Once upon A Time In Hollywood had lots of hype when it first came out but for some reason it took me quite a while to get around to seeing the film. When it comes to Quentin Tarantino his movies are usually either a hit or miss for me. There are certain elements that he implements which I believe are fantastic and game changing from a film standpoint but at other times after watching a few of his films I leave feeling confused or unsatisfied. In the case of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood I feel that all the hype is well deserved.
This film takes place in the late 1960s and follows a rough actor trying to keep his career alive and his stuntman turned driver who tags along with him. I am young having been born in the 90s so I cannot understand how accurate this film portrays the 1960s but based off of the music, the scenery, the language and the famous characters who appear in small parts it makes me believe I am in the 60s. One of the most creative elements Tarantino implements is taking Leonardo Dicaprio's character, Rick Dalton and using some creative technology to put him into real films and TV shows like The Great Escape, Bounty Law and FBI. It adds to the realism and allows all of us as audience members to believe that Rick Dalton was a real actor of the time.
Online it seems as though there are two major gripes with the film which I believe are both unwarranted. The first is the way he portrays Bruce Lee. Growing up and still to this day I am a major Bruce Lee fan thanks to my father. Some of my fondest memories are watching movies like Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury together. For those of you who have not seen the film SPOLIER ALERT. While on the set of a movie Brad Pitt's character is watching and waiting for his time to fill in as the stuntman. On the set Bruce Lee is talking about how great he is and how he could defeat the great Mohammad Ali in a fight. To make the story short Bruce and Cliff Booth end up in a fight where Cliff wins. Many people had problems with this because it makes Bruce Lee look like a cocky jerk and the fact he gets kind of beat up by Brad Pitt. The reason this doe not bother me as a Bruce fan is that Tarantino is known for making a parody of different real life people and events. Also the reason Cliff Booth can beat him in a fight is because he isn't actually a real person. Tarantino can make his character win or lose any fight he wants.
The other issue some had with the film is the seemingly small role Margot Robbie plays as Sharon Tate. On this topic I do not understand the displeasure people had at all. This film is not about Sharon Tate or trying to tell her story. Tarantino uses the character as an uplifting piece that helps the film flow better and it also helps set up tension and context for the Charles Manson cameo. All of the actors did a fantastic job throughout the film which is why Tarantino tends to work with the same actors.
As Tarantino does he sets up the movie so with hints and clues that cause suspense, in this instance we are shown Charles Manson who shows up at Sharon Tate's house. By the end of the film it seems as if we are going to see real events unfold. Instead Tarantino does what he does best and changes history a bit. What would have happened if the loudmouth actor Rick Dalton and ex military stuntman Cliff Booth lived next door to Sharon Tate. History changes and we get some amazing performance from our main characters which really shows why this movie was up for so many awards at this years oscars.
After watching this I realized how sad it was that I was so late to watching this film. This film was fun, exiting, suspenseful, creative and had one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a while. For any of you who were like me and hesitant to watch the film I tell you now watch it when you can. The almost 3 hour films fly's by and by the end you will wish you could see more. I give this film a 9.0 out of 10 not just because the film is well done but also for its re-watch ability.
Comment how you felt about the film, favorite parts etc and did you have any feelings one way or the other regarding the Bruce Lee scene
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