Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Tarantino Film)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the ninth Quentin Tarantino film. The concept was originally supposed to be in the form of a novel. The script took five years to develop. The film is revolved around a true story in a fictional 1960's setting but realistic events and characters. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski, Dean Martin and the family mansion killings was an actual event. The main characters Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth are based on 60's era actor Ty Hardin and the stunt man Hal Needham which was Burt Reynold's best buddy and stuntman. 

This film illustrated the 1960's era of old hollywood in the aesthetic of western television shows were booming and the counterculture was in trend. Rick Dalton is the main character in the film along with his stunt man Cliff Booth in the starring western series "Bounty Hunter" Rick Dalton is struggling to keep his image as a leading actor in hollywood from fading. Cliff Booth is his best friend they undergo shifts in the industry and life. My favored character development is (Brad Pitt's) performance as "Cliff Booth" his characterization is "memorable" it really reveals his personality as a dedicated loyal friend to "Rick Dalton" and that he a "strong willed persona" not letting any person get in the way of his intentions. When he escorted a hippie teenage girl to "Spawn Ranch" he didn't let anyone intimidate him or take advantage of his hospitality. The scene when he punched a hippie middle aged man until blood was dripping down his face until he installed the spare tire in his boss's car. There was also humorous memorable dialogue when Rick Dalton was crying after a harsh acting criticism, Cliff offered him his aviators and said "Don't let the mexicans see you cry" The opening scenes of the movie when he is asked if he takes his stunt man with him everywhere and is blackmailed that "he's lying Cliff drives him everywhere he got his license taken away from too many DUI's" 

The action in the film was memorable when the hippies from "Spawn Ranch" decide to massacre Sharon Tate and her friends, they target the wrong house, Cliff and his dog "brandy" kill the intruders while he is high on acid cigarettes and his dog attacks both intruders and gets stabbed on the hip, manages to grab one of the hippies and decapitate her. The imposed humor is when the male antagonist points a gun to Cliff and he doesn't react and asks "Are you real, I'm as real as a doughnut" he laughs it off. "I'm the devil, here to do the devil's business" "No it was dumber than that, you're name is Rex or something" After Cliff kills the intruders one of them manages to escape screaming with a knife and Rick Dalton is shocked in the pool with headphones on and burns her with a flamethrower from filming his western tv shows. "Yeah I burned her to a crisp" when asked by his neighbor. Cliff is taken by an ambulance shot and wounded in the hip, my favorite dialogue is "You're a good friend Cliff" "I try" "Hey, tomorrow bring bagels"

Besides the memorable dialogue, the detail in the cinematography and props itself in the film stand out the red apple cigarettes are a silhouette in the Tarantino films as well as the vocal point of women's feet in shot. The film is composed of smaller stories that correlate the big picture of the film, like in Pulp Fiction. The symbolism of food in the film. This film in particular focused it on canned dog food and boxed macaroni. The simplicity of Cliff's persona. Smaller details such as the style of the film, colorful classic cars, mom and pop restaurants, older tv sets with the tv guides. The transition from black and white western shows that tie in with the current 60's setting of the plot intertwined. The pop culture cameos of Bruce Lee and Al Pachino with they're cultural imprint.

The overall rating of this film is highly recommended, it was humorous, action packed and the plot is interpreted by the audience.