Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) - Film Review

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt & Margot Robbie

Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Certificate: 18

I'm not going to lie: 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' had its work cut out to try and restore some of my good faith towards Quentin Tarantino. Whilst he's undeniably one of the most prolific auteur filmmakers working today, and behind one of my all-time favourite films with 'Inglorious Basterds', since his last film there have been various revelations about him that've come to light. From his general dismissiveness in light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, to the reveal of Uma Thurman's mistreatment while filming 'Kill Bill' - it really sullied my overall opinion of him. Tarantino has always been a controversial figure but these kind of incidents are harder to look past. So 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' has an uphill battle facing it, but let's see if it can offer up a bit of redemption...

Set during the twilight years of the Hollywood golden age, veteran actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth find themselves at increasing risk of becoming obsolete as the film industry changes around them. Whilst Rick is cast in a new TV Western, Cliff becomes entangled with the many hippies living on a nearby ranch. Meanwhile in an effort to boost his declining acting career, Rick hopes to befriend his new neighbours: director Roman Polanski and actress Sharon Tate, but the now-infamous murder spree carried out by the Manson Family looms on the horizon. 

When looking at film through a critical lens, it's important to remember that no film exists in isolation, rather they are products influenced by and subsequently capable of influencing the wider cultural context surrounding it. With that in mind, in my opinion there's a strong case to be made that 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' is Tarantino's most self-aware film to date. For nearly three hours we're invited to revel in a bygone world, one that's already rapidly changing and we follow two characters who are having to navigate their way through it. Whether it's Tarantino himself or the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, I can't imagine that these casting choices were made without any self-awareness in mind. None of these three men are past their prime or faded stars in the least, any they'll helm big projects for years to come. DiCaprio and Pitt can still attract an audience, but I think it can generally be agreed that the peak of their popularity is behind them. By going back to the last gasps of the Hollywood golden age and how much the American film industry was changing at the time, both the two leads and the director appear to be acknowledging their own place in the ever-changing film industry today. 

I remember when the premise and initial rounds of promotional material started to emerge wandering how the film was going to accommodate Tarantino's auteur characteristics. On the surface it's maybe his most atypical film - for instance one of the things that best characterizes his films is extreme and often graphic violence. However, for the most part 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' isn't especially violent. Until the ending at least (and boy I'll get to that ending), most violence is kept pretty tame. This isn't to say that none of Tarantino's auteur features are on display - he is after all Hollywood's most prolific cinephile as well and this entire film is a love letter to the industry. And as has been the case with his other films set in the past, whether it's occupied France or the wild West, the realization of 60s L.A is gorgeous. Tarantino rarely scrimps on the details when bringing these kinds of settings to life, and from the cars to the colourful lights of the city at night, there's a warm and comforting nostalgia here. As to be expected from such a cinephile, there's tributes paid to and even full-on recreations of bits from film and TV of the era. Most notable is the tribute to the 60s TV Westerns, where we spend a good chunk of the film as Rick is cast as the villain in a pilot episode. We're also treated to snippets of Rick's previous films, which includes a film where he torches a bunch of Nazis with a flamethrower, and he's even superimposed into a scene from 'The Great Escape' at one point - a sublime bit of editing that works scarily well.

Both DiCaprio and Pitt make for one hell of a fun pairing, and channel everything that makes buddy movies great. While we're not exactly treading new ground when it comes to Rick Dalton, a struggling actor doing their best to remain relevant, it's kept fresh and engaging thanks to DiCaprio. He turns in a performance that I guarantee will be fondly remembered in years to come. Despite not being the one in the spotlight as Rick's stunt double, Brad Pitt almost steals the show as Cliff Booth. Cliff is immensely charming and endearing, and honestly Pitt taking home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was thoroughly deserved. Although admittedly there is one aspect to Booth that feels out of place: the rumour that he killed his wife and subsequently struggles to find work on sets. The film teases us with this possibility, but never outright confirms or denies it and I'm probably being dumb, but I just don't understand why this is here. In practically every other way, the film is dedicated to getting us to like Booth - he's a loyal friend to Rick, shows concerns for the welfare of the Spahn Ranch owner and cares for a simultaneously cute and awesome pitbull, Brandy. So why muddy the waters like this for seemingly no reason? 

See while I did really enjoy 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood', it's by no means perfect and this aspect of Booth isn't the only unfortunate thing in here. Despite being promoted on the same kind of level as DiCaprio and Pitt, Margot Robbie is underutilized in the final product. It's strange considering her role as Sharon Tate, the actress brutally murdered by the Manson Family - something that is pretty integral to the film. Instead, while Dalton and Booth get plenty to do, Tate is relegated primarily to just two roles: to dance to 60s pop music, and to watch herself in one of her films at the cinema. Tate just fades into the background really and while she is depicted with this perfect, idealized glow about her, ultimately she's only in the film as a symbol of a perceived more innocent time. Another famous face that shows up is Bruce Lee, played here by Mike Moh... and ooh dear, the depiction of Lee is a troublesome one. Unlike Sharon Tate, Lee mercifully only appears in a single scene, but is incredibly arrogant and with one hell of an inflated ego. While I'm sure it was unintentional, there's an uncomfortable whiff of racism in the scene with Lee, with it insinuated that he needs to be literally knocked down a peg or two have the arrogance knocked out of him by a plain-speaking white man. As for Charles Manson, well he's virtually non-existent and barely in the actual film. However, the Manson Family are depicted in a rather odd way too. If you were to take 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' at face value, you'd think the Manson Family were just strange, violent hippies. While true in part, the fact that Manson and his cult were white supremacists out to instigate a race war goes completely unmentioned, and again I don't know why this was omitted.

Though the Mansons' depiction has its issues, one thing that I absolutely enjoyed was the resolution. I said earlier that this is one of Tarantino's least violent films, and this is true at least until the last ten-fifteen minutes which descend into an extravaganza of violence. Rick, Cliff and even his dog Brandy become the new targets to be killed, but instead brutally end up dispatching their assailants. After such a laid-back time, the ending works on shock value alone and it's outrageously funny viewing. It's undoubtedly where the film earns its 18 certificate, with dog maulings, knives, heads smashed into bloody pulps, and even Rick's flamethrower gets put into use. It's an incredible ending spectacle, and as with Tarantino opting to gun down Hitler and Goebbels in 'Inglorious Basterds', he's not afraid to revise the history again. It's a satisfying fantasy to retroactively see the Manson murderers get their comeuppance and get to see individuals like Sharon Tate get to live instead.

'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' does have its share of problems and I won't imagine that it's about to become many people's all-time favourite Tarantino film. But that's the beauty of his films - everyone has a different favourite regardless and it's one of those increasingly rare situations where there isn't really a solid consensus on which is the best or worst. A film like this is itself a growing rarity nowadays - not every scene has a specific narrative purpose and there's plenty in here that isn't strictly essential to the overall plot. While that can make the film drag in places, I still wouldn't call it flabby. It's a laid-back hangout movie that's more concerned with re-living and celebrating a much-loved period of film history, and I can thoroughly get on board with and respect that.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

8/10