Quentin Tarantino’s primary subject matters, even when he was a young director, have been middle-aged masculinity and movie glamor. He likes old Hollywood tough guys.
So, the trailer for his upcoming movie “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” looks promising. It has something to do with the 1969 Manson murders, but it appears to have more to do with a fictionalized 1960s tough guy actor in the James Coburn / Robert Conrad mode (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (played by Brad Pitt). The two ex-pretty boys are finally weatherbeaten enough to look perfect for a Tarantino movie.
This could turn out to be the ideal matter for Tarantino’s narrow but sizable talents.
But what about Representation? What about the Bechdel Test?
When asked by a journalist from The New York Times why Margot Robbie — who plays Sharon Tate in his new movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — wasn’t given many lines, the director, 56, quipped back: ‘I just reject your hypotheses.’
Speaking at the photocall for the critically lauded flick at the press conference during Cannes Film Festival, the visionary’s reaction to the question prompted Margot, 28, to note that ‘a lot could be adequately done without speaking’.
And following his short answer to the reason behind Margot’s lack of lines, the blonde beauty was left to fend for herself.
She replied: ‘I think the moments I was on screen gave a moment to honour Sharon. I think the tragedy was the loss of innocence. To show the wonderful sides of her could be done without speaking.
‘I did feel like I got a lot of time to explore the character without dialogue, which is an interesting thing. Rarely do I get an opportunity to spend so much time on my own as a character.’
In other words, Tarantino wasn’t interested in writing a lot of lines for a woman.
But he was interested in casting a really good actress who looks wonderful as Sharon Tate.
