A cinematic experience

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2009)

I saw this for the first time today. And whilst I cannot say I loved pulp fiction, it is extremely difficult to criticise. I gave it a 10 rating purely for its quality; it deserves nothing less. It was my curiosity to know 'what the big deal is?' that led me to finally see it. And whilst i'm not qualified to say that the film was a turning point in cinematic history, redefining its genre and such, it is undeniably an excellently executed film. If film-making could be eloquent this would be a prime example. As one reviewer pointed out, the story did not need to be told, but none-the-less it is given such style and energy and...pizazz that it feels worth it. The word 'pulp' does full justice to both its definitions.
Perhaps to someone who has experienced enough cinema pre-pulp fiction, it could be seen as a slap-in-the- 'this is how you tell a story folks!'. It shows that you can take characters that the audience usually treats as one-dimensional plot devices/illustrators and turns them into the 4-dimensional complex beings that they are. The characters can no longer be construed even in the loosest sense as 'good' or 'bad' and I don't think it particularly matters. People aren't good or bad; that is what makes them complex and interesting and most importantly - human.
The dialogue is sharp, well-timed and original. A lot of the spoken word conversations are extremely ordinary in content, but they have the ability to make you think. It is the sort of observation you would usually keep to yourself rather than say out loud, almost as if the characters don't think before they speak. The acting of course is flawless as one would expect with the great slew of well-used talent.
I could not recommend this film to anyone but a true film enthusiast - it is a fine piece of art with a 'devil may care' attitude. Too cool for school but smart enough to know its boundaries.
I am certainly curious to see what else Tarrantino has to offer.