A Nostalgic Trip Through 1969 Hollywood
In ’Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ Quentin Tarantino places the viewer in the world of 1969 Los Angeles and gives a view into portioned narratives revolving around an aging television actor Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, Brad Pitt. And as these two do that over the course of a few short decades in a Hollywood in the midst of change, they meet all sorts of interesting people- like their neighbors Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate or a dangerous cult in the shape of the Manson family. It is more of this fantasy history that could be real but then again, it is not; a cinematic excursion of the fantastic-dynamism of the real and new world; grounded on friendship, magnified fame, and Hollywood’s perpetual transformation. Rather predictable opposite scenes are observed, such as discrimination of Jews in World War II and the comical Madagascar stories – this film has a striking example of the director’s mastery of combining elements of drama and comedy. It is the friendship of Dalton and Booth that forms the emotional core of Timestales, amidst glamour and gunslingers. It is noteworthy that the film uses the sheen of the film industry and the darkness of the Manson family to increase the film’s density.
Peculiarly, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, giving him believable uncertainty and anxiety in representing an actor who is difficult to survive amid the transitioning Hollywood sphere. As ever, the great Brad Pitt is excellent as Cliff Booth and adds to the movie a character that contrasts with Dalton’s more jittery persona. The Sharon Tate has been portrayed by Margot Robbie, with a very natural depiction portraying a happy going person though with lesser lines she is able to capture the feelings of a happy emotion on her face. The rest of the ensemble cast, which features Al Pacino and Margaret Qualley, are also beneficent to the film’s variety of narc– what I mean to say is that everyone else does a great job and adds nicely to the cast.
As it stands, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ serves as further testament to Quentin Tarantino’s mastery of cinema as a director. That and his talent of combining several interrelated plots into one, all the while giving a nod to the period he clearly enjoys shall. This is Donmar’s style – well-written dialogues, non-linear structure and the combination of tones – comedy and thriller – all in one, and it feels as if the director has poured a piece of his soul into this movie.
The music used in the film is the songs popular in the second half of 1960s, which is enhancing the motion picture experience with the best songs of that time. The so chosen tunes work wonders in relaying the feel of nostalgia and tunes the audiences into the right wavelength; the music serves as a part of the plot and is no mere background score.
Robert Richardson, the cinema’s favourite for many a Tarantino movie nails the exact LA deserts in their raw sun-touched glory. The overall look and feel of the show is very colorful, as evidenced by the clothing and set designs of 1969 accentuated by aging cinematographic lighting techniques.
The set designs are strictly followed and the general appearance of the show is very close to the actual Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Concerning special effects, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ doesn’t have many, but those it does use are really well implemented. This contributes some way to the historical aspect and gives some leeway for artistic flair while not becoming too invasive.
Fred Raskin’s editing keeps it rather fluid, even with the rather unconventional narrative structure of the film. It has a certain rhythm of its leisurely pace, and while some may argue that it runs a bit long and indulgent, the pace adopted does not detract from the movie at all. To some eyes, the unhurried and relaxed pace may be off putting but to those who enjoyed a slow burn and characters to grow and evolve, this could be a riches.
Words in Tarantino’s script are full of his trademarked arch wise ass humor and intelligence; brilliantly witty and smart dialogues are smooth and natural and give flesh to a characters. The reasserts every line as if lickety-split composed, with dimensions added to the characters as well as the story’s progression being guided by rhythmical logic. Viewers should not expect a compact story since the pace of the film and its plot are fluid and liberal. A few characters seem underdeveloped and due to certain scene setting scenes and monologues, it feels slow at places even though these are part of the charm of tarantino’s writing and portrayal.
If Hollywood is the elder sister of cinema then ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ paid her a love letter by capturing the late 60s, a phase of transition in cinema andculture. The impressive singing and dancing, the beauty of production made me think and recall the sentimentality of the Golden Hollywood era.
