"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019) Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Oozing with myopic love, not spoilers.

As was now custom (Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight), “Brother Andy” and I saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood on opening night together and when the cinema lights were raised, accompanying the old school “Batman” theme that begins the closing credits of the film we were in love with QT’s latest creation, but we weren’t quite sure why. I returned the following day to watch it all over again and saw it in back to back showings. This completed the jigsaw. I’d already understood the general themes of the film as well as it being a love letter to a place, a vibe, a creation, a life, and an industry with which Quentin has been thoroughly ensconced within since his earliest years. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was also yet another of Quentin’s re-writing of history (see Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds), but here it’s arguable, when compared to the horrific events he reverses, more subtle, personal, heart warming, human and indeed glorious.

The final piece of the jigsaw for me was perhaps the second to last scripted line of the entire film. There’s one follow up line and partially inaudible dialogue shortly after, but when our supposed hero here states “Hey! You’re a good friend, Cliff” it really does summarise and gather together all that is truly magnificent of this, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film. For it is a film about 1969, the height of the “Summer of Love” and what some writers then declared to be the end of innocence with the grisly Hollywood murders by anything but a self proclaimed “Family” who followed Charles Manson. It’s a love affair with a Hollywood and film industry pre the dirty and grimy Grindhouse cinemas of the late 1970’s, the excess of the 1980’s and the tiptoeing into an early 1990’s Quentin himself would dominate. It’s part Western (and part of his trilogy of westerns) and it’s also brilliantly part horror film for a twenty minute segment midway through. As the opening bars of that old school “Batman” theme begin you also have a catharsis, which is as rare in a QT film as the obvious strands of every relationship being tied up and neatly arranged, not left hanging or referring to a scene in the film an hour and a half ago. The beautiful ending juxtaposes with the visceral violence that precedes it, but whilst horribly graphic it is but a pinprick in time compared to the outrageously brilliant film that comes before it. And then you have that line about being a good friend, and the overarching theme of friendships is pleasingly magnified.

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The above opening paragraphs are taken from my spoiler free review of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" originally penned and published in 2019, transferred to my Medium blog site on 2nd May 2022 and which can now be read in full and for free via my Substack blog site and original updated article linked immediately below. I've also linked my career opus blog article on Quentin Tarantino too:

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/the-genius-of-quentin-tarantino-7d8df84138ee

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/the-genius-of-quentin-tarantino-vol-2-a4b299a510c0

This spoiler free review is also integral to volume 4 of my 7 volumes of "essential film reviews collection". Currently only available as individual e-books on Amazon and priced at £4.99 per volume, however should you have an Amazon Kindle "Unlimited" package you can read each and every volume for free:

Volume 4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4MG435K

All 7 Volume Series

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4HZSTTH?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

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