Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Related: TV discussion forum.

1 2 3 4

Related: TV discussion forum.

Films

Once upon a time in Hollywood CONTAINS SPOILERS [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

77 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 14/08/2019 17:23

Just seen this and thought it was fab.

Had been a bit put off by some reviews saying it was an overlong snooze fest with no real story line but didn't think that at all. Great acting from Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.

OP posts:

Report

DulciUke · 15/08/2019 03:23

I just got from seeing it a second time. I loved it, but can see that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Some people just don't have patience for a long, slice of life type of film. Agree that both Brad and Leo were magnificent, with Pitt having the edge. Also, Pitt looks mighty fine for someone who's 55 year old.

I've read a lot about the Manson murders, so it was interesting to take note of what was true and what things were changed. The scene at Spahn Ranch was great.

I may get the soundtrack, if there is one, as Tarantino has once again chosen fabulous songs.

I don't want to spoil the ending of the film, so won't talk about that. However, prior to seeing it the first time, I'd looked up spoilers for the ending... and I realized when I got to that point in the film that the spoilers were wrong! So that was a nice surprise.

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 06:52

I was just thinking this morning I could happily go back and see it again. I hadn't seen any spoilers beforehand thankfully. I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, that would be my only complaint. But it's a Tarentino movie so I guess not getting everything nicely wrapped up with a fluffy ending is no surprise.

OP posts:

DulciUke · 15/08/2019 10:56

My thought on the ending was that the people that met in the last scene would lead to a life improvement for one of them. For Tarantino, that is a fluffy ending.

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 10:57

But I wanted to know what happened to someone who wasn't in the last scene! 😁

But I do like that idea.

OP posts:

DulciUke · 15/08/2019 14:08

Oh, I gotcha, I think. That particular person seemed like a survivor, so I assumed that they would be ok.

I keep dancing around the ending. Are we allowed to talk about the film and not worry about spoilers here?

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 14:54

I'll report this thread and ask MN to add a spoiler alert so then we can I guess.

OP posts:

bestbefore · 15/08/2019 15:07

I've seen it too; thought Pitt was amazing, glad to see him back on screen. He said virtually nothing didn't he? Actions speak louder than words.

I didn't know about the Manson killings beforehand but read about them since and am a bit about the ending now....as you said it is a fluffy ending in comparison to the real life story...

Thought the film in film scenes were great too...def made it a homage to Hollywood of the time...

WineIsMyCarb · 15/08/2019 15:15

I've been put off from hearing that Margot Robbie doesn't speak at all in the film. Are there any female protagonists who speak?! Just wondering if it passes the Bechdel test? Doesn't make it a no-no of course, but it's a preconception I have of the film. Considering seeing it this weekend (regardless of how well or not it passes Bechdel!)

bestbefore · 15/08/2019 15:22

@WineIsMyCarb she definitely talks a bit - not much but then neither does Pitt...in fact I think the whole script must have been quite thin!

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 15:24

Im fairly sure Margot Robbie does speak.

Brad and Leonardo are the main characters and yes the whole story is really about them and they have most of the dialogue.

There's a very sassy, confident 8yo girl who has some scenes with Leonardo and quite a lot of lines. Then most of the Manson gang are female and have lines.

Yes it was Pitt's character which I wanted to know what happened to him. I was sad when Leo had earlier given him his marching orders. Yes, he comes across as a survivor but he wasnt surviving brilliantly living in the trailer eating out a saucepan. Inwas hoping what happened near the end might have made Leo reconsider and was expecting that to play out.

I'd no idea that the film swerved away from real life so much at the end, so was expecting something totally different than what happened.

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 15/08/2019 15:24

Margot Robbie does speak - admittedly not much, but she speaks! It’s really a Pitt-DeCaprio romance and any female characters are more minor.

It’s VERY 70s in tone - so Bechdel I think could be argued to be beside the point, iyswim. Not suggesting it IS beside the point at all but I think Tarantino had a very specific vibe ... the camera is sometimes a bit Male Gaze-y and I found that uncomfortable but I took it as part of the period piece.

I really enjoyed it. Loved the ending, actually.

HelloGabriel · 15/08/2019 15:30

I'd love to see this but unfortunately hate 'guts and gore' movies and know Tarantino is fond of this! I managed to sit through Django Unchained but had to hide at certain points

Could I sit through this?

Funghi · 15/08/2019 15:31

What is the ending?

bestbefore · 15/08/2019 15:33

@HelloGabriel yep; there's only one or 2 violent bits...you can cover your eyes but still get the gist of it and you kind of know it's coming..

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 15:35

Theres only 5 mins of blood and guts at the end.

Ending is the Manson gang are walking up the road to the houses.....Leonardo's character lives next to Sharon Tate. Brad is over there hanging out. But the gang actually go to their house, not to the Tate's house. I'd assumed that you would see them go and kill Sharon.

Brad sets his dog on them and between him and his dog kill 2 of them. Leo gets the third one.

OP posts:

WineIsMyCarb · 15/08/2019 15:37

Thanks - that's definitely made me intrigued enough to go and see it.
I will make sure I take a piece of paper with two columns in for noting down number of male and female lines spoken!

Funghi · 15/08/2019 15:37

Oh wow that is quite the change.

Do any animals get hurt?

DulciUke · 15/08/2019 15:39

I didn't know about the Manson killings beforehand but read about them since and am a bit confused about the ending now....as you said it is a fluffy ending in comparison to the real life story...
The Manson killings are one of the most famous crimes in American history. They happened 50 years ago but there are still movies/documentaries/books being produced about it. All sorts of crazy conspiracy theories tooit's kind of a rabbit hole. The key is in the titleOnce Upon a Time--it's a wishful thinking fable. Brutal as the ending was, I have to admit to having great satisfaction that the Manson folks got their comeuppance and that Sharon, her houseguests, and the poor kid who was visiting the groundskeeper (not shown in the movie) lived.

Could I sit through this? The violence is pretty over the top at the end, but that is just one scene. The other scenes of violence in the movie are clips from Rick's films and are obviously fictional/fake.

I also read a lot into the ending as far as Rick's introduction to Sharon and her crowd. Since the ending is happy (at least compared to real life) I think that Rick's career may have gotten a boost (a lot in Hollywood has to do with who you know) and he sailed into the 1970s as a character actor in big films. And if Rick did well, then he could continue to employ Cliff. Yeah, I know, reading a lot into that final scene, but I think that Tarantino put it there for that reason.

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 15:44

Oh i like that idea that Sharon lived, got Cliff work and then Cliff kept Rick on.

The dog wasn't hurt. No animals were hurt.

OP posts:

Funghi · 15/08/2019 17:35

Thank you Beaver, I think I’ll go see it this weekend.

It’s always fascinated me how glamourised these murderers were, from their followers to even having songs released etc. Just bizarre.

MoonriseKingdom · 15/08/2019 22:13

I loved it. I was feeling very anxious as the Manson gang were walking up the drive knowing what happened to Sharon Tate. It actually felt quite cathartic for this to be turned on his head. I thought this was one of Brad Pitt’s best roles.

Also loved the music and the whole feel of the film.

VivaLeBeaver · 15/08/2019 22:43

I'd heard of the Manson murders and Sharon Tate before so knew the basics. But after seeing the film googled and found the film stayed true to life for a lot of stuff regarding the Manson tribe....such as living at the ranch where the Westerns had previously been filmed and Manson made one of the girls have regular sex with the blind owner.

OP posts:

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

sakura06 · 15/08/2019 22:58

Just saw this and thought it was amazing. It's quite the long meandering film, but worth it in the end. Acting is superb. The climax was incredibly violent, but as a PP said it was like the murderers got some sort of comeuppance.

666onmyhead · 16/08/2019 21:32

Noooooo I only managed the first hour . It was so slow I walked out of the cinema . Utterly dire. Only laughed at the Bruce Lee bit .

Toooldtobearsed2 · 16/08/2019 22:15

Just badk from seeing it, thought it was brilliant! I was surprised by the very mixed reviews - i thought the acting from DiCapprio and the luscious Mr Pitt was superb.

I do think DiCapprio gets better and better at this acting lark as he gets older.

I knew all about the Manson family/Sharon Tate/Polanski, so found the scene with them getting ready to kill everyone in the house particularly chilling.

Great fun spotting who everyone was thoughout the film too.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.