence, an alternative history of what may have happened if those dark events never happened…
