Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novelization is one of those critic-proof books. The writing is stiff and clunky? Well, look at that book design! It's supposed to be like those cheesy old novelizations kids like me used to buy.
Happily, Tarantino did a good job with the book. At least I think so. The writing is rather pulpy and wooden, but that is sort of the point.
The novel is quite a different experience than the movie, which is cool. Quentin toned down some of the sensational and violent moments and gave his book a sweeter and more nostalgic atmosphere.
People tend to love or hate Quentin Tarantino. Count me in the former group. Sure he rips off other films with every feature he has made, and he makes no bones about it. Yet the pacing of the films and the ridiculously entertaining dialogue portray his distinctive style. His films are exploitative and often uncomfortably violent, but he always takes his time with his storytelling and gives his characters graceful moments.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of his best movies. It just might be my favorite. The film deals with the death of good guy vs. bad guy storytelling. Antiheroes became the rage in the late sixties and the old stars were having a tough go of it. The hippie movement was turning nasty. Charles Manson and his family represent the dark changing times. Sharon Tate personifies the innocence that is all-too-often is corrupted in Tinseltown. Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton character is the aging cowboy star whose days in the spotlight appear to be dwindling.
The novel spends a lot of time illuminating the inner workings of 1960s episodic television. Tarantino loves Hollywood history, and he beautifully weaves fact and fiction into the narrative.
It's not all perfect. There are interludes of the western story Rick Dalton acts in. That stuff is in the movie too, but it worked better in the visual format than in prose form. Those parts dragged a bit for me, and I felt could have been edited a little bit tighter.
All in all I loved Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both the movie and the book. Quentin Tarantino has spoken of retiring from film directing after ten movies, and this was his ninth feature. I have some doubts he will be able to completely stop, but if he does I hope he continues to write books. I'd happily buy novelizations of all his movies. Well, maybe not Four Rooms.
Written by Mark Sieber
Happily, Tarantino did a good job with the book. At least I think so. The writing is rather pulpy and wooden, but that is sort of the point.
The novel is quite a different experience than the movie, which is cool. Quentin toned down some of the sensational and violent moments and gave his book a sweeter and more nostalgic atmosphere.
People tend to love or hate Quentin Tarantino. Count me in the former group. Sure he rips off other films with every feature he has made, and he makes no bones about it. Yet the pacing of the films and the ridiculously entertaining dialogue portray his distinctive style. His films are exploitative and often uncomfortably violent, but he always takes his time with his storytelling and gives his characters graceful moments.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of his best movies. It just might be my favorite. The film deals with the death of good guy vs. bad guy storytelling. Antiheroes became the rage in the late sixties and the old stars were having a tough go of it. The hippie movement was turning nasty. Charles Manson and his family represent the dark changing times. Sharon Tate personifies the innocence that is all-too-often is corrupted in Tinseltown. Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton character is the aging cowboy star whose days in the spotlight appear to be dwindling.The novel spends a lot of time illuminating the inner workings of 1960s episodic television. Tarantino loves Hollywood history, and he beautifully weaves fact and fiction into the narrative.
It's not all perfect. There are interludes of the western story Rick Dalton acts in. That stuff is in the movie too, but it worked better in the visual format than in prose form. Those parts dragged a bit for me, and I felt could have been edited a little bit tighter.
All in all I loved Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both the movie and the book. Quentin Tarantino has spoken of retiring from film directing after ten movies, and this was his ninth feature. I have some doubts he will be able to completely stop, but if he does I hope he continues to write books. I'd happily buy novelizations of all his movies. Well, maybe not Four Rooms.
Written by Mark Sieber
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