MovieChat Forums > Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019) Discussion > I wouldn't have watched this movie...

I wouldn't have watched this movie...

posted 5 years ago by gantz8596 (203)
9 replies | jump to latest

...If I knew that it would be full of classic American film references that I, as an Asian guy, wouldn't understand most of it.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy most of the individual scenes, but the absences of previous knowledge about the classic pop cultures only serve to confused me about most of the scenes, especially that ending after the home invasion, when I watched it I knew that it was supposed to be something significant, I just didn't know what. So when the title card was shown, and the credit rolled, I just sit there confused. "Wait, what? That's it?"

This is why I never watched any biographical movies or movies about real-life artists, like Ray or Walk the Line. Simply because I don't know them.

I didn't know who Tate was. I've heard about the Manson family, but never really know what they did. The only characters in the movie that I've "heard" is probably only Polanski and McQueen. So no, the movie doesn't work for me.

Only after reading about Sharon Tate did I finally understand the significance of the fictional "revenge" in the movie. But that only makes me annoyed. Because I realize the whole movie is actually a tribute to her, and Tarantino takes extra care about informing her estate about the movie before it released. But at the same time, Tarantino doesn't seem to care about how he portrays Bruce Lee.

[–] Thylacine80 (8) 5 years ago

I'm french, and still the movie, the references and the ending all meant something to me.
Something so much deeper than what it would seem.
SPOILER AHEAD
Seeing Sharon standing at a time and place she never got the chance to be at was very touching endnote.

[–] FilmBuff (6684) 5 years ago

Is this meant to be satire? If not, I feel sorry for you. Or, perhaps ignorance is bliss, as they say?

[–] gantz8596 (203) 5 years ago

Not satire. Ignorance in this context only makes me confused for most of the duration of the movie. I still enjoy the movie though.

[–] legnadibrom (5702) 5 years ago

it's like this post is a window into the mind of someone - an internal monologue,
a thought that's so trivial and banal that any rational human would never express it to another human unless prompted...probably in a conversation in-person... like people do after sharing the experience of watching a movie together,

but to post it on the 'net as if anyone had asked for this inconsequential opinion?
absolutely unnecessary

[–] gantz8596 (203) 5 years ago

Yes.

[–] KD637 (488) 4 years ago

That's internet for ya!

[–] huwdj (4562) 5 years ago

It's an unapologetically self-indulgent film. I'm old enough and nerdy enough to recognise many/most of the movies in the background and appreciate the style of the film. Also Valley of the Dolls was regularly on TV when I was young and I was very aware of what happened to Sharon Tate. But I don’t think the film is a tribute to Tate as such – it’s a bit of almost juvenile wish fulfilment which I totally enjoyed.
So I was totally immersed from the start and could just sit back and enjoy the story and performances and the twist. But it does seem to be a marmite (you either love it or hate it) film – perhaps when you watch it again at a later date it will work better for you.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5953) 4 years ago

A movie that gets people interested in reading about the past and learning more certainly has value.

[–] CheekyMonkey (584) 4 years ago

it works even without the references...