Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (2019) doesn’t just shine thanks to outstanding performances – it also uses the medium of film as a powerful remedy for historical trauma.
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A Different Kind of Tarantino
No shootouts, no fountains of blood, no glorification of violence – is this a Tarantino film for the faint of heart? Not quite. But let’s start from the beginning: anyone familiar with the historical background (the Manson Family) knows that blood and violence must inevitably make an appearance… However, compared to Tarantino’s usual standards, this moment is brief and significantly more restrained!
No need to worry, though – Tarantino masterfully plays to his other classic strengths: long and intense dialogues, overflowing coolness, deep love for cinema, strong women, and an innovative narrative style.
Instead of bloodshed, we get 1960s Hollywood in all its atmospheric glory. The film’s setting and tone take center stage over action, which may not please every viewer – but it reveals a more mature side of Tarantino. It’s brilliant how he brings the 1960s film industry back to life, enchanting audiences along the way. The Western-actor odyssey of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character is a major highlight: following his inner turmoil is both gripping and moving.
In the end, it’s the setting and the brilliant performances by Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio that carry the film.
A Cathartic Climax
But perhaps the most powerful part of the film is the ending. Those familiar with Tarantino know he doesn’t always stay faithful to historical events (see Inglourious Basterds (2009)). So it should come as no surprise that he wouldn’t simply retell the tragic fate of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski…
Yet, until the very end, we don’t know how he’ll rewrite the story – and that suspense is what drives much of the film’s intensity.
When the climax finally arrives, Tarantino takes such bold creative liberties that the result is pure catharsis. Joy and peace rush through the viewer’s veins, as the healing power of cinema reveals itself in full.
Thank you, Mr. Tarantino, for demonstrating to the world what film as catharsis can truly mean.
(P.S. Let’s hope Roman Polanski appreciated it too – and maybe even shed a healing tear?)