*No spoilers in this post* There is a secret code to unravelling the intricate jewel of a masterpiece of cinema by Tarantino, a work he himself temporarily titled “Magnum Opus.” This is a work in which Tarantino ties together each of his previous films, transcends the own sub genre he created – cinema called “Tarentinoesque.” He typically seeks to use genre conventions and transcend them, turning Grindhouse into Art House without losing the genre thrills. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood he makes the self-reflexive turn creating a powerful mobius strip and trans-dimensional cinema experience – each reference is not only a quotation, but a greater statement – of love. I offer the curious viewer a skeleton key to begin unlocking one set of facets of the jewel in this brief post, with the intention of returning to a longer analysis. For now, let this suffice as a taste: In the scene between Johnny and Caleb, Johnny says at one point “A lot of people died that day.” Caleb responds “Yes they did. But we had a good time.” Inside becomes outside, outside becomes inside. I only picked this up on the 11th full viewing as the stack of secret corridors and hidden passages continue to appear.
One more special passageway: The Buffy Sante-Marie cover of Joni Mitchell is the theme tune from The Strawberry Statement (check out the trailer), a picture which Tarantino briefly mentions in the July podcast from the New Beverly. History within history within cinema history within cinema history. So intricate – and so meaningful through and beyond cinema this time. The sets of parallels throughout the film are like a fractal – the shape is at all scales throughout. Oh, and the woman in the yellow dress appears in Medium Cool. There are thousands of these remarkable passageways. I will save them for future writing. I hope you enjoy these few doors to your viewing. – OG
