Once Upon a Time... in Tarantino's film

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2019)

Tarantino once again shows that he has his own way of making a movie. If he wants to linger in a moment, he will. He's in no rush to get anywhere. This is present for example in the form of the many clips of the shows and films Dalton has starred in. Some other director might have rushed through the period showcasing to get to the juicy bit of the Manson family. But the focus isn't on them here. Once Upon A Time is most of all a homage to the Hollywood's golden era and to its end.
There is a very real sense of dread at the end when the Family is on the prowl, but also a sense of longing of knowing that an era is about to come to an end. That era is here symbolized by Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate, who was murdered before her career really got off. But then something happens at the end, something completely surprising. The ending is one of my favorites I've seen in a long time. It ties the whole movie together and it left a smile on my face. It's Tarantino once again throwing the rule book out of the window.
Leonardo DiCaprio's star fading Rick Dalton and his stuntman played by Brad Pitt are at the center of the film. The focus isn't on the Manson Family. And rightfully so. This is a tribute to a bygone era, and the death of Sharon Tate's sort of symbolizes its end, so screw them. Dalton's fading career is played against Sharon Tate's bright looking career in Hollywood. There's a sort of expecting atmosphere throughout the film, because you think you what is going to happen. That's the ending works so well. It's a relief.
The film is filled with talented actors, but the two headliners; DiCaprio and Pitt are the ones who stand out the most. The chemistry between the two of them is real. DiCaprio plays his character like he did in Django Unchained. He's able to go from one extreme motion to another. Pitt's stuntman is more abstained, although he too has a violent side in him. But what works here is the relationship between those to. You get the feel that these two really have a long history together.
There's a lot less violence this time around than what one is usually expecting from Tarantino. A couple of scenes are still here to tick off that box, and especially the latter one of them is hilarious. Music also plays an important role here with a soundtrack that's filled with tunes that fit the times and mood of the film.
Tarantino has made a film that has heart, by mixing in fantasy with the events from the history. It feels personal, rather than just being an overview into the events of the late sixties Hollywood, the death of Sharon Tate and the Manson Family, which would have been a pretty uninspired approach from a director of Tarantino's caliber. This film's aspiration is much higher than that. It has the same elements that we have come to expect from Tarantino's film, but it managed to evoke feelings in me that his previous films haven't.