Pulp Fiction Plot: Two hitmen, two thieves, a mobster’s wife and a retired boxer are all completely different in their ways and walks through the world of crime. But their paths will soon collide in the most violent, non-linear and profane of ways possible. Review: Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino’s sophomore film, is very difficult to break down in summary, because of the multiple stories and non-linear layout. Because of this, I will take a slightly different approach with this review; I will use the first paragraph for a detailed explanation of the film, then the second for the actual review. Jules and Vincent are two super-suave hitmen with a love for fast food, unchained (get it?) potty-mouths and bad haircuts. They work for Marcellus Wallace, and are tracking down a mysterious briefcase for the beast of a mobster. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin are British thieves in love, who are in the process of robbing an L.A. diner, Bonnie and Clyde-style. Mia Wallace is Marcellus’s cocaine-addicted wife who is to be protected by Vincent. They spend the night out at a cheesy restaurant and enter in a twist contest, but a misunderstanding almost costs her her life. Butch Coolidge is a boxer who is running for his life after not throwing a fight. He cannot, however, leave town until he finds his father’s watch from the Vietnam War, which is in a risky place. All four of these stories are individual in their own right; enough to make a movie around each setting. Tarantino, however, found a way to perfectly weave these characters and their quirks together in seemingly impossible ways; be it through a misunderstanding, a mutual friend, a mistake, Tarantino found a way to cross lives that should never be crossed. This film is special because non-linear storylines are very, very difficult to pull off; the only movie (that Ive seen) pull this off well was Tarantino’s debut, Reservoir Dogs. While I may not like Tarantino, his writing is simply brilliant, and Pulp Fiction showcases his talents like nothing else; this movie is filled with classic cinema homages, a ridiculous soundtrack, loads of profanity and blood, seemingly random plot elements, and many other Tarantino-isms. The film is surprisingly easy to follow for a non-linear narrative, and it doesnt keep you guessing. It simply makes you go “Wow. That really just happened.” If you couldnt already tell, the writing was the selling point for me; Tarantino’s trademark style won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in a landslide. However, writing aside, I also found a standout in the actors. John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Amanda Plummer, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, and some of my personal favorites, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth, all did fantastic jobs. The one who really brought it, though, was Samuel L. Jackson as hitman Jules Winnfield. The 6’ 2” Bible-quoting, Jheri-curled, burger-loving, cold-blooded killer is nothing to laugh at; Jackson owns the part, all the way from his quoting of the Book of Ezekiel for intimidation and fear-inducement, to him quoting the same verse for sincerity and redemption. Savory Scene: Pulp Fiction is one of the most memorable movies of all time, with so many signature scenes; the Bible-quoting, “the Gimp”, the twist contest, the food talk in the car, you name it. But for me, the Savory Scene from this movie was when the hitmen and their friend Jimmie (played by Tarantino) call in some help to cover up an accidental killing. Marcellus sends his personal cleaner, “the Wolf,” played by Harvey Keitel. While I do not particularly like Keitel, he owns this role, racing up the street in a silver Acura, then appearing at the door in a tuxedo with the introduction “I’m Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.” He then proceeds to calmly tell the men how to properly dispose of the body. While many other scenes are more landmarked, Keitel’s ice-cool demeanor and suave give a different feeling to the film that it had been missing. Picky Points: I do have to admit the movie is a little bit overrated. Sure, much of it was very cool, but it’s definitely not, as an overall film, one of the greatest all-time films, as many have said. Significant and brilliant, but not one of the greatest. One-Line Wonder: “They call it a Royale with Cheese.” Score: I give Pulp Fiction a B. Original and well-made, despite the overhype.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 22:46:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015