Perhaps before I start talking about why I think Pulp Fiction works on so many levels, I should mention briefly how I came to watch the film. Pulp Fiction was a film I had heard of at a very young age, and I'm not quite sure why. I had also wanted to see it for a very long time- again, I'm not quite sure why. Maybe the mere fact that it was R-rated and notorious for its violence perked the interest of my 14-year-old self. Nevertheless, I got round to watching it about a month before my 15th birthday- incredibly late at night on an occasion where I found myself home alone. I recall being blown away by the film, but also somewhat overwhelmed and confused. I had never seen anything like it before, and walked away from it being kinda sure I'd enjoyed it. I couldn't say for sure though.
Still feeling curious about the film, and the many mysteries relating to it that I'd failed to determine on my first viewing, I re-watched the film just a couple of months later. And something just clicked for me- I fell in love with the film. Everything about the movie suddenly worked for me, and I found the second viewing to be perhaps the shortest two and a half hours of my life I've ever experienced. My own sense of time was warped and bended to the extent that it was in the film itself. That very night it somehow became one of the greatest things I had ever watched; one of the only films I'd seen that I barely hesitated to call a masterpiece.
Since then I've watched it another six or seven times- almost once a year- and I continue to feel motivated to watch it because I honestly feel like I get something new out of it each time I watch it.
Spoilers ahead, by the way. I plan to get fairly in-depth with my review of this movie, so just a warning for those that haven't seen it.
One of the great things about Pulp Fiction is its refusal to fall under any particular genre or category of movies. It feels like a comedy when Jules and Vince discuss fast food and foot massages for nearly ten minutes It feels like a thriller during several segments, notably the scene where Mia overdoses on heroin and the climactic Mexican stand-off in the restaurant- two sequences that would have even Alfred Hitchcock on the edge of his seat. The crime genre is represented through the character's actions- most of the cast are criminals in one way or another, whether they murder, steal, or take generous helpings of class-A drugs. The infamous gimp scene feels straight out of a horror movie.
This collage of various movie genres is one of the things that makes the movie stand out- by themselves, certain scenes may feel familiar, but when they're all blended together so well like they are in Pulp Fiction, the end product ends up feeling unique. This is true for most of Quentin Tarantino's films- he borrows elements from different genres, and homages/ references dozens of older movies in order to create something that feels unique, even if most of the individual elements themselves aren't too original. I can see why some people may not be a fan of the fact Tarantino essentially steals from the lesser known works of those who came before him, but for me, I love it- I think he just makes it work due to the fact that his encyclopaedic knowledge of film allows him to borrow from so many sources. If he simply referenced about a half dozen or less films for each one of his movies, then I think that would start to feel like plagiarism.
Now, I could go on about the acting, the screenplay, the direction, and the glorious soundtrack, but really, what's there to say about these elements of the film that haven't already been said? Tarantino's screenplay is one of the most acclaimed and quoted from the past couple of decades, and deservedly won him his first Oscar. His direction has been similarly praised, and the soundtrack has become iconic- most impressive of all is that Tarantino chose music that goes so well with the images they accompany. And yes, the acting is phenomenal- the film features what is almost certainly Samuel L. Jackson's best performance, one of Bruce Willis' most interesting performances of his long and successful career, and some great work from Uma Thurman. Even the supporting actors are memorable, including Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace (who's arguably the film's main character- think about it; without him, none of the three main stories would exist- Butch ripped off Marsellus Wallace, Vince took out Wallace's girlfriend on a date that eventually went horribly wrong, and Vince and Jules were assigned to retrieve the mysterious briefcase for Wallace). And of course, who can forget that Pulp Fiction single-handedly made John Travolta cool again- an absolutely monumental achievement. Of course Travolta did eventually succeed in making himself a joke again a few years later when he made Battlefield Earth, but that's another story (or perhaps better left for another review)?
As I said, I could indulge in commenting on these areas of the film, but if you've seen the movie you probably already know how good they are. Pulp Fiction is also one of the most discussed film's of the past 20 years, so you've likely already come across reviews or rabid Tarantino fans who've gushed about why the film works so well, and how fantastic all the various components of the film are.
So instead, I'm going to backtrack back to my point about seeing something new in the film upon every new viewing, and explain what I took away from the movie on my most recent viewing.
Pulp Fiction was always controversial for its violence, with some criticising its depiction of assaults, shootings, beatings, and exploding heads. But for me, I found the film to have an almost anti-violence message of sorts, and I only realised this on my most recent viewing. Now bear with me, because I know that sounds like a somewhat ridiculous claim, but I have my reasons. Pulp Fiction may be violent, but it doesn't promote violence. Sure, the violence may be somewhat stylised and at times over the top, but that doesn't mean the film is saying that violence is something trivial. Violent acts in the film are often shown to have consequences for those that commit them. Vince's carelessness with his gun- an instrument of violence- causes Marvin's head to be blown off in the backseat of Jules' car, which leads to a near twenty minute detour in which they must take the car to Jimmy's house and consult "The Wolf" to assist them in cleaning the car and disposing of the gory evidence. Marsellus' desire to get revenge on Butch by presumably killing him leads them both to the basement of the rednecks- indeed, they are both fighting each other in the redneck's store when they are taken captive.
But in the climax of the film, where guns are being pointed at several characters in the middle of a tense Mexican stand-off, not a single bullet is fired. One would expect the tension to be eventually broken and the bullets to start flying, especially if one has seen some of Taratino's other movies that end in explosive and violent climaxes (see Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, Death Proof, Django Unchained, and Kill Bill Volume 1). But instead, Jules, who we've seen to be ruthless and unafraid to kill earlier in the movie, believes himself to be a changed man after miraculously surviving a hail-storm of bullets from a criminal that looks a little like Jerry Seinfeld and so instead decides to defuse the situation peacefully. He talks down Pumpkin and Honey-Bunny from killing or robbing anyone, and insists that his dim-witted associate Vince refrain from hurting anyone too. He delivers an absolutely stunning monologue where he ponders the bible reading he quoted so confidently earlier in the movie, and it's damn-near poetic. It sends a shiver up my spine every time I watch that scene, and indeed, Jules' speech works. The two robbers get up after Jules gives them some money from his famous wallet, and then leave. Jules and Vince do the same a few moments later.
Not a shot is fired. No one is killed. It's an absolutely beautiful scene.
It may have been tempting for Tarantino to give the film a "Wild Bunch-esque" ending, but instead he refrained, and I'm glad he did so. The climax to Pulp Fiction is absolutely stunning- fifteen minutes of tension, almost poetic dialogue, and brilliant acting, especially from Samuel L. Jackson. And it took me seven viewings just to notice how beautifully peaceful the ending of the film was. And that's why it's my favourite film of all time- I get new meaning from it, or appreciate different areas of it every-time I watch it.
If you've never seen Pulp Fiction before, I implore you to go watch it. And if you have seen Pulp Fiction before, I implore you to go watch it again.
Still feeling curious about the film, and the many mysteries relating to it that I'd failed to determine on my first viewing, I re-watched the film just a couple of months later. And something just clicked for me- I fell in love with the film. Everything about the movie suddenly worked for me, and I found the second viewing to be perhaps the shortest two and a half hours of my life I've ever experienced. My own sense of time was warped and bended to the extent that it was in the film itself. That very night it somehow became one of the greatest things I had ever watched; one of the only films I'd seen that I barely hesitated to call a masterpiece.
Since then I've watched it another six or seven times- almost once a year- and I continue to feel motivated to watch it because I honestly feel like I get something new out of it each time I watch it.
Spoilers ahead, by the way. I plan to get fairly in-depth with my review of this movie, so just a warning for those that haven't seen it.
One of the great things about Pulp Fiction is its refusal to fall under any particular genre or category of movies. It feels like a comedy when Jules and Vince discuss fast food and foot massages for nearly ten minutes It feels like a thriller during several segments, notably the scene where Mia overdoses on heroin and the climactic Mexican stand-off in the restaurant- two sequences that would have even Alfred Hitchcock on the edge of his seat. The crime genre is represented through the character's actions- most of the cast are criminals in one way or another, whether they murder, steal, or take generous helpings of class-A drugs. The infamous gimp scene feels straight out of a horror movie.
This collage of various movie genres is one of the things that makes the movie stand out- by themselves, certain scenes may feel familiar, but when they're all blended together so well like they are in Pulp Fiction, the end product ends up feeling unique. This is true for most of Quentin Tarantino's films- he borrows elements from different genres, and homages/ references dozens of older movies in order to create something that feels unique, even if most of the individual elements themselves aren't too original. I can see why some people may not be a fan of the fact Tarantino essentially steals from the lesser known works of those who came before him, but for me, I love it- I think he just makes it work due to the fact that his encyclopaedic knowledge of film allows him to borrow from so many sources. If he simply referenced about a half dozen or less films for each one of his movies, then I think that would start to feel like plagiarism.
Now, I could go on about the acting, the screenplay, the direction, and the glorious soundtrack, but really, what's there to say about these elements of the film that haven't already been said? Tarantino's screenplay is one of the most acclaimed and quoted from the past couple of decades, and deservedly won him his first Oscar. His direction has been similarly praised, and the soundtrack has become iconic- most impressive of all is that Tarantino chose music that goes so well with the images they accompany. And yes, the acting is phenomenal- the film features what is almost certainly Samuel L. Jackson's best performance, one of Bruce Willis' most interesting performances of his long and successful career, and some great work from Uma Thurman. Even the supporting actors are memorable, including Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace (who's arguably the film's main character- think about it; without him, none of the three main stories would exist- Butch ripped off Marsellus Wallace, Vince took out Wallace's girlfriend on a date that eventually went horribly wrong, and Vince and Jules were assigned to retrieve the mysterious briefcase for Wallace). And of course, who can forget that Pulp Fiction single-handedly made John Travolta cool again- an absolutely monumental achievement. Of course Travolta did eventually succeed in making himself a joke again a few years later when he made Battlefield Earth, but that's another story (or perhaps better left for another review)?
As I said, I could indulge in commenting on these areas of the film, but if you've seen the movie you probably already know how good they are. Pulp Fiction is also one of the most discussed film's of the past 20 years, so you've likely already come across reviews or rabid Tarantino fans who've gushed about why the film works so well, and how fantastic all the various components of the film are.
So instead, I'm going to backtrack back to my point about seeing something new in the film upon every new viewing, and explain what I took away from the movie on my most recent viewing.
Pulp Fiction was always controversial for its violence, with some criticising its depiction of assaults, shootings, beatings, and exploding heads. But for me, I found the film to have an almost anti-violence message of sorts, and I only realised this on my most recent viewing. Now bear with me, because I know that sounds like a somewhat ridiculous claim, but I have my reasons. Pulp Fiction may be violent, but it doesn't promote violence. Sure, the violence may be somewhat stylised and at times over the top, but that doesn't mean the film is saying that violence is something trivial. Violent acts in the film are often shown to have consequences for those that commit them. Vince's carelessness with his gun- an instrument of violence- causes Marvin's head to be blown off in the backseat of Jules' car, which leads to a near twenty minute detour in which they must take the car to Jimmy's house and consult "The Wolf" to assist them in cleaning the car and disposing of the gory evidence. Marsellus' desire to get revenge on Butch by presumably killing him leads them both to the basement of the rednecks- indeed, they are both fighting each other in the redneck's store when they are taken captive.
But in the climax of the film, where guns are being pointed at several characters in the middle of a tense Mexican stand-off, not a single bullet is fired. One would expect the tension to be eventually broken and the bullets to start flying, especially if one has seen some of Taratino's other movies that end in explosive and violent climaxes (see Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, Death Proof, Django Unchained, and Kill Bill Volume 1). But instead, Jules, who we've seen to be ruthless and unafraid to kill earlier in the movie, believes himself to be a changed man after miraculously surviving a hail-storm of bullets from a criminal that looks a little like Jerry Seinfeld and so instead decides to defuse the situation peacefully. He talks down Pumpkin and Honey-Bunny from killing or robbing anyone, and insists that his dim-witted associate Vince refrain from hurting anyone too. He delivers an absolutely stunning monologue where he ponders the bible reading he quoted so confidently earlier in the movie, and it's damn-near poetic. It sends a shiver up my spine every time I watch that scene, and indeed, Jules' speech works. The two robbers get up after Jules gives them some money from his famous wallet, and then leave. Jules and Vince do the same a few moments later.
Not a shot is fired. No one is killed. It's an absolutely beautiful scene.
It may have been tempting for Tarantino to give the film a "Wild Bunch-esque" ending, but instead he refrained, and I'm glad he did so. The climax to Pulp Fiction is absolutely stunning- fifteen minutes of tension, almost poetic dialogue, and brilliant acting, especially from Samuel L. Jackson. And it took me seven viewings just to notice how beautifully peaceful the ending of the film was. And that's why it's my favourite film of all time- I get new meaning from it, or appreciate different areas of it every-time I watch it.
If you've never seen Pulp Fiction before, I implore you to go watch it. And if you have seen Pulp Fiction before, I implore you to go watch it again.