Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
One thought that came to mind after “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” had to do with the careers Quentin Tarantino brought to the forefront for a new generation with his early films. Laurence Tierny after “Reservoir Dogs,” Pam Grier and Robert Forster after “Jackie Brown,” and Michael Parks and Sonny Cheeba after “Kill Bill.” If those casting choices were about bringing those actors back to the big screen for QT, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” is about giving us a slice of life of what their day-to-day careers were. The film has a very distinctive feel from anything else he’s ever done, and it feels like the work of a director who’s coming close to the end, which- allegedly- Tarantino is. If so, it is time for his summation. This is a pretty good one.
The film is set in 1969, at the dawn of the Golden Age of Hollywood in terms of cinema- which saw Scorsese, Coppola, De Palma, Spielberg and Lucas all arrive on the scene- but this isn’t about those titans, and the revolution they brought; this is about people who were at a point in their careers where the luster has gone off of their star, and they’re just trying to hang on. That’s where Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his friend, and longtime stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) are right now; about a decade after Dalton’s starring role on the TV show, “Bounty Law,” Rick is at a point in his career where he finds himself cast as the one-off villain in pilots and TV episodes, and Cliff is driving him around due to his alcoholism, and doing odds and ends work for him; as a stuntman, Cliff doesn’t have much value outside of looking like Rick, partially because the industry has shunned him for some questions about his role in his wife’s death. Early on in the film, casting agent Marvin Schwarzs (Al Pacino) suggests Rick start to make Spaghetti Westerns if he wants to stay in the spotlight, but Rick thinks they are beneath him. At the same time, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her husband, Roman Polanski, have moved into the house next door to Dalton, and the dream of meeting the couple, and maybe working with Polanski, keeps Rick’s hope for his career alive.
This is probably Tarantino’s least confident film from a story structure standpoint; while the film leads to a climax that kind of ties to all the threads it has unraveled through the film, those threads are tenuously connected, at best, as Rick and Cliff find themselves playing a role in the events preceding what, in real life, lead to the death of Sharon Tate at the hands of Charlie Manson’s cult. In Tarantino’s revisionist history, Tate is spared because the members of the cult who go to hers and Polanski’s house get distracted by a drunk Dalton, leading to one of the wildest finales Tarantino has ever put on-screen. Beyond that conclusion, I’m not sure if Tate and Polanski needed to be a part of the film, and that’s really disappointing to write; there was a lot of controversy prior to, and after, the film’s release with regards to how QT portrays Tate in the film, and I think he does fine with her- giving Robbie a wonderful moment where Tate goes to see one of her movies in the theatre, and focusing in on her face as the audience reacts, and she remembers the experience of watching the film- but I don’t know feel like the film does anything substantial enough with her to merit the inclusion. Tarantino’s revisionist climax here doesn’t have the same impact that it did in “Inglourious Basterds,” where both main story threads came together in probably the most emotionally-satisfying finale Tarantino has ever come up with.
(Note: After a November rewatch of the film, I disagree now that it is QT’s least confident film. The narrative threads moved much smoother upon rewatch, and the rhythms of the film fell into place. And the introduction of Tate and Polanski in the story was more obviously a way of illuminating Rick’s hopes for his career, and what he’s trying to hold on to, the second time around. I’m really grateful I watched it again, and have adjusted my grade accordingly.)
When “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” focuses in on Rick and Cliff, and their friendship, the film is absolutely must-see Tarantino. Pitt and DiCaprio are fantastic together as these old school cowboys from Hollywood’s past trying to maneuver their way through its present, and their chemistry is as good as any we’ve seen in one of QT’s films. The moments where Tarantino diverts into flashbacks and film-within-a-film moments where the two are working are as fun as anything QT has put on camera over the years; Cliff’s fight against Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) which led to him getting fired from a job, that is part of why his reputation in the industry is so reliant on Rick continuing to work, though even that is not enough to get him stunt work on the latest TV one-off role Rick is on, as the film goes. Rick is determined to make sure his performance in this episode to keep him on the pilot circuit, but Trudi Fraser, the girl he will be sharing a scene with, has a professionalism and manner about her he hasn’t been capable of in a while, and he struggles with the dialogue. After he has a breakdown in his trailer, however, he is on fire, and his confidence is at a peak, and it’s a great series of scenes for DiCaprio. He and Pitt not only forge a bond between these two that is as endearing as any Tarantino has written, but it’s some of the most entertaining acting we’ve seen from either one in years. If only for more of this friendship, I’m all about the supposed “miniseries” cut Tarantino could give us on Netflix, though I also am curious about that because of how narratively weak this version is, as well.
As much as I’m down on “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” after my first viewing, the film still remains a highly entertaining one from Tarantino. We still get his remarkable ear for curating a soundtrack. We still get some amazing production design, and cinematography by Robert Richardson, in realizing Tarantino’s vision. And there are some fantastic set pieces- including one where Cliff is taken to the old movie set where the Manson family is gathering, which is as suspenseful as the opening scene in “Inglourious Basterds”- that show that Tarantino remains one of the most exciting filmmakers currently working, even if I don’t feel like this is an overly successful effort from him.
