A Quentin Tarantino Classic

Rating: 9/10 (10 February 2016)

Guns, gangsters, blood, and blow. It can all be found in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 movie, Pulp Fiction. This exciting, and notably disturbing, thriller unfolds the story of two hit men Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) as they rampage about Los Angeles doing dirty work for their drug kingpin boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). In this midst of kicking in doors, the boys are given an order by the boss man himself to kill a boxer named Butch (Bruce Willis) for not throwing a match. The bloody murdering and drug-overdosing events that happen during the course of the film is what leaves viewers oddly begging for more (Note: not a movie for children).
Cinematographer, Andrzej SekuÅ‚a, paints a beautiful setting of Los Angeles in this movie. From the run down neighborhoods where the drug dealers abide to Marsellus' upscale house in the hill, this movie will make your eyes fall in love. The small elements of the film such as the paint chipping off the apartment hallway walls or the dim, smoke- filled bars are what really make the picture quality stand apart from other productions. Of course there are scenes that aren't so pleasant, but necessary to add to the aura of the movie. In one scene, Vincent Vega "accidentally" shoots a drug dealer right through the eyes in a car and it literally shows pieces of brain splattered entirely throughout. A darker scene yet depicts Marsellus Wallace being tied up and brutally raped by a backwoods pawn store owner that looks as if he should have starred in the movie Deliverance. It's scenes like this that made me feel I truly had to take a shower afterwards because it was so gruesome and dirty, but at the same time powerful. And then there is how the actors are portrayed physically. Vincent is shown as this sly, hair slicked back guy with an earning in his ear. It's no doubt from the start viewers know he's the ladies' man. Jules on the other hand is portrayed as being scarily philosophical, complete with an afro, lamb chops, and a gold chain. Both these men are sharply dressed in suits which shows they are to be reckoned with. The downside but somewhat interesting part of this movie is the plot. It requires the viewer to stay completely in tuned to what is going on. In fact, I would never have liked this movie if I did not re watch it a second time to understand it better! This is due in part of Quentin Tarantino's famous nonlinear plot style. This means the movie does not follow in perfect sequence but instead falls back on itself from time to time. The opening scene shown in the movie actually does not even take place until the very end. This can leave viewers confused because actors are shown immediately in the movie that do not show up until the end. If you are a movie goer that just likes to see big explosions whilst lacking an in depth story line, this movie is NOT for you. On the contrary, if you are the type of viewer that feeds off how certain ambiguous scenes tie together in the long run, I would strongly advise watching this movie. If you want to know how in the hell Quentin Tarantino managed to link a scene that opens the movie to a scene that ends the movie, get this movie at all costs!