Pulp Fiction: The Movie Like No Other

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2019)

The well established filmmaker and director Quentin Tarantino is known for his violent and satirical subject matter, untraditional and nonlinear narrative form, and ensemble casts with actors who have regularly appeared in previous Tarantino's movies. When I personally think of a Quentin Tarantino film, I think of over-the-top graphic violence and eloquent, dynamic, punchy, and sometimes extended dialogue. I believe that Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction is the most distinguished and prominent Tarantino film to ever hit the box office because there is no film that will completely make an utter mockery of America's key principles and moral and cultural values like Pulp Fiction does. It also has an extremely profound script which creates an ironic twist between humor and gore.
The storyline is interwoven with numerous different characters and their relationships to one another. Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are the world's' most philosophical hitmen. They are hired by a gangster named Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) and his beautiful wife Mia (Uma Thurman). When Marsellus gets screwed over in a deal by the famous boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), Marsellus hires Vega and Winnfield to take care of him.
A particular scene that stuck out in the film was when Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield were driving in their car after they broke into an apartment to complete a contract. They had taken the only survivor from the apartment, a young man named Marvin. Vega accidentally shot him in the face with his .45 caliber during a seemingly harmless conversation. This scene is one of the most violent scenes, yet one of the most humorous because Vega and Winnfield are yelling back and forth while the whole backseat (and Winnfield's hair) has brain matter splattered about. This scene is important because it provides evidence that Pulp Fiction has an exceptional cast and an exceedingly rich script.
There are a few negatives and flaws I would point out. The storyline jumps around to different characters and different points in time which can confuse the audience and make them unaware of what is currently taking place. Another negative would be the fact that the overall plot is interfered with Tarantino's self-indulgence with his own personal fixations. This can draw attention away with the themes and perspectives that really matter. Lastly, the most important flaw is the blatant homophobia and racism that can be extremely offensive to some more sensitive viewers. The abundance and excessive use of the n-word has the potential to probably turn off a sufficient target audience. The prejudices found in this movie seem to fly due to the fact there is usually a pop-culture reference or joke that is said directly afterwards that seem to mask the potentially disconcerting message.
The reason why I previously stated that Pulp Fiction is the greatest Tarantino film to ever hit the box office is because I loved the screenplay and the acting. The script was extremely perplexing because it didn't seem like Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary tried too hard to write it. Tarantino's first film, Reservoir Dogs, was critiqued for its screenplay because movie critics thought that the writers were "trying too hard to be cool." I liked the acting because I am personally a fan of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. I also thought it was entertaining to see Tarantino slip himself into a couple minor scenes. The special effects were superb for the year it was released in 1994. This is important because Tarantino loves to entertain the audience with exaggerated violence and gore, and weak special effects in this film would hamper the movies quality, and make it look cheesy and low budget. I also enjoyed the aspect of the storyline not being presented in chronological order. I found this to add a unique and somewhat unpresidented style to the film. Lastly, I thoroughly relished the overall style and setting of the movie. I have never seen a somewhat neo-noir crime thriller that somehow sprinkles in a perfect concoction of dramatic themes with a dark comedic blend.
Overall, I found Pulp Fiction to be incredibly sublime and remarkable. I advise anybody to see this film, as it is a cornerstone for independent movies. I truly believe that this film is a classic, and one of the best movies created in film history, but I'm sure many would object. This movie has no specific genre, so if you like movies in general, I would advise to see it.