Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown; however, Quentin Tarantino is finding it a piece of cake carrying all the accolades he has received.
Right from his directorial debut, Tarantino has always been associated with greatness. His first two movies “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” shot him into the limelight faster than his peers.
He received critical acclaim and several awards for the films and proceeded to increase his stride to stardom by delivering other great works.
As a young man in his late thirties, Tarantino seemed to have achieved the success he was after. No longer did the allure of fame please him at that time.
After some further collaborations, the legendary screenwriter skipped out of the film making space for a while.
Instead of making films, he took a break to live a little and experience the world. Legend has it that he enjoyed every second of his time off.
How It All Started
From an early age, young Tarantino had always dreamt of the glories of screenwriting and directing.
At 14 years old, he wrote one of his earliest works, a screenplay called
“Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit,” based on Hal Needham’s 1977 film “Smokey and the Bandit” starring Burt Reynolds.
He spent his pastime in the theater and video stores in his hometown, either acting in plays or working for money. In the process, he amassed so much knowledge of movies that would make many later describe him as a movie buff.
Soon after, he attended acting classes at the James Best Theatre Company before moving on to Hollywood. While in Hollywood, he picked up the worst paid jobs to earn a living as he patiently waited for his chance at success.
He did not have to wait too long though as he decided to take the bulls by the horn.
Tarantino’s Early Success
Tarantino’s dream paid off big time as he approached his 30s. He placed all his savings to finance his debut feature “Reservoir Dogs.”
He was 29 years when the film finally appeared on the big screens. It contained a lot of gory violence which stirred up controversy from some critics. However, it received mostly positive responses from viewers.
The young director later eclipsed his debut feature with “Pulp Fiction,” which earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, granting him access to the top echelons of Hollywood.
By the time his third hit, “Jackie Brown,” premiered in film houses, his thirst for fame had dwindled. This led to his decision to take a drawn-out break from filmmaking.
Living His Best Life
In a chat with podcaster, Dax Shepard, on Armchair Expert, Tarantino revealed the reason behind his six-year hiatus from directing films.
“After Jackie Brown came out, I had got so famous,” Tarantino told Shepard before referencing a Bob Dylan lyric.
“Prison walls are crumbling down, there is no end in sight. I’ve gained my recognition, but I’ve lost my appetite,” he quipped.
He then explained that he spent all that time away partying and living his best life.
“My twenties weren’t that great,” Tarantino said. “So, in my thirties, I looked better than I did in my 20s. And I had money, and I was famous. So, I decided I was going to live my twenties in my thirties for at least three or four years.”
He would later return to the directorial scene with another hit titled “Kill Bill.”
The End Is Nigh
After “Kill Bill,” Tarantino proved that he was the goose that only lays golden eggs.
His next set of films, “Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight,” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” garnered him 92 award nominations while winning a total of 22.
Recently, the Oscar-winning director disclosed that he had given his career every solitary thing and it was time to permanently step away from the director’s chair.
The enigmatic filmmaker has been vocal about retiring after his tenth movie project. He plans on leaving the cinema space to concentrate on writing film books and theatre.
“I don’t want to be a director that just directs because he doesn’t know anything else to do,” Tarantino told Popcorn with Peter Travers. “I do like the idea of 10 and done. I do like the idea of not passing over to another period of my career, per se, due to age and longevity and length.”
When he leaves, he would have etched his legacy in the sands of time.
