Great Director, Great Movie

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2014)

Quentin Tarantino is one of the greatest directors of all time. It is not a coincidence, therefore, that Pulp Fiction, one of his most well recognized and known movies, is one of the best movies of all time. Between the eclectic and comedic plot and the supreme group of actors that Tarantino used for the movie, it is inarguable otherwise. For many people, for instance some of my friends who have watched Pulp Fiction, the plot is a negative. These people have got to be Type A's who require a structured and well planned plot with a more developed and organized background and character set. They usually think this because the movie simply picks up at different places and is not in chronological order. The movie also introduces characters to the audience without any name, background or insight into the character. These two things can most easily be seen in the beginning and middle of the movie. In the beginning, when the "Honey-Bunny" scene is introduced for the first time, it is easy for the audience to be dumbfounded and confused as to what the movie is about and who the characters are. The audience may also be confused in the middle of the movie when Marsellus Wallace is talking to Butch. There are no obvious indications as to who the two men are. The audience has to draw from context clues that the black man is Marsellus Wallace and that Butch is a boxer who is supposed to go down for him. It is easy to see that this may irk somebody who has a Type A personality. To me, however, this is a very positive and refreshing aspect of Pulp Fiction. Movies are too predictable today. They present too many known and common variables. All of Quentin Tarantino's movies, or at least most are unpredictable. This unpredictability is refreshing. The randomness, especially in Pulp Fiction, is positive, new and makes watching the movie fun and exciting. Much of the randomness factor in Pulp Fiction comes from random little extras that mean nothing to the plot of the movie. An example of this is when Vince and Mia are on the date and Mia calls Vince a square. But rather than saying square, she outlines a square with her fingers in the air, and lines follow her fingers on the screen. Another random yet comedic part of the movie is when Butch comes home to his girlfriend Fabienne and she says she wants a pot belly. This is where the audience first learns that Fabienne is quite weird and oblivious. Besides these two scenes, there are many other strange little jokes or bizarre piece of humor intertwined into the movie. An excellent example of this is when Butch learns that the watch he receives from his dead father's comrade was kept inside both of their rectums. Of course the vocabulary Tarantino uses for these for these scenes is quite vulgar, but the vulgarity adds to the hilarity factor. The actors are also part of what makes Pulp Fiction as good a movie as it is. Tarantino usually uses many of the same actors, especially Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken. Thurman plays Mia and Walken plays a more minor role. Besides Thurman and Walken, many acting greats including John Travolta, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson take major roles. In my opinion, Pulp Fiction is the best movie I have seen Bruce Willis play in as he does not play some cheesy, cliché character with cliché lines like in all the Die Hard movies. John Travolta also plays his role very well, as he also does not take himself too seriously. Samuel L. Jackson, in many aspects is the funniest and best character of the movie. His violent rants and outbursts are hilariously awesome and challenge his famous "Go the _____ to Sleep." Pulp Fiction also leaves the audience with questions. The biggest question is what is in the suitcase. All that is known about the contents of the suitcase is that they glow orange and that Marsellus Wallace is the owner and needs them back. The audience also gets to see that anybody looking at the contents freezes and stares when they see what is inside. When I saw the movie for the first time, I thought that the content was gold bars, which may explain the orange glow that hits characters' faces when they opened up the suitcase. But, after investigation on the internet, unaware that the subject was of hot debate, I learned that Tarantino wanted the suitcase to hold diamonds, but used diamonds in another movie so he just did not show the contents at all. It is these small mysteries that add interest and debate over the quality of movies. Because of the actors, hilarity, and mystery in Pulp Fiction, it can be considered one of the best movies of all time. Tarantino did not disappoint with this 1994 movie. He intrigued many with a more artist and abstract way of making plots and directing movies.