Comment: Pulp: Soft, moist, formless mass of matter, a magazine which is made of poor quality paper and containing sensational stories. Fiction: Invention; invented statement or narrative; prose literature c

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2004)

With a cult following around the world, a couple of years ago I thought I better get around to watching Pulp Fiction', and see what all the fuss was about. To my horror, I found this movie too sick and violent for my liking. Then just the other day I gave it a second chance and boy I am glad that I did. Pulp Fiction' is an inside look at a memorable community of criminals. This is one of the more unique pieces of cinema the world has ever seen.
Prize-fighter Butch Coolidge has decided to stop payment on a deal he's made with the devil. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin are a couple of young lovers and small time thieves who decide they need a change of venue. Meanwhile, two career criminals, Vincent Vega and Jules, go about their daily business of shooting up other crooks that are late on payments to their boss. While one is asked to baby-sit their boss' dangerously pretty young wife, the other suddenly realises that he must give up his life of crime.

The screenplay written for Pulp Fiction' by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery is unusual and interesting at the same time. I like how Quentin made the story be out of chronological order, in addition to the way he cleverly changes the pace of the movie (e.g. from violent-humorous or vice-versa). Then there is also the very subtle use of humour in PF', which is another part of the script l like as well. Tarantino, I have read, used the humour to offset the violence that was about to, or has happened. Yet the script also holds some weird dialogue, for instance when Mia and Vincent are in the Diner, as I felt the first time it was really boring. A second viewing I can appreciate that it is a little different, not like your normal movie lingo. I am not surprised that this screenplay won an academy award, as it was very original.
This movie has an all star line up. It resurrected the career of John Travolta who was on a downer before taking on the character of Vincent Vega in PF'. Travolta is good as the bad guy, as I also like his performance in the action hit, Broken Arrow'. Travolta shares an interesting, but bizarre chemistry with Uma Thurman, who plays Mia. The dance sequence the pair does at the burger diner has to go down as one of the great pieces of cinema I have seen. I know I will not forget it for along time to come. Thurman is also part of the movies most distressing scene, when her character accidentally OD's on heroine. What follows is quite unbelievable.

Vincent's mobster sidekick is Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), whose role is so serious that in some circumstances it has to be laughed at. Jules always misquotes a bible passage, thinking that he has it right to the very word. The verse is Ezekiel 25:17'. I love how the script allows both Travolta and Jackson to make fun of what essentially are dangerous, violent and serious situations. They also share funny dialogue at the beginning of the film, as Vincent asks Jules, do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in Paris? A Royale with Cheese.' The mob pair work for Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) who for most of the movie we only see the back of his head. He is one of the more influential characters in the entire movie.

Then you have the character of Butch (played by action superstar Bruce Willis). He has been asked to throw a fight he is in, but doesn't, with the consequences of that being great. We also learn about the history of a wrist watch that his grandfather had in the war. One of the two great cameo performances in PF' comes from Captain Koons (Christopher Walken), who tells one of the movies funnier moments. The wrist watch is an important item to the movies make-up. The other is a bad guy by the name Jimmie (played by Tarantino himself). Tarantino is one guy who sure is involved when it comes to making a movie!
I have to admit that I was not a fan of the contents of Pulp Fiction' when I first watched it. Yet three years on, I can see why many people like what it covers. The violence (one of the main reason why I did not like it first time) is nowhere as bad I thought, as Tarantino cleverly cuts away to a different camera angle or too a completely different shot all together to make it a little less shocking. Yet it still has the same impact, as you know exactly what has happened. Sure the bad guys use guns, but again they are used in such a way, that I could approve of them a second time around. There are many other deeper aspects to this movie that I have learnt to see and want too find more about.
Early on in 2003 I was away with friends on the beach. At one stage I started drinking a can or two of alcohol. After an hour I was getting really happy, and started to dance like they do at the diner in Pulp Fiction'. Since that night I have wanted to watch the movie and see what I was mimicking. Quentin Tarantino has had what I believe is a positive influence on movies that we watch today. Sure he might push the envelope on what people like, but he also makes movies that are a little bit different, unlike the normal predictable' movie formulas. Tarantino also uses some extraordinary camera angles in Pulp Fiction, just great! First time around, I would have only given Pulp Fiction a very small rating, however after many viewings, Pulp Fiction has shown me that it is a brilliant film, exceptionally well made by Tarantino.
CMRS gives Pulp Fiction': 5 (Brilliant Film)