Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis
Primary genre: Crime
Nominated for: Best film, original screenplay, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, film editing
Won: Best original screenplay
There are literally a gazillion essays, articles, reviews and analyses written in regards Quentin Tarantino’s crime magnum opus “Pulp Fiction”, his second feature which exploded in the mid 90s like a pinata in an ADHD teenage party. Following a humble and highly innovative directional debut in “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), “Pulp Fiction” put on the map the US independent cinema and made Miramax a powerhouse awards driven studio.
Yet if you ask anyone to describe Tarantino’s four interconnected chapters (or tales up to you), they might struggle. Is it a film about the criminal LA underworld, an intimate portrayal of individuals who happen to be in this sort of setting, a black comedy masquerading as a crime flick or a movie that subverts the gangster genre? Thing is it could be all of the above but those who avoid labels would note it down as a cinephile’s fever dream, a motion picture where the notorious filmmaker can shoehorn all his favorite things into a cinematic pastiche of postmodern humor and violence strictly aimed for unapologetic adult consumption.
“I’ma get medieval on your ass”
“Pulp Fiction” means a lot to many people singlehandedly inspiring a new generation of creators to craft personalized productions that veer away from the school of academic filmmaking and storytelling aiming to present bizarre and peculiar tales filled with cool characters, sudden bursts of violent action and extremely heightened dialogue which borrows heavily from real life pop culture phenomena. Tarantino a master director already in his second output knows this and it is exciting to witness such a unique and (quite) passionate voice on the big screen.
With remorseless traits, “Pulp Fiction” does not try to win you over or appeal to your good side. You will either love it or hate it; there is no middle ground here. And if you decide to like it, you will notice the myriad of movie references and homages, enjoy its special and highly likeable characters enduring outstanding tension, generating comedic undertones or relax under a care free behavior. Utterly verbose, the script takes pleasure in its extensive dialogical pieces assisted by an uninterrupted flow that would have made Stanley Kubrick and Andrei Tarkovsky proud. While it can be foul mouthed, its authenticity in its back and forth everyday debates on foot massages, dogs being dirty or miracles is undeniable and infectiously refreshing; its several set-pieces emphasizing clashing philosophies and attitudes regarding extraordinary situations which makes the film all the more rewarding when you take into consideration their surroundings and suddenly amplified stakes.
Tarantino does not hold back implementing extremely disciplined and long steadycam shots that give the proceedings a sense of suspense requiring several viewings to spot meticulous details scattered in each frame. The introduction to Jack Rabbit Slims remains an iconic 90s scene clearly worshipping the golden age of US cinema and music. This is one of several examples of Tarantino’s ability to put in front of the camera his film-related encyclopedic knowledge without a single compromise of his artistic vision making its two and half hour running time a breeze.
Managing to avoid typical genre cliches and tropes (e.g., the femme fatale, the hard-edged hitman, the ultimate betrayal), Tarantino gives them a profound sense of purpose and life in his unconventional script that rearranges the film’s timeframe on purpose for maximum impact on moments such as adrenaline shots, dancing competitions, ill-conceived robberies and the execution of hit jobs. Making sense in all of this, the expanded cast is on fire having become legendary in the shoes of such beloved and time-endearing characters. Travolta was robbed from his Oscar as the ultra slick Vincent Vega, Jackson is an absolute powerhouse and Thurman makes a strong case that will deliver the goods in her friend’s “Kill Bill” (2003-2004) duology a decade later under skillfully constructed (and frankly, superb) dialogue.
At the end, “Pulp Fiction” is the ultimate intoxicating Tarantino’s fantasy, an alter ego for the motormouth filmmaker imbued with feet close ups, drugs, guns, the grooviest soundtrack of them all, and an appreciation for the city of Los Angeles. It might not be for everyone as a “so what?” question looms over it but let’s be honest, Tarantino movies, stripped from any political ideology or moral compass, were never about reaching a cathartic finale. Whether this is done through unorthodox means, astonishing circumstances that make violence seem hilarious, extended monologues and sassy zingers remains to the taste of each individual. As it stands though, “Pulp Fiction” is a thrillingly alive behemoth of style over substance not through fancy special effects, bombastic action sequences or banal acting but with creme-de-la-creme performances, from arguably the best writer director maybe of all time.
The most influential film of the 90s
+Cast
+Extraordinary dialogue
+Iconic sequence right after iconic sequence
+Phenomenal performances
+Travolta! Jackson! Thurman!
+Trope subversion
+Incredible soundtrack