There’s been a trend recently. The film industry got wind that true crime was popular and decided that it wanted to profit from the public interest. Yes, true crime films have been around for decades. But it seems, recently, to be more popular than ever. And with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood coming to theaters this summer, I think it’s important to remember that real people were horrifically murdered.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a film that takes place in the summer of 1969 in Los Angeles, California. And, from the looks of it, it’s main plot device is the Manson Family and the Manson Family Murders. Now, the use of this actual event as a plot device is conflicting. It’s conflicting because, on one hand, you have an event that is completely ingrained in our culture. It’s an event that literally catapulted the end of the counter-culture into the 1970s. It’s an event that shook the rich and famous of Hollywood to its core. It’s an event that has been the inspiration for countless horror films. On the other hand, you have the actual horrific murders that took place on that August night. But, that cultural integration is what makes it so hard for us to remember that horrific events occurred, even before the Tate and LaBianca murders.
Events like this one need to be handled delicately. I’m just nervous that being delicate isn’t Tarantino’s style. I want to have enough faith in Margot Robbie, that she would only play the role of Sharon Tate if the brutal murder was done respectfully. Because it should be respectful. Those murdered did nothing wrong. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I want to see Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. I am a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s films. I am absolutely fascinated by true crime stories and the Hollywood New Wave is my favorite era of film. This film has everything that I like. I just hope beyond hope that somebody had the foresight to treat the depiction of actual horrific murders that destroyed peoples’ families in a respectful light.
We’ll see.