Review of Pulp Fiction (1994) by Brett C — 14 Jan 2014

Pulp Fiction is the film that put Tarantino on the map, and this film is regarded as many as his magnum opus. At first, I didn't agree to this acclaim and it did had me confused a bit due to it's lack of driving plot and seriousness that I expect from crime films. After subsequent viewings, I understood that I came into this with the wrong mindset and that I did not appreciate the boldness that Tarantino demonstrated with this film. Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino's best film and arguably, the best film of that decade.

The film is written by Quentin Tarantino and his screenplay here is like a collection of his best stories sewed together. The highlight of this film is his use of pop culture, hilarious, and naturalistic dialogue. In Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's dialogue in that film did contain that style that is found here but it does from time to time fall unto the conventional dialogue that is found many crime films but in Pulp Fiction, the lack of plot allows him to focus on it's characters and therefore write dialogue that is not boxed in by the story. Though the film is not tied down by it's story, it does include it to have a conclusion of sorts in the end of each segment. The characters in the film are one of the main reasons that this film is enjoyable because they are all so unique and different from one another and they never feel like they are common archetypes, and one of the main reasons are the delivery of the actors and the smart quirky dialogue from Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino's sophomore film is a major improvement over his previous film, in terms of style, dialogue, and photography. Tarantino was able to maintain the tone of dark humor, and the grit of a crime/gangster film. Without the humor, I think may be suffered by characters just having a regular conversation just before a very brief burst of action. One of the main points that made this film appealing is the jumbling of the storyline, and having each storyline having some sort of throwback to the other. Pulp Fiction is an execution of style but not sacrificing an inch of substance.

Andrzej Sekula comes back to handle the photography of this film, and it is an improvement over the previous film that felt rushed and amateurish. Sekula and Tarantino have taken the things that worked on Reservoir Dogs and improved upon it here. Pulp Fiction contains multiple shots that felt precisely placed and takes away the hand held style that was found on the previous film, except for heated moments in the film. The film contains long takes of the actors just spitting out his dialogue and delaying the action of the film, which at times is not as fun as the moments that precedes it, and it also allows the camera to explore the environment these characters are confined in.

Pulp Fiction lacks the musical score that most films succumb to and is primarily a soundtrack driven film, similar to the first film. The film contains excellent songs from multiple decades, and these tracks at most times defines the scene. These tracks are now much more abundant here in comparison to his previous film therefore the film doesn't feel quiet and rarely contains a moment that felt slow or didn't feel cinematic.

Pulp Fiction contains a stellar cast with standouts that include Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Tim Roth and Bruce Willis. When these actors come on screen, they bring their A game. The chemistry between John Travolta and Samuel Jackson or Uma Thurman is fun to watch and did allow me to get sucked in with their words and their relationship. These actors gave these parts with seriousness to a story that is ridiculous, that it allows the film to attain that dark humor that made this film so appealing. The actors I did not mention were not as much of a standout as the other actors but they do their part well enough that none of them felt boring or underwhelming.

Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece that contains hilarious dialogue, outrageous storylines, precise photography, stellar soundtrack, and great acting. The film is a milestone in cinema history and has been looked upon to in future films as inspiration. Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino's best film and arguably, the best film of that decade.