Undeniably great cinema

Rating: 10/10 (30 May 2003)

Lauded by many, hated by others, Pulp Fiction is ambitious, provocative, shocking, funny and breathtaking at the same time (and, as you can see- in the same sentence). It is both a homage to all those "pulp" works of fiction out there and a fresh look at the crime genre.
Quentin Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction is a set of three interconnecting tales focusing on sin and redemption. There is the story of the hit man who takes the boss' wife out for the night (with John Travolta as the hit man and Uma Thurman as the wife), a story of a failing boxer (played by Bruce Willis) and a story focusing on Samuel L Jackson's hit man- and his role in a diner stick-up. An eclectic supporting cast (including Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Harvey Keitel and Quentin himself) add to the gritty, blended nature of the film.
It is hard to pick out any distinct high or low points in pulp fiction in terms of the filmmaking itself as it is all so well executed. The performances (except with the possible exception of Tarantino) are uniformly nuanced and deep. The dialogue fizzes off the screen and conveys an interesting mix between mundane conversation and character insight. The direction and subsequent cinematography are all realistic yet subtlety stylish (see the diner scene for proof). All the stories and elements are linked together with a superb soundtrack full of undiscovered and well-known 70s songs which highlight the films seediness.
Unlike some of the more recent films, this was the deserved winner of the Palm D'Or back when it was released. It is also, definitely contender for best film of the 1990s- and certainly the most fun.