Once in a blue moon there is a film that is released and changes the overarching landscape of cinema, in the 70s it was Taxi Driver, in the 80s it was Scarface and in the 90s it was Pulp Fiction. A film just as brazen and zany as its title, this picture written and directed by Quentin Tarantino for his sophomore film, transcends the expectations of movies for its time and catapulted a new era of crime movies in Hollywood. When you watch a crime film and the two main characters – who are hitman – walk into a man’s apartment with firearms, carrying a bag of fast food, and chatting about the colloquial differences between a Big Mac and a “Royale with cheese” it brings you into the story in a way other films don’t. The witty and unorthodox dialogue humanizes the characters in a way you see often in a crime movie and the acting performances by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, elevates the already fantastic dialogue to new heights creating many memorable quotes and solidifying characters Vincent Vega and Jules as to of the most known hitmen in crime cinema.
The character development in “Pulp Fiction” is really impressive. Deep psychological analysis of the characters is made possible by Tarantino’s dialogue-driven style, as demonstrated by the philosophical exchanges between Jules and Vincent. Their discussions cast doubt on the audience’s conceptions of good and evil by exposing layers of moral ambiguity. The characters frequently debate between being stereotypical representations of the criminal genre and deeply flawed people. The film explores the superficiality of popularity and the inner emptiness that frequently accompanies it; Mia Wallace’s enigmatic demeanor embodies this paradox even further.
In addition, the movie employs pop culture allusions as a thematic and stylistic element. Through the incorporation of popular culture, ranging from music to cinema, Tarantino crafts a self-referential world that both celebrates and critiques contemporary society. The non-chronological narrative, reminiscent of Citizen Kane, creates an immersive viewing experience keeping viewers on the edge of their seat as the story unravels. Several tales of crime and danger are woven together in the film’s non-linear narrative, which results in a complicated web of connected events. This disorganized strategy encourages spectators to actively participate in the film by piecing together the various threads, which in turn enriches the picture’s thematic complexity. The decision to tell the events out of chronological order heightens the suspense and irony in the story, especially when it comes to the characters’ entwined arcs, like those of Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield.
The high-speed, quick cut, cinematography shot against an urban backdrop of South Los Angeles backdrop creates a beautiful setting for this complex story of violence, drugs and betrayal to unfold. Pulp Fiction demonstrates a superb command of visual narrative from a cinematic perspective. The film painstakingly crafts its use of color, composition, and camera movement to elicit particular emotional reactions. The horrific subject matter and the vivid, almost surreal color scheme stand in startling contrast, emphasizing the film’s recurring theme of the juxtaposition of violence and beauty. The famous close-ups used in tense scenes highlight the characters’ emotional states and draw the viewer into the characters’ experiences. There are also some stellar performances from Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace a mob boss’s wife, Bruce Willis as boxer Butch Coolidge, and Tim Roth as cafe robber Pumpkin. This host of illustrious characters and powerhouse actors brings this story to life.
The movie has a lot of memorable moments and locations, Jack Rabbit Slims being one of the most known fictional food joints. The scene where Mia Wallace overdoses and is brought back to life with a shot of Narcan to the chest is one of the most thrilling and unsettling points in the film and it really draws the viewer in making us feel like we are part of the unfolding action. Another fan favorite scene is when Jules recites a bible verse while eating his big kahuna burger and offering it to the men he and Vincent Vega are holding at gunpoint. The film is full of surreal moments and that simply adds to the film’s tone and creates an unforgettable story. This film changed the future of crime cinema because now there are hundreds of movies featuring two criminals rocking suits and having meaningless conversations about pop culture that have nothing to do with their agenda at hand.
Pulp Fiction solidifies itself as a legend in the crime genre and puts on a unique spin to the genre. The movie’s strategy is to put its protagonists in awkward and tense positions before allowing them a narrow escape into even more perilous ones. This is how the mob boss and the boxer wind up together as prisoners of strange leather freaks in a gun store’s basement. Or how Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer’s characters, a couple of robbers who open the film, get far over their heads. A large majority of the action in this film is surreal and exaggerated moments. At its core Pulp Fiction is a film by a movie lover for movie lovers. From the pop culture references, to self referential humor to homage shots to other films it is clear that Pulp Fiction was made for cinephiles. Quentin Tarantino being an auteur as well as a cinephile masterfully crafts a story that has just as many laughs as it does heart dropping moments and that shows how good he it at his craft to balance such a dark and gritty subject matter with moments of levity where the audience ca just chill and enjoy what they’re seeing on the screen. Tarantino began writing this film while working in a video store and it is apparent that he took inspiration from all the films he was surrounded by in his stint working there. Pulp Fiction is a film that makes you thankful for film as an art medium and inspires you to elevate your own craft to new heights. Pulp Fiction is not just a film for movie lovers but a film for all who desire to find joy in the simple things in life.
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