The Path of the Righteous Man

Rating: 6/10 (24 September 2014)

Pulp Fiction, a dark, gangster drama, directed by Quentin Tarantino, received many awards for best screenplay and revived many careers of the actors in the film. At the time of its release, the film reeked of cinematic expression. Mr. Tarantino is a clever storyteller, giving the audience exactly what they want in a gangster movie. The story is anything but typical and unconventionally follows the lives of a very colorful cast. To catalog Pulp Fiction in just one genre would be to discount it from other's and would be unfair. Often referred to as a "black comedy", the tale centers on the relationship between two gangsters / hit-men and could be categorized as an off -beat gangster flick. However, the story (like the scenes in the movie) jumps from one place to another. For example, one moment it is a serious "drama" (as characters are brutally assassinated), then comes a "romance" between a couple desperately attempting to escape reality. A night on the town, with flirtation amongst bizarrely matched characters leads to an overdose. This movie includes everything a Tarantino film lover demands; drugs, violence, sex, romance, music, dancing, sport, and even retention of one's soul. Each scene is developed first by dialog and then through actions, creating a series of consequences with serious and profound results. At first, the non-traditional editing was disturbing. However, after re-watching certain scenes again, it became clearer. Mr. Tarantino challenges the viewer to reassemble the pieces of the story in chronological order on their own. Figuring out what came first, the chicken or the egg is key to providing insight in solving the many puzzles in this story. The use of sound and score in Pulp Fiction effectively provided texture to each scene. The songs chosen for the film effortlessly set the stage for each escapade. Listening to the soundtrack provokes multifaceted thoughts and memories. The cunning cinematic techniques used in Pulp Fiction include eccentric configurations and framing, supporting both the tone and mood of the movie. The long pauses' precluding the violence fosters tension on screen, creating intensity driven drama. The use of such a wide variety of camera angles provides the audience with a unique viewing experience and indicates the work of a true artist. The direct and indirect influences of this movie are not readily apparent to the viewer. Each social class represented in Pulp Fiction faces some type of moral dilemma, and each character must work through their respective dilemma, despite their current situations. Lack of value and consequence seems to be the meaning of the story. Following the path of the righteous man is a common theme throughout. I feel as though each scene contained an exaggerated amount of morality, and the screenplay suffered a bit because of this. Too much time was spent on showing the audience the bad stuff, and not enough on the characters' lives. The best part of the film was the music and the dance scene between Vincent and Mia. I would recommend the film to a very mature, bored audience, as if you watch all 154 minutes of this film, you may wish for your time back.