“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” The Novelization Review
Written by Quentin Tarantino, his debut novel is a retelling of his 2019 film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
While I’m not one for reviewing books, mainly because I feel I don’t have the prowess I have for film criticism, I am an avid reader of fiction and especially have a love for books centered around filmmaking. On June 29, I had the pleasure of reading Quentin Tarantino’s first novel “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” which is a novelization of Tarantino’s 2019 film of the same name. Not only is it a brilliant debut novel from one of my favorite filmmakers, but it was so compelling and tightly paced that I read the 400 page paperback in just one day.
I have been enamoured with the film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” ever since it was widely released in July of 2019 (having reviewed it for The Northern Star back in 2019 and again last year on my website). I saw the film five times in theaters, ranked it as my favorite film of 2019 and bought the Blu-Ray and vinyl soundtrack the first chance I got. I fell in love with Tarantino’s love letter to 1969 Hollywood and now regard it as one of my favorite films as well as my second favorite of Tarantino’s work, behind “Pulp Fiction” of course.
So when I saw that, instead of publishing the film’s screenplay as he has done with his eight other films, Tarantino was novelizing his latest film, I was excited to see an expansion of the film I love so much (although I still want to own a published copy of the screenplay). Reading this book gave me excitement that I haven’t felt since I first saw “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” on the big screen.
Telling the same story as the film, with a particular emphasis to the days of February 8 and 9 of 1969, the book tells the story of fading western star Rick Dalton (played in the film by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman/best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they try to stay relevant in 1969 Hollywood when their lives of fiction intersect with real-life people like actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and cult leader Charles Manson (Damon Herriman).
With just one more film to go before retiring, Tarantino has begun to pursue writing books including fictional novels and non-fiction books about film history.
While Tarantino has teased making a director’s cut of the film, with an estimated length of three hours and 20 minutes compared to the theatrical cut’s length of two hours and 40 minutes, there’s something about a novel that a film just doesn’t have and that’s the freedom to explore parts of a story that would never have made it to the screen. Several times in the novel, Tarantino goes off on amazing tangents within the story that just weren’t practical to be shot for the film.
There are many parts of the original story that are greatly expanded upon. If I were to go into great detail about the book’s many expansions, I would be writing for days so here are the best of them:
How Cliff met his dog Brandy
How Rick and Cliff know each other
More detail into the making of the pilot of “Lancer,” the western series which sees Rick consider his entire journey as an actor. As a fan of old television westerns like “The Virginian” and “Bonanza,” I enjoyed learning about the plot of this show.
The inner workings of the Manson family and how Manson family member Pussycat (Maragret Qualley) fits within the family.
What happens to Rick after the events of the film, particularly after the film’s explosive climax.
More detailed characterization of Cliff, Rick, Sharon Tate, Charles Manson and Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters), the young actress that Rick works with on “Lancer” who embodies the talent to emerge in the “New Hollywood” of 1967-1982.
While Tarantino is a brilliant screenwriter, having won two Oscars for writing “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained,” I was curious to see how his style would translate into a novel. Tarantino’s prose is quick and often embellishes the characters in an entertaining way. There are times in the novel that Tarantino spends several pages detailing the history of 1969 Hollywood including how Tate moved to Los Angeles, what Bruce Lee was like on the set of “The Green Hornet” and the changing landscape of the film and television industries. It is both educational and entertaining, feeling more like an expansion of Tarantino’s lore than a dull history lecture.
Reading this book reminded me why I love “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” so much. It’s a rich story that pays tribute to one of the greatest times in film history while also giving 1969 a fairytale ending that it ought to have had. So, while it is sad to think that Tarantino is only going to make one more film before retiring from filmmaking, his novelization of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a reassurance that his literary career is going to be a successful one.
