Quentin Tarantino is one of few directors today who has remained true to the art and craft of filmmaking. Unlike most people in the industry, Tarantino never received any formal film education and learned about movies by seeing classics such as The Great Escape and Rio Bravo. His most recent movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a work of historical fiction that explores Hollywood during the 1960s and is full of classic nostalgia.

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Almost all of Tarantino's films reflect his passion for classic cinema in one way or another. Whether it be casting classic star Rod Taylor in Inglourious Basterds or the unseen voice of Elvis Presley in True Romance, Tarantino's movies are full of nods to a variety of classic movies and stars.

'To Be or Not to Be' (1942)

Maria Tura and Joseph Tura listening to Jan Dobosz

Set in Poland during the Nazi occupation, To Be or Not to Be follows a group of actors who end up helping a Polish soldier apprehend a German spy. The movie stars Carole Lombard as Maria Tura, wife of actor, Joseph Tura who is played by Jack Benny. Maria and her husband find themselves mixed up in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. With the help of their supporting cast, they manage to lure the Nazi leaders and Hitler to a theater locking them inside before setting the building on fire. The heroes escape as audiences watch the burning theater fade into the distance.

Tarantino used this ending in his movie Inglourious Basterds but added his own modern, gory twist to it. Unlike in To Be or Not to Be, Tarantino allows audiences to enjoy the sight of the slaughter. The director also pays homage to this film with his character Bridget von Hammersmark played by Diane Kruger. Kruger's character is a symbolic nod to the classic star, Carole Lombard. After finishing a tour collecting war bonds, Lombard was killed in a plane crash while returning home to Los Angeles. Even though Hammersmark dies under different circumstances in the movie, like Lombard, her unfortunate death is a result of her involvement in the war efforts.

'The Great Escape' (1963)

Steve McQueen standing next to an officer in The Great Escape

The Great Escape tells the story of allied prisoners of war who come up with a plan to break out of a German camp during World War II. The movie stars Steve McQueen as Hilts who is the unofficial leader of the group and the driving force behind the escape. McQueen pushes the limit from the beginning undermining the German soldiers' rules and their intelligence. In one scene, he crosses a wire without permission and is fired at by the guards.

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In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a fictional television star, Rick Dalton who is digitized into this exact scene replacing Steve McQueen. McQueen is also featured as a character in the 2019 movie and is played by Billions star Damian Lewis. In an early scene, Margot Robbie who plays Sharon Tate, jumps into Lewis' arms when she arrives at a Playboy Mansion party. McQueen was actually supposed to be a guest at Sharon Tate's home the night of the murders, but a persistent female friend had caused him to change his plans.

'His Girl Friday' (1940)

Cary Grant looking at Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday
Image via Columbia Pictures

Starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, His Girl Friday is a comedy about newspaper editor, Walter Burns, who pulls out every trick to stop Hildy Johnson, his star reporter who also happens to be his ex-wife, from getting remarried. Grant and Russell were comedic geniuses and played off one another so well that director, Howard Hawks, gave the stars the freedom to improvise their lines resulting in some of the most hysterical moments in classic movie history.

Howard Hawks is one of Tarantino's favorite directors and has influenced several of his films including Pulp Fiction. His Girl Friday is known for its quick and witty banter and being the first movie to have actors speak over one another. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer play a couple in Pulp Fiction who are bickering back and forth in a diner before they rob the place. Tarantino had Roth and Plummer watch His Girl Friday to show them the fast-paced delivery of dialogue he envisioned. The actors mirror Grant and Russell as Plummer quacks like a duck over Roth as he tries to keep his composure.

'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966)

Eli Wallach sitting next to Clint Eastwood on a wagon in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly follows a nameless bounty hunter (Clint Eastwood) and a wanted outlaw (Eli Wallach) in a race against a bandit called Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) to find a golden fortune buried in a cemetery. In the end, the three men are spread out in the middle of the cemetery with their guns drawn in a stand-off. The tension builds between the men with their suspenseful glances and the unique musical score rising in the background.

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This scene is considered to be one of the most iconic movie moments with a memorable score and intense setup. Tarantino is an avid fan of spaghetti westerns films and pays homage to this classic in Kill Bill: Vol. 2. The score, composed by Ennico Morricone, is featured in the Bride's flashback scene. The music sets an ominous tone as the Bride played by Uma Thurman walks slowly to the front of a church until she spots Bill, played by David Carradine. Like in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the camera zooms in on the actors as they exchange quick glances with each other matching the same level of suspense.

'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974)

Walter Matthau grabbing a man by his shirt collar in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a movie about four men who decide to hijack a New York City subway and hold the passengers for a hefty ransom. While the hijackers communicate their demands to police over the subway's radio, officers attempt to identify them thinking it could lead to some leverage to use against them. The only problem? The suspects don't use their real names, not even fake names but names of different colors.

Tarantino's film, Reservoir Dogs involves a group of guys who plan a jewelry heist together that goes horribly wrong. As the survivors meet up, they start to suspect that one of them is a police informant. Like in 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,' they are each referred to as a different color to protect themselves from not only the police but their co-conspirators as well.

'Rio Bravo' (1959)

John Wayne and Dean Martin listening to Walter Brennan in Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo is the story of a small-town sheriff played by John Wayne who relies on the help of a young gunslinger and a deputy who is an alcoholic played by Dean Martin to help keep the brother of a criminal behind bars.

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This is another movie directed by Howard Hawks and is one of Tarantino's favorite John Wayne westerns. Tarantino describes 'Rio Bravo' as a "hang out" movie with a slow pace and scenes that focus on character development, but it doesn't really move the actual story along. Tarantino's 1997 movie, Jackie Brown, is full of "hang out" scenes that give audiences a look beyond Jackie and her criminal past such as when she plays her records when Max Cherry comes by. Their conversation does nothing for the story, but audiences learned more about the characters.

'The Dirty Dozen' (1967)

Lee Marvin talking to Charles Bronson in The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen stars Lee Marvin as Major Reisman who is assigned to train a group of soldiers to parachute over enemy lines to assassinate German officials in France. The twelve recruits are made up of ruthless convicted criminals on death row who agree to the mission in exchange for commuted sentences.

Brad Pitt and his band of merry men in Tarantino's film Inglorious Basterds are a fitting tribute to this classic movie. Lt. Aldo Raine, played by Pitt, is a nod to Lee Marvin's roguish character. Major Reisman is a little more straight-laced than Raine, but both men have a lack of respect when it comes to rules and regulations. Pitt is also leading a group of criminals on a mission during the second world war to take out German troops located in France.

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