A novelization of Tarantino's most recent film.
The filmography of Quentin Tarantino is impressive, and includes many masterpieces I admire (like most cinephiles - how could you not?). His career as a writer, however, has so far been limited to the publication of some screenplays - until now. Recently, a novelization of his most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was published. A must read for me, and it was certainly worth it - here is why.
The design of Tarantino's first novel has already created a hype, as it is is done in very old school paperback style, which evokes the same kind of nostalgia fitting the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and its 60s vibes. This fits the novel, which - like the film - rather captures the vibe of 1969 in Hollywood than cares about plot development.
The basis of the novel is exactly like in the film (mild spoilers ahead of you haven’t seen the film by now): Rick Dalton is a TV star, who is increasingly worried about his career, while his stunt double Cliff Booth has already accepted that his career is basically over and he is more of a chauffeur these days. Rick’s next door neighbors, however, are extremely successful, and in contrast to Rick and Cliff real persons - Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. To every person of knowledge about these two individuals and their tragic lives, the introduction of these characters is not only a contrast to our protagonists Rick and Cliff, but serves as dramatic irony filling the audience with dread of what is to come at the culmination of this story.
The novel follows Rick, Cliff and Sharon in alternation, shifting not only in perspectives but also in chronology. This is especially interesting when further light is shed on some characters’ past, such as the story of Cliff’s bad reputation or how the girl nicknamed ‘Pussycat’ ended up in Charlie Manson’s ‘family’. The characters are well written and the dialogues are of course as great as in Tarantino’s films.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is not only a chronological retelling of the film in prose, but includes many additional scenes, interesting background information and is written in a form that is certainly worthy of a novel. Most interestingly to me, there are parts of the film that are very important but marginalised in the novel, while other moments take center stage. Both creations are masterpieces in my opinion in how they bring a bygone era to life, mixing fact and fiction in a magical and unexpected way. If you're a cinephile who is interested in Hollywood in 1969, and/or enjoyed the film, this is certainly worth reading.
(Images: by me (book) and IMDB (film))