Our Complex Feelings for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Rage On

When it comes to the murder of Sharon Tate, for many years, her brutal death has been primarily viewed through the lens of a Manson murder, rather than focusing it on Sharon Tate herself. Now, with the news of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we’re getting the story of the Manson family murders in Hollywood through Tate.

The problem is that it’s also a Tarantino movie, and we all know what Tarantino loves best: Bloody murders and overly disgusting death scenes, something that we don’t need to watch in regards to Sharon Tate. For those who are unaware of the gruesome murder of Sharon Tate, the Manson family invaded her house, killing Tate and her unborn baby and writing on the walls in her own blood—you know, something that Tarantino would eat up.

The issue is that this is a very real case and one that is still a touchy subject for many who lived through the Manson era of fear. Still, starring Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is telling the story of the murder, giving Tate the power in her own tragic story.

I just don’t trust Tarantino as far as I can throw him.

The first look at Margot Robbie as Tate is bringing fans mixed feelings because she looks just like Tate did at the time.

First look at Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, @OnceInHollywood. pic.twitter.com/HFVF97H4Pw

— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) August 6, 2018

The truth of the matter is that this could be a big step towards focusing our time and energy on the victims, rather than the monsters who murdered them.

i wrote this piece for @bmoviesd when ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD was first announced and i stand by it. no major movie that touches on manson has ever actually centered its storytelling on sharon tate. i’m so excited. https://t.co/HUUrHMydpk

— lindsey romain (@lindseyromain) January 25, 2019

Does that mean that I’m excited about this movie? Yes and no. Again, I don’t trust Tarantino to not use her murder as some sort of bloody war scene, as he is known to do. That being said, I’d give him some major kudos if he someone managed to not even show her murder in the first place. We have all heard the stories, and we know what Tate went through. We don’t need a graphic retelling of the famed “Helter Skelter” moment.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is going to be an interesting movie, but Margot Robbie looks perfect and Luke Perry is in it, so I’m going to go and either rage against Tarantino or cry over the injustice that happened to Sharon Tate. Or both. Probably both.

(image: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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