Tarantino is dark comedy's king

Rating: 9/10 (24 April 2019)

Pulp Fiction is all the evidence that any film buff needs to label Quentin Tarantino the king of dark comedy. While Tarantino's graphic style shines through in any project he undertakes, it is in this absurdist piece that blurs the boundaries of reality that his genius is truly most evident.
Robert Kolker describes the "absurd banality" of the dialogue in Pulp Fiction, which is an apt description given the almost Pinter-esque scenes that remain a prominent part of meme culture almost 30 years after the film's release. Tarantino's own performance in the "dead nigger storage" scene, as well as iconic interchanges between Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) have remained some of the most recognisable dark comedy sketches in recent history.
But it is not just in the absurdity of the dialogue and scenarios that Tarantino distorts reality in Pulp Fiction. The very film itself is told in a non-linear format, and the colourful aesthetic of the film itself generates a cartoon-like surrealism to the very existence of such a film.
Exchanges are purposefully trivialised. From the accidental murder plotline, which lasts no less than an entire act, to Jules' obsession with biblical verses, the film takes on a silly, clownlike aura in the vein of many slapstick cartoons, while adhering to Tarantino's typically hyper-violent, extremely adult content.
Pulp Fiction also finds a lot of its whimsical colour in its cavalcade of homages, from the dolly shot in the style of Stanley Kubrick to the 1950s restaurant with throwbacks to everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Buddy Holly. This film seems to exist purely as a shrine to the greatest filmmakers and influences on Hollywood cinema of all time, including obvious salutes to Martin Scorsese and Sergio Leone amongst others.
The all-star cast really make the characters memorable, but it is important to remember what this film did for the careers of so many of the stars we consider permanent A-listers today. Jackson's career was cemented by his relationship with Tarantino, and Travolta's was revitalised by his Oscar nomination for his performance. Likewise, Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis received a much-needed boost after fading from stardom in the 1990s, and the careers of Tim Roth and Eric Stoltz were catapulted to the stars.
Jackson, however, is the standout. The iconic Samuel L. Jackson role that we have come to live is idealised in Jules, and this should be credited as the film that made Jackson the megastar that he has become.
Overall, Pulp Fiction exists as indisputably the best dark comedy film ever made, and one of cinema's sparkling achievements. Its very existence is a shrine to Hollywood itself, and it stands as a unique, thoughtful piece of work in an industry that quite often lacks thus. Not even Tarantino will ever quite live up to the creativity, originality and genius behind Pulp Fiction ever again.