Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is currently out in theaters. His first film was Reservoir Dogs in 1992 and since then his films have won over a legion of fans. But they’ve also been a topic of debate and controversy over the years. What makes his body of work so special and controversial at the same time?

What makes Tarantino Special?

Unapologetic Nerd

It’s no secret that Tarantino is a fan of movies. When watching his films, his love for cinema is on full display. Some pop culture references can easily be pointed out, while others are from obscure things only he would know about. But it’s those references that get fans to seek out the films that have influenced him.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is quite possibly the best example of how much a nerd he is. The film accurately recreates what 1960’s Hollywood felt like. Everything from the streets, the cars, the music, and wardrobe make it feel like the audience is looking through a window into another time. Most filmmakers wouldn’t even attempt to do that.

Punchy Dialogue

In the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs, the characters are debating about the “true meaning” of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”. Tarantino’s character suggests a wildly inappropriate theory about the iconic song and then the conversation veers off into the debate of tipping a waiter. It was unheard of at the time to open a film with characters talking about contemporary pop culture and debates people are having.

Since then his film characters have talked about everything ranging from the name of the Quarter-Pounder with Cheese in France, the ridiculousness of a $5 milkshake, to extended scenes of characters just drinking and playing “Who am I”. In almost any other filmmakers hands those type of scenes would be boring, but with Tarantino’s meticulous writing, directing, and deep knowledge of film, he can make scenes driven by extended dialogue intriguing.

Characters and Actors

What’s a story without characters. Tarantino puts in the work to make his characters as interesting as possible. While credit for bringing these characters to life goes to the actor, Tarantino needs to be given credit for getting the performance he needs out of them. His films have been the place for career revivals or defining performances.

Travolta before Pulp Fiction was considered has been, but his performance in that film revitalized him. The Samuel L. Jackson we all know and love today came to be in this film because this brought out the best of his acting abilities. -Christoph Waltz is a two-time Academy Award for both performances in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction are fantastic characters brought alive by great performances. They’re both so well rounded with personality, quirks, and motivations. By the end of the film, you feel like you went on a journey with them. The supporting characters are also just as memorable and could easily have their own movies focusing on them. This can be said about his characters in all of his other films. Every single thing that comes out of their mouth can be quoted and analyzed by some of the biggest film enthusiasts.

Unconventional Storytelling

When Tarantino started emerging his films were considered very unconventional. Each work in his filmography is him embracing creativity to the fullest by offering up twists on pre-established genres.

Most of Reservoir Dogs takes place in one room and they don’t even show the failed robbery. Its story is told through dialogue and some flashbacks to flesh everything out.

Pulp Fiction’s story is told out of order and it somehow manages to come together at the end. Its non-linear narrative was mindblowing at the time and it’s a pattern he’s used in his other films.

Jackie Brown is a modern tribute to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Pam Grier was one of the biggest stars of that era and her performance in that movie is great.

Kill Bill is a two-part epic that Tarantino considers one movie, directly influenced by samurai films, with a career-defining performance from Uma Thurman.

Death Proof is a homage to horror exploitations films of the 1970s.

Inglourious Basterds is a dialogue-driven WWII film that manages to go out of its way to change history. Most of the film isn’t even in English, with a 20-minute prologue that’s mainly a conversation between two people.

Django Unchained is a spaghetti western set during the slavery era.

The Hateful Eight like Reservoir Dogs takes place mostly in one room, but it also tackles issues still relevant today.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is an easy-going film that recaptures 60s Hollywood that also plays with history

His filmography demonstrates that he tackles genre films in the most unique way possible. He’s also not afraid to challenge audiences with his unconventional storytelling.

Controversy

Harsh Language

Tarantino’s films are filled with f-bombs and other curses, but some could say the language in his films is a bit too harsh. In multiple films of his, racial slurs are blurted out, especially by non-black characters that can make some viewers uncomfortable. In Pulp Fiction, Tarantino’s character in the film goes on a rant using a specific racial slur with Samuel L. Jackson right in front of him. Some people find it offensive that he writes his scripts with that certain word in mind.

Director Spike Lee has called him out multiple times for using that word frequently in his films. Tarantino responded to that saying as a writer he demands to write any character he wants to in any way.

Playing With History

Inglourious Basterds is a film famous for changing WWII history. In the explosive finale in the movie theater, every single important member of the Nazi Party including Adolf Hitler dies. That obviously doesn’t happen in real life, but many find it insensitive to alter one of the most tragic events in human history.

Django Unchained is a spaghetti western that revolves around a former slave and a bounty hunter killing slave owners. Spike Lee again was one of the biggest critics of this film, stating he wasn’t going to see it due to him thinking it was disrespectful to his ancestors.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is his latest film that plays with real-life events. It’s been argued that it felt unearned because the film mainly focuses on Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt’s characters and not on the people who went through the tragedy.

Other controversies include his past association with Harvey Weinstein, Sharon Tate’s portrayal, Bruce Lee’s portrayal, defending Roman Polanski, Uma Thurman’s accident and questionable stunt tactics.

Conclusion

Tarantino is clearly not a perfect person, but it’s hard to deny the talent and craft on display when watching his films. There are valid reasons why someone would dislike the man and his films, but the same could be said about his most hardcore defenders. He is a filmmaker whose influence on the industry is still felt today. Some could argue he has no right making historical revisionist fantasies or using specific offensive language. Others say he has the right as a creator to tell the story he wants.

As of right now, Tarantino said he will only make ten movies, with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood being his ninth. If his next film is his last, then his absence will definitely be felt.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook



Related