Review of Pulp Fiction (1994) by Harry W — 07 Jul 2014

I've met many people in life who have seen Pulp Fiction, and not one has ever said they dislike the film. Not just that, but the majority of people who saw it referred to it as being one of the greatest films of all time. That sounded too good to miss, so I went ahead and watched it.

My opinion of the film ended up being the same as those close to me as Pulp Fiction was one of the most amazing films I had ever seen and was definitely Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece.

Quentin Tarantino was a film I saw scenes from twice during my childhood and it always left me disturbed, but watching it as a whole ended up being one of the most innovative experiences of my life.

Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece because it is built on a savvy and amazing screenplay, one of the greatest ever written in history. Quentin Tarantino's internal genius which he exercised on the film Reservoir Dogs hits an all time high in Pulp Fiction, the kind of level that most filmmakers can only dream of reaching. When you examine Pulp Fiction closely, you can see that it doesn't actually have all that much happening. What does happen is that audiences walk away from a film which has given them a new sense of the power of filmmaking, mesmerized by a film with an amazing script and a lot of powerful characters. Pulp Fiction is built purely on the extent of Quentin Tarantino's genius, and he shows off just what it takes by being the creator of a screenplay which is genuinely unforgettable. It is one of the most memorable in history with hundreds of quotable lines, and it is full of potential which is then capitalized on by Quentin Tarantino's own talent as a film director. Precisely what those talents are need to be seen to be believed, because Quentin Tarantino takes the role of writer, director and a small part as actor to make Pulp Fiction into the masterpiece that it is.

Many people have their own idea of what genre Pulp Fiction fits into, and as a whole it is a gangster movie with elements of a black comedy. It is a perfect mix because while it is a powerfully gritty story which is easy to take seriously, it is not uncommon to find yourself laughing in many scenes. These scenes include a robbery, a hit and run, and a rape scene. Only someone like Quentin Tarantino can make elements like that so funny and shocking at the same time, and the mix of moods ends up making the experience incredible. Pulp Fiction is a film which has the power to make audiences laugh and make them scared all at the same time, and for many others it may make them feel inspired. The simple fact is that the story is not too complicated, but it manages to create a lot of twists through establishing deep characters as well as Quentin Tarantino's iconic touch of a complex plot structure. The structure of the story is perfect as it allows all of the dynamics to unfold in creative sections of the story. It means that the development of the story is supreme but completely unpredictable, and it makes for a complicated viewing experience. The simple nature of the premise in the film is made all too awesome by the way that it is presented without conventional chronology, and it makes Pulp Fiction all the more better.

But like I said, there is nothing greater in Pulp Fiction than the magnificent script. The language in Pulp Fiction is amazing because it feels very organic and yet is very intelligent at the same time. It takes concepts such as what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France or one man's refusal to eat pigs and turns them into magnificently crafted lines which still to this day remain some of the most quotable dialogue in cinematic history. The exchanges between the characters is awesome because they are so thoroughly interesting , every single one of them. And it is very easy to keep up with them because everything in Pulp Fiction takes time for things to develop at a really natural pace which is good because considering the fact that the rest of the film is so consistently hard hitting, it is nice to have some time to slow down and take in all of the film's virtues. The script is bound to be one of them, and it is certainly a film with arguably the greatest dialogue ever made for the cinematic screen. Pulp Fiction is one of those films where the fact that it won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay really cannot be debated as being right or wrong. It's right, motherf*cker.

Aside from the script and all of the characters, Pulp Fiction has a lot of other things to offer. From a visual perspective, Pulp Fiction is great because of the way that the scenery has a lot of versatile colour to it which is captured with a lot of classical cinematography techniques and is edited nicely. Quentin Tarantino integrates a classical film style with a few surprising new elements, and the result ends up being awesome. The design of the characters' costumes and hair-styling is also great because they maintain some iconic look such as the hairstyles of Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield while donned out in their suits, the iconic look of beauty icon Mia Wallace and the Jesus themed appearance of Lance. The film also puts emphasis on iconic props, such as Butch Coolidge's Watch, Marsellus Wallace's suitcase and above all, Jules' wallet with the words Bad Motherf*cker engraved on it. So many visual elements of Pulp Fiction are memorable, and they encourage the stylish nature of the film. The soundtrack is also excellent because it combines groovy themes from various decades which consistently have themes of either surf music, relaxation or energy. It makes the atmosphere of the film all the more better and encourages the comedic nature of the mood.

And riding the strength of a powerful script, the cast give performances so exceptional that most of them have never given a better performance in their entire life.

John Travolta is a prime example of one of those actors. The man has never given a better performance in a film to date. Pulp Fiction is the film that saved his career and gave him a more than well deserved nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In the role of Vincent Vega, John Travolta combines all of his best talents and takes on a role which has him playing a romantic and a dancer as well as a drug addict and a criminal. These are all of the best things that John Travolta can do, and the powerful grit in his performance is very admirable. John Travolta delivers his lines with a certain level of confidence which capitalizes on his natural charm as an actor as well as his attractive elements, and it ends up being a mesmerizing performance. John Travolta shows off impeccable chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman among others, and his performance reveals the best kind of line delivery he can pull off which is no challenge for him as you can tell from Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction saved a career that needed to survive, so John Travolta's lead performance is awesome for a large variety of reasons.

Samuel L. Jackson is another actor who has never given a better performance. Arguably his most iconic performance, Samuel L. Jackson goes into complete overdrive for his performance in Pulp Fiction which proves to be absolutely amazing. He brings a certain level of sophistication to the part during most of the scenes, but the true extent of his skill is revealed in some of the more intense scenes of the film such as the scene where he interrogates and insults people he has been sent to kill by Marsellus Wallace. He plays an African-American archetype with a serious over the top strength yet remaining on a level which is sophisticated and admirable, rendering the character a more deep figure. Seriously, Samuel L. Jackson gives the best performance of the film because he grips his gun without fear and steps into the role with powerful confidence and fearless grit. Samuel L. Jackson manages to deliver his lines with a powerful sense of natural wisdom to them as well as a powerful nature which suggests that you do not want to mess with him. Samuel L. Jackson steals the screen in Pulp Fiction and gives a performance which is just unforgettable.

Uma Thurman is perfect for the role of Mia Wallace. Another performance which is yet to be exceeded, Uma Thurman fits the role of Mia Wallace perfectly because she is decked out in the appearance of a classical actress and delivers her lines in a nature which is seductive. But it is seductive with class, as in the kind of seduction that Sherilynn Fenn emitted in the role of Audrey Horne from the classical television series Twin Peaks. She keeps it subtle and does not have to dress in sexually suggestive clothing to convey it. She just delivers her line with the seduction all there with a certain passion which makes for an entertaining presence. Her performance is all ab out subtlty and the way that she really has viewers interested in her and curious about her motives. Her chemistry with John Travolta is really interesting because of the way that they each play at each other. Uma Thurman is powerful in Pulp Fiction.

Bruce Willis' performance came at a time when he had turned solely to starring in big-budget films which were proving to flop at box office. He took a step back with Pulp Fiction and finally decided to start acting again which he manages to do in a matter of a few powerful scenes. Bbrce Willis steps into the role of Butch Coolidge easily and givess a performance whiccis remarkably strong. It shows him expressing his anger and power with words more than with guns, and the powerful nature of the drama in his scenes manage to contribute a lot to the dramatic effect of Pulp Fiction in the long run. Bruce Willis is spot on in Pulp Fiction.

Ving Rhames gives a breakthrough performance in Pulp Fiction. Although his character is more key to the story than his performance, Ving Rhames makes an impact whe he is on screen by delivering his lines with confident power behind him. He is fearless in the part and shares some intense moments with other actors, particularly his chemistry with Bruce Willis. He also looks the part really well which reinforces his status as a ruthleses gangster very strongly. Ving Rhames is a terrific addition to the cast in Pulp Fiction.

Harvey Keitel's brief moment as The Wolf is excellent because of the kind of confidence that he expresses in the part. His role is all about getting things done and Harvey Keitel acts the part out as such by delivering his lines in a manner which seems as if he has gone over the conversation in his head hundreds of times without making it seem the slightest bit artificial. Harvey Keitel is an excellent addition to the cast in Pulp Fiction and makes his brief role a powerful one.

Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer make an intense duo during their time on screen for the prologue and epilogue of Pulp Fiction, and they both inject some solid charismatic power into their parts.

The over the top nature of Eric Stoltz's performance results in one of his greatest performance in recent years, and Rosanna Arquette shares a tense chemistry with him which results in them both supplying their own level of laughs to the film.

Maria de Medeiros projects a certain sense of innocence in her role which makes her an easily sympathetic figure, and the nature of her chemistry with Bruce Willis is strong as well.

Quentin Tarantino's brief cameo is also a powerful one.

So Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece of black comedy and gangster cinema since it has a screenplay featuring some of the finest dialogue ever written, and it serves as a front for the greatest filmmaking talents of Quentin Tarantino and the best acting skills of its versatile cast. It is a masterpiece and one of the greatest and most unforgettable films ever made.