Quentin Tarantino's Magnum Opus Is Cinematic History In The Making

Rating: Null/10 (16 December 2015)

Every once in a while, a film comes along that changes everything. Whenever the industry went out of ideas & employed the same formula for too long, there always emerged a new wave of films that injected new life into this medium and in the process ended up changing the way we are accustomed to watching & perceiving motion pictures. And Pulp Fiction is, without a doubt, one of those movies.
Winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes & Best Screenplay at Oscars, Pulp Fiction was a force to be reckoned with at its time of release for it opened many realms that were previously thought to be non-existent and in the long run, didn't just influence cinema but other media as well. Everything about it was different from the norm and it remains one of the most original & groundbreaking stories to ever unfold on the silver screen.
Pulp Fiction intertwines three different story lines into one and is told in a nonlinear fashion. The first follows two hit men who are out to retrieve a mysterious suitcase which belongs to their boss. The second is about one of those two hit men who's put in charge of taking care of the boss' wife while he's out of town. And third concerns an aging but proud boxer who is asked to drop a fight in exchange for a handsome reward. The lives of these odd people collide in unexpected ways, resulting in some hilarious situations.
Written & directed by Quentin Tarantino, his sophomore effort is even better than his debut feature which was a milestone in itself. Tarantino has injected the script with extensive pop culture references, a vast line-up of idiosyncratic characters & explosive dialogues plus the way this whole story is narrated and its wicked fusion of violence & humour turns it into an endlessly enjoyable, wildly entertaining & thoroughly refreshing ride that's in a league of its own.
What's also amazing is the fact that most of the conversations taking place in the movie is not even related to the plot and is simply a casual discussion on a randomly chosen topic. And yet, without these wisecracking moments, Pulp Fiction wouldn't really be Pulp Fiction. The amount of focus that went into the smallest of details during the writing process is this film's biggest strength and when it comes to pure screenplay wizardry, Pulp Fiction has no equals & probably never will.
The technical aspects are no slouch for the picture exhibits a number of new tricks when it comes to bringing the script to life on the film canvas. Cinematography presents Tarantino adding a few more photography techniques to his sleeve that would later become his own trademarks. Editing intentionally rearranges the order in which the events unfold and keeps the viewers on their toes at all times. And the soundtrack is a compilation of rock n roll, pop & surf music that are cleverly chosen and surprisingly fit the accompanying sequences.
Two key elements that are highly contrasting in general but, in Tarantino's films, fit together as if co-dependent on each other is violence & humour. He's a rare artist who is capable of making us laugh uncontrollably at a scene that involves a person's head getting blown-off. Now there is substantial amount of violence in this picture but those violent sequences are also its funniest moments and the reason why it works so well is coz the addition of hilarity to such brutality significantly neutralizes the effect gore & violence alone may have had on the audience.
Coming to the acting department, Pulp Fiction features a star-studded cast in John Travolta ,Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis, & many more, and is notable for launching & revitalising the careers of many. Travolta resurrects himself with a smashing performance in the role of Vincent Vega. Jackson not delivers his career-best work but ends up reincarnating himself for this is the movie that made Samuel L. Jackson what Samuel L. Jackson is today and he will forever be indebted to Tarantino for this.
Both Travolta & Jackson play the two hit men and their chemistry just clicks. Thurman plays Mia Wallace and is absolutely electrifying in her given role. Marsellus Wallace is a character whose presence looms over the entire story even during his absence & Ving Rhames didn't disappoint in portraying him. Willis adds another feather to his acting range and does nicely in balancing the toughness of his boxer character with a soft spot for his wife. Keitel steals every moment he is in. Roth & Plummer also have their moments to shine, and each one of them succeeds in bringing these scripted characters to life in just the right dose.
On an overall scale, with its surprisingly powerful combination of unconventional structure, stylish direction, remarkable screenplay, stellar performances, energetic pace, mesmerising soundtrack and Tarantino's patented mix of violence & humour, Pulp Fiction succeeds as a delicious piece of pop culture that thrills & amuses in a highly unusual manner and is rightly counted amongst the greatest movies ever made. Immortal for its contribution to cinema & pop culture, an unsurpassed milestone in independent filmmaking, and a landmark moment in cinema history that permanently engraved Tarantino's name in the annals of filmmaking, Pulp Fiction is essential viewing in every sense of the word. Multiple viewings advised.