Film: Pulp Fiction Director: Quentin Tarantino

Ezekiel 25:17
The first time I saw 'Pulp Fiction' was in 1994. I was six years old and it was my first R rated theatrical experience. It's !een a lon" time# and I couldn't directly $uote myself from that far !ac%# !ut I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the process# some!ody threw out a comment alon" this line& 'it's li%e a (.) hour episode of '*einfeld' that fuses +iolence and humor as if they were no more distinct than the left and ri"ht shoe., It would !e a few more years !efore the film crossed my path a second time# !ut upon *amuel -. .ac%son's final deli+ery of /0e%iel ()&11# the pre+ious comment seemed e+en more lo"ical than it did in '94# and continues to hold that line to this day. Ro"er 2+ary once said that if Quentin Tarantino had not !ecome a film director# he would'+e undou!tedly !een a serial %iller. 3ou show this man any film from any era# and !y 4od# he'll find a way to "lorify it to his collection# homa"e its content in one of his scenes# or 5ust let one of his !ad !oy characters rip it to shreds in the middle of some random diner con+ersation that pro!a!ly doesn't ad+ance the plot one !it# !ut it still catches your ears within seconds. If you were to "i+e Tarantino a fresh "lass of cold mil%# I'm sure that 5ust listenin" to him tal% a!out how much he en5oyed 6or hated7 it would !e a speech worth tapin". 2s esta!lished in the infamous 'no tippin", scene of 'Reser+oir 8o"s#' Tarantino clearly has a na" for drawin" his startin" line in the calmest moods. 9hether its a "roup of +iolent mo!sters or a lo+in" couple of ':oney ;unnies, who en5oy for"ettin" each other's real name# Tarantino has a uni$ue talent for suc%in" +iewers into sympathi0in" with any character he creates. The !i""er point# howe+er# is not who li+es or dies# !ut who can fall into the worst case scenario !efore their fate is determined. 2nd there are plenty of stic%y situations to "o around in this mo+ie. 2side from esta!lishin" a directorial icon# 'Pulp Fiction' also resurrected a num!er of stum!lin" careers throu"h its run. .ohn Tra+olta mo+ed past his '4rease' roots as <incent= a professional hitman who has 5ust returned from 2msterdam# and has $uite a few stories to share with his cold !looded partner .ules 6*amuel -. .ac%son7# who comes with a strict understandin" for !usiness# and a !i!lical intelli"ence that ma%es the wrath of 4od a force to !e rec%oned with. 2nother crucial player in Tarantino's "ame is ;utch >oolid"e 6;ruce 9illis7= a !oxer who is supposed to throw a fi"ht in his openin" scene# !ut decides not to. This fallout deal forces him to s%ip town !efore a +iolent mo! !oss named ?arsellus 6<in" Rhames7 trac%s him down# and !oy what a twist of fate that turns into as the two men find themsel+es trapped to"ether in the !asement of a "un shop where a few outside croo%s perform special treatments for intrudin" customers. Throu"h the "rape+ine of fate# se+eral of the characters' stories intersect 6if only for a few seconds7 as a way of remindin" the +iewer that the entire span of the film co+ers only one day's worth of time. This setup wor%s to %eep the pace mo+in"# as well as maintain the le+el of tension that exists in this we! of corruption= althou"h not all of it is !ased on deceit. <incent has another lar"e role in a se"ment where he ta%es ?arsellus' wife ?ia 6@ma Thurman7 out for dinner at a ')As theme restaurant. 9e approach this chapter already %nowin" <incent's story# !ut it is up to @ma Thurman to pro+ide the ri"ht amount of ease that ma%es this scene wor% in the way Tarantino wants it. <incent has no plans to hit on his !oss' wife# !ut the way ?ia comes off# it would almost appear as if she actually wants him to flirt with her. *he's +ery curious a!out his trip to 2msterdam# and she finds no ris% in sharin" her deepest thou"hts with him. This communication certainly pro+es to !e a turn on as <incent is forced to sa+e her life in a scene that still ma%es me twitch e+ery time I see it. 9ould he ha+e "one to such trou!le if dinner 6which included a

dance7 hadn't "one so wellB Plottin" the o+erall story of 'Pulp Fiction' would !e li%e tryin" to e$uate an 2l!ert /instein formula of une+en num!ers. *ome people find Tarantino's nonlinear techni$ue to !e annoyin" and pointless# !ut I'+e always +iewed it as a uni$ue form of surprise !ecause e+en to this day# I'll !e watchin" the film# and for"et which scene is comin" next. 4ranted# Tarantino does ma%e the a!solute !est of e+ery sin"le scene# !ut isn't it still fun 6as soon as the next scene !e"ins7 to say out loud# 'Ch my 4od# I remem!er thisD, 2nd yes# may!e I am a ridiculous film nerd# !ut there is 5ust somethin" pleasurin" a!out watchin" this mo+ie with a "roup of people who ha+e ne+er seen it !efore... especially when it "ets to the part where <incent accidentally slips his fin"er on the tri""er. Cr wait a second... did .ules actually run o+er a !umpB I can ne+er remem!er if that was confirmed= 5ust li%e we ne+er confirm what exactly is in that !riefcase. The crownin" moment of 'Pulp Fiction's "lory comes in the concludin" act where <incent and .ules are relaxin" in a diner with some delicious !acon 6.ules doesn't eat filthy animals7# and a transitional re+elation that is disco+ered upon the lo"ic of di+ine inter+ention. There's plenty of ram!lin" to satisfy our ears# !ut as seen in 'Reser+oir 8o"s#' there must !e a crucial point in e+ery Tarantino endin" where each person in the room pulls out a "un. 9hat separates this film from the former is the fact that 'Reser+oir 8o"s' ended on a series of loud "unshots# while this one is a!le to reach its climax without a sin"le shot !ein" fired= and it's %ind of funny !ecause at one point# *amuel -. .ac%son actually demands to feel the heat 6'point the "un at meD,7. ;lood may not !e the decidin" factor of 'Pulp Fiction's outcome# !ut there is a lot more !ein" fired than !ullets in this scene. 2nd as .ules deli+ers his fa+orite passa"e with a sharp tone that demands to !e heard# we are left with a cold feelin" of astonishment that could'+e ne+er !een achie+ed in any other fashion. 3ou may not !e a!le to find the words to say for $uite some time in the aftermath# !ut with or without appro+al# you will say them with respect as Tarantino pro+es he is not 5ust some spoiled +ideo cler% who dreamed of "ettin" rich... he is a de+oted filmma%er to !e ta%en seriously# and he is here to stay. 2nd now# 1) years later... the rest is history.

4rade& A