I mean its insulting that her entire arc for the movie is her acting like a clutz and smiling, not doing anything and we barely see her. Her lines are one sentences, meanwhile everyone else gets well a lot of lines and an actual arc.
Same goes for the whole Margaret Qualley part.... total waste
I didn't find it insulting.
She goes through the motions of a normal day and it shows her as an innocent character and in an innocuous way. The message might be a little lost if you don't know who she is, and what actually happens to her. But I don't think Quentin Tarantino wanted to show her as either this big glitzy celebrity, or as a tragic murder victim (and in this film's case,
she wasn't either of those things despite how other films enjoy parading these tropes). She was just normal person living her life. The set up for her is to relate it to the Manson murders – which she is totally at the centre of – and how that history is changed because of her noisy (fictional) neighbours. This film is simultaneously ALL about Tate and not at all about Tate. Historically this is "her film" in a way, but with QT's "historical rewrite" it makes Rick and Dalton the key players and Tate as the victim that never was (even though she was). They had to walk a fine line and I think the movie is respectful to Tate in that sense by grounding her character.
If they make a bio pic for her, I expect there to be tears and drama and plastered Hollywood smiles. But this wasn't that, this movie is just a strange slice-of-life odyssey.
I feel people keep forgetting how this movie is trying to "set things up". Cliff sparring with Bruce Lee is meant to show that he's an equal or some sort of capable fighter; which is why when the final showdown at Rick's house happens, he's already demonstrated that he is capable of dealing with tough situations. Meanwhile, Rick's "rage issues" are scattered throughout the film, probably most beneficially was when the Manson's were looking at Tate's house and Rick comes out to yell at them about the noise they were making, it's then when the Manson's change their target [to him], and because we know Rick's sorta crazy, him grabbing a flame thrower at the end shouldn't be....well, totally out of his wheel house.
Pussycat (Margaret Q.) was a device for how people meet people. Yeah Cliff was initially attracted to her, but then they get to talking to her and takes her home to the Spahn Ranch, which he knew because he worked there and had an old acquaintance there he wanted to see. This set-up is a big deal because it is key in establishing the Manson Family as key players in the film's historically-relevant finale (and the way things work out for them all meeting feels a little less random).
Most of the film's major elements tie into other important parts, even if the connection feels small or arbitrary.
Small aside: But I respected how small they made Polanski's role in the film. I don't even think his character ever comes into proper view without being blurred, facing away, or obstructed.
