Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is a 2019 American romantic drama film directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The story follows the lives of two actors, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), both struggling to make it in Hollywood. The film co-stars Margot Robbie, Timothy Olyphant, Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning.
It was written by Tarantino and Craig Olson (who would later co-write the screenplay to Before I Wake).In 2019, we got the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood movie. But what does this movie mean? What is its ending? Here’s our analysis on the meaning and ending of this film.
Contents
- 1 The Meaning of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
The Meaning of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
The movie is about two Hollywood actors, Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. They are both struggling to make it in the movie business. However, they have each other to fall back on. The film’s ending implies that Rick and Cliff may still be working together, as they share a touching reconciliation scene at the end of the film.
First off, we can say that there are two major themes in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. One is how far one will go to maintain their fame and status quo in life. The other is the bonds (or lack thereof) between celebrities who lead different lives due to the heavy disadvantages of being an actor thanks to the industry itself.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film (including Kill Bill films as one and excluding his participation in Four Rooms). It’s an ensemble drama with an exceptional cast, even for Tarantino. And it’s a (mostly) rosy portrayal of the late 1960s and early 1970s Hollywood: a formative period for the renegade filmmaker’s imagination.
He stated he worked on the script for many years, “as well as having spent the most of my childhood in Los Angeles County, including in 1969, when I was seven years old. I’m extremely pleased to convey the narrative of a Los Angeles and a Hollywood that no longer exist.”
The plot revolves around Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a formerly successful actor who is now forced to play supporting parts against up-and-coming young talent. It’s also about his stunt double and closest buddy Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), a former green beret in WWII whose Hollywood career is, predictably, fading with Dalton’s.
And, to some extent – though perhaps not as much as you might expect – it’s about Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who moves in next door to Dalton on Cielo Drive with her husband Roman Polanski, leading Dalton to believe that some networking with the new Hollywood generation might be possible to revive his flagging career. The story’s meandering path brings all three inexorably to the night of August 8, 1969, when a deadly encounter with the Manson Family takes place.
The Ending of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a unique film that marks the beginning of its conclusion, especially by starting up with its major protagonists after a six-month time leap from early February 1969 to August 8, 1969 — a date highly recognizable to true crime enthusiasts who have investigated the Manson Family.
Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, accompanied by Rick’s new wife Francesca Capucci (Lorenza Izzo), return from Italy after a successful series of film projects that kept the partnership busier than they’d been in a long time. While they remain the greatest of friends, they have also agreed that their relationship must come to an end and that they must go their own ways.
Meanwhile, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who is now heavily pregnant, spends the day with her two houseguests, Voytek Frykowski (Costa Ronin) and Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson), as well as her ex/best friend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch), while her husband, Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), is away. They go out for dinner at the Mexican restaurant El Coyote at night, albeit it’s not a lengthy evening since Sharon is suffering from pregnancy-induced depression and pain due to the hot temperature.
This uncommon video picks up with its major protagonists six months later, on August 8, 1969 – a date recognizable to true crime fans who have investigated the Manson Family – establishing the film’s beginning and finish quite clearly.
They return after a successful film production run that kept them busier than they’d been in a long time with Rick’s new wife, Francesca Capucci (Lorenza Izzo). So, although they are still the greatest of friends, they have decided to split ways.
While Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is out, she spends the day with her two houseguests, Voytek Frykowski (Costa Ronin) and Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson), as well as her ex/best friend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch). Even though Sharon feels a little down due to pregnancy-induced depression and the hot weather, they head out for dinner at El Coyote in San Francisco.
Ending Explanation
When the situation reaches a boiling point, and Tex is about to shoot Cliff in the face, the stuntman flicks his tongue and instructs Brandy to rush at the shooter, biting his arm, leg, and crotch first. Cliff, Brandy, and Francesca combat the intruders, and both Tex and Katie are murdered — the former by a boot to the face and the latter by having her skull bashed against various hard surfaces.
Sadie is eventually the only survivor, despite having her face crushed by a can of dog food and her body ripped apart by Brandy’s attacks. She escapes the canine by taking Tex’s revolver and firing a shot in the air (which knocks Cliff unconscious), but she then runs screaming through the house’s glass sliding door leading to the pool.
Rick, who has been completely ignorant of the mayhem that has been happening, is horrified to see Sadie, who cries while falling into the pool while still clutching the pistol. His reaction is to jump out of the water, take a flamethrower off the set of The 14 Fists of McCluskey, and murder her with fire.
The police are called, Cliff is brought to the hospital with a knife wound, and Rick is ultimately left alone in his driveway. Jay Sebring comes down the driveway from Sharon’s home, having heard all of the commotion, and inquires about what occurred, prompting Rick to recap the events of the night rapidly.
Sharon checks in over an intercom and is glad to hear that everything is well. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood concludes with Rick finally getting the opportunity he’s been waiting for when Sharon invites him to her home. It’s a joyous and thrilling finish, but it’s also extremely different from what occurred in real life.
What the Movie Is About
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” contrasts the lives and deaths of legendary American actors Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Swanson and John F. Kennedy is about three very different egos colliding in 1969 California. The world as we know it ends, for Liza (Margot Robbie), a fading actress, is taking one last job at an all-night video store to pay off her debts.
She glimpses into the life of Rick Dalton (Brad Pitt), his manipulative wife Sharon Tate (Caterina Scorsone), who was known as “the angel face,” their degenerate friends and their beautiful yet unstable starlet, The Unicorn (Naomi Watts), and he swiftly signs her away to save his own business. Meanwhile, in 1968 Los Angeles, former big-screen stars are struggling to keep up appearances.
They all want to live, but the business is not like it used to be. Vincenzo (David Dastmalchian), a music mogul who made his fortune from Glenn Bogdanovich’s classic “The Last Movie,” puts together The Living Room Theater as an alternative for Hollywood’s dying stars struggling actors desperate for work. It doesn’t take long before things start falling apart once again.
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” has received critical acclaim since its release on July 26, 2018, in the US, with many calling it one of Brad Pitt’s best works so far, though other 1 star reviews have called the plot “too laborious” and too slow for its own good. It is telling that even people who disagree with Brad Pitt can appreciate one of his movies more than poor plotless Hollywood blockbusters like ‘All The Money In the World’ or Tyler Perry’s trilogy (although a lot of those didn’t fare so well either).
The Film’s Portrayal of The Era’s Social Mores and Values
These are all represented in this adaptation of the stage play by Tim Curran and Jerry Jaque.” Within 12 seconds, we witness “the arrival home of a family from work under French occupation”; the first nurse comes to get a babysitting job with her worker husband. The next scene has two ships sailing: one holding enslaved people/Indians who were caught as illegal booty (captured natives would be forced into slave labor).
Then commercial traders went out buying an endless array of human being traded commodities, and gold went down lower South American countries while trading slavers came back up rivers carrying heaps and heaps of human beings traded goods; next scene has two ships, one coming to New York City not a long time ago, the other one comes back: slavery was times passed in America!
Those ride their cane baskets (like space rides or jetpack) into hiding behind dark gray, foggy skies women & children by boat fleeing slave traders up steamers transporting Native Americans illegally seized and shipped to Georgia.
The Cast of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Filming began on February 15, 2018, in Los Angeles County after a ten-year break from Tarantino’s filmmaking duties due to events that occurred between films: his mother’s death, Robert Rodriguez leaving The Weinstein Company as an executive producer over their opposition of the planned double feature with Basterds at the Regal Cinemas brand.
1.Brad Pitt
In the movie Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are playing the roles of Jake and Russell in the movie. Jake is portrayed as a man who is in a desperate situation. He is also portrayed as having no job and a family to take care of. On the other hand, Russell is portrayed as a guy who has everything, a family, a wife and children. The movie begins with Jake, who is portrayed as a struggling writer.
2.Leonardo DiCaprio
In the movie, Russell is a struggling actor, and he plays his role perfectly well. The fight scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio are very strong in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, too! Almost every scene was as awesome as it can be expected from this made-in-USA MADE UP MOVIE. I prefer seeing these fights on-screen than sitting around watching TV or listening to the radio all night long because I have no time to look for something exciting enough now (if ever).
3.Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie’s character can be characterized as a strong and determined woman who is ready to do anything so that they all have enough food. Anne Hathaway’s character was portrayed as the opposite of Margot Robbie, describing her behavior in front of people as highly awkward and unusual.
4.Sharlto Copley
Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood is a short film directed by Sharlto Copley. The film stars Copley as a man who is trying to hide his identity. He becomes involved in a hit-and-run accident and is taken to a hospital. Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood explores the concept of identity and how external forces shape it. It also questions what it means to be an individual and the lengths people will go to for a sense of security.
Making of the Movie
The movie was shot in Hollywood, California. The crew used a range of locations, including Paramount Studios and the Cheviot Hills Golf Course. I have spent many days and nights watching movies, but to put two books on the top of my recommendation with this great cast is not very common, in my opinion.
Although I’ve seen Once Upon A Time In Hollywood from several angles before reading these reviews, it was still interesting to see how professional critics describe things. It seems as if things might be different on-screen than in books or TV programs, and I feel no shame saying that it’s worth watching the movie for yourself.
Comparison to Other Tarantino Movies
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is one of Tarantino’s favorite movies. Here are a few obvious examples where I find Christopher Nolan, a more natural director than Quentin Tarantino: Christopher Nolan shapes the character development – Anne Hathaway and Leonardo DiCaprio grow as people, but also get stronger at different stages.
Javier Bardem looks less “dodgy” when he wants money from both Javier Bardem and Jules Verne. When waylaid Bruce Wayne climbs on top of his car, it turns into something quite impressive that you cannot expect without paying much attention (at the same time, it’s wrong for me to compare Christopher Nolan with Quentin Tarantino here as Nolan does not have as big a budget).
Christopher Nolan has good taste in music and gives the actors free space to play with their own characters. For example, we never get an overdose of DiCaprio’s “blues” vibe that is present all movie long in the other movies (excepting Django).
Critics Analysis
The Guardian is a very positive review with the headline: “Quentin Tarantino’s new film has long been heralded as his last and greatest work. For better or worse, he was proved wrong.” – J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr (from The New Yorker).
“Filmmaking doesn’t get any more maverick than this – especially in 2018”. – Yahya Abdul Wahid from People of Color, Musicians, Technologists & Visionaries at MIT Media Lab. I feel I would like to add that Hateful Eight also got good comments for its cinematography.
Conclusion
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is a 2019 American romantic drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film is about a struggling actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) who becomes involved with a former child star (Brad Pitt) and his stunt double (Margot Robbie).
The story begins with a flashback in 1959 Los Angeles, where Rick Dalton is an actor trying to make it big in Hollywood. His girlfriend and future wife, Dorothy, are pregnant with their first child. The past scenes are presented in a mixture of live-action and black-and-white CinemaScope footage, while the present-day story intercuts between that flashback and several set pieces.
FAQs:
1.What Is the Message of Once Upon a Time?
Ans: Once Upon a time is a storybook series that Hollywood producer David H. Kelley created. The show follows the lives of fairy tale characters in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine. The themes that are often explored in the show include love, family, forgiveness, and redemption.
2.What Was the Point of Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
Ans: Margot Robbie was cast in the role of Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is set to release on August 9. The point of Margot Robbie’s character is not fully clear, but it is speculated that she will play a major role in the movie.
3.What Happens to Cliff at the End of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
Ans: At the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the cliff is not actually a cliff. It is more like a drop-off where Henry (Jared Leto) and Margot (Michelle Williams) jump to their deaths.
4.What Happens to All of Them at the End of Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood?
Ans: A few things happen to all of them at the end of Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood. First, they all get married. Second, they all have children. Third, they all die. Fourth, Regina gets back her heart and kills Snow White with it. Fifth, everyone lives happily ever after.
5.Can Someone Explain Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to Me?
Ans: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an upcoming American action thriller film directed by Quentin Tarantino and written by David Heyman and Tarantino. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino.
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