Blog #2

The film our group chose was the recently released Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. To be honest, the reason we were drawn to this movie was the timeliness of its release, the celebration it has received among critics, and the promise of an exhilarating original premise attached to a notable director in a time of reboots and adaptations. What we found in the film was a story of a city with a glorious exterior with promises of glitz and stardom, and a dark interior full of scandal, isolation, and anxiety. We meet the protagonist and aging actor Rick Dalton, who is trying to maintain a name for himself and coming to terms with the ever-changing business of Hollywood. The audience gets to see a glimpse into the life of a character, once the most recognizable face in show business, who creates an image of confidence in public only to later retreat to drinking alone in his pool, reliving his past and finding happiness in old shows in the quiet comfort of his mansion. Dalton is insecure and overly conscious of how he appears to the outside world, and throws tantrums when he messes up lines or panics when he feels he’s embarrassed himself by not being perfect actor he wants to be. He aspires to gain human connection in a business of playing characters, and finds comfort in simplicity such nights spent with his stuntman laughing at bad movies they once filmed together. Tarantino highlights Dalton’s need for companionship in a simple medium shot two-character scene where he is introduced to the child star he is sharing an episode of his Western show with. Dalton tries to spark up a conversation and teach the girl something valuable, but is amazed by her professionalism and readiness to face the world of Hollywood. He eventually breaks down crying after she reassures him of his acting skills, saying “That was the best acting I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” As Tarantino tones down the action and suspense of his film to focus on quick, realistic dialogue and character study, he explores the insecure lives most Hollywood actors lead, as they struggle to maintain character and fame while having nobody to confide in to confront reality with. He depicts show business as one that focuses on profit made from trending character arcs and journeys, ignoring the reality actors face when the business begins to move on and they struggle to keep pretending.