Pulp Fiction

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2005)

I think the title of the film relates to foreign New Wave film, and magazines, well the film starts with the definitions. Anyway, this is a brilliant crime drama from Oscar winning writer (along with Roger Avary) and Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Quentin Tarantino. The story begins with what will be a continuing scene towards the end where Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) plan the robbery of the cafeteria they are in. After the opening credits, with the song "Jungle Boogie" we see hit men Vincent Vega (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Samuel L. Jackson) on their way to see one of their boss's associate's to retrieve the stolen valuable briefcase (we never see what it is, but from the reflecting colour it looks like gold), asking questions about their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), and after Jules popular bible passage recitation killing two of the double-crossers. It then skips to Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) who is paid to throw a boxing match, and Vincent comes in, leading to another story. Vincent is taking Marcellus's wife Mia (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Uma Thurman) for the evening, in which they win a dance contest, she snorts what she thought was cocaine, but it was heroin, and she is revived with adrenalin at the house of drug dealer Lance (Eric Stoltz). It then flashes back to (what would be the opening of the film) young Butch receiving his father's watch from Capt. Koons (Christopher Walken) who tells him they both shoved it up their arses to keep it safe. Then it forwards to Butch's fight, and he did not throw it, and he escapes the city, there is a moment where Butch has to go back to his house when his girlfriend Fabienne (Maria De Medeiros) forgot his watch, and he kills Vincent who was waiting for him. Driving back though, he also encounters Marcellus himself, but before they can kill each other, they are kidnapped and tied up by two homosexuals, one is Zed (The Mask's Peter Greene). Butch manages to escape and save Marcellus from continued torture and male rape, and this is when their dept is settled, as long as Butch leaves town for good. The final flashback goes back to just after Jules has killed Lance, and another guy from the cupboard comes out shooting, but no bullets hit. After killing him, and taking Marvin (Phil LaMarr) with them, they have another problem where Vincent accidentally shoots their hostage. To help clear up the mess they go to the house of Jimmie Dimmick (Tarantino) and call for help from the guy who can "solve problems", Winston 'The Wolf' Wolfe (Harvey Keitel). They manage to clear up the mess, and have to wear new, dorky clothes, and going to a cafeteria everything seems fine, till Pumpkin and Honeybunny start the robbery (that you saw at the beginning), and eventually after a long chat and guns pointing Jules and Vincent stop them, before leaving, and that is the end. Phew! I would have explained it all in the chronological order, but that would be complicated for those who don't know it. Also starring Rosanna Arquette as Jody and Steve Buscemi as Buddy Holly. Tarantino's direction and script, where characters seem normal, e.g. talking about popular culture (like burgers) is brilliant, all actors are perfectly cast, and it is just an unmissable mainstream film. The memorable quotes, besides Jules's bible recitation, "Bring out the Gimp" and "They call it a "Royale with Cheese"." (both nominated to be in 100 Years, 100 Quotes), are "Zed's dead baby. Zed's dead." and "Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face" - "Why the f*** d'you do that!" Oh. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Picture, it won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, the David Lean Award for Direction and Best Film, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Uma Thurman was number 95, Harvey Keitel number 53, John Travolta number 46, Bruce Willis number 35, and Samuel L. Jackson number 11 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Travolta was number 38, and Thurman number 15 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, Travolta was also number 63 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and he was number 46 on The World's Greatest Actor, the film was number 53 on 100 Years, 100 Thrills, the film was number 15 on Film 4's 50 Films To See Before You Die, it was number 95 on 100 Years, 100 Movies, and it was number 4 on The 100 Greatest Films. Outstanding!