Summer of 101 Movies #99: Pulp Fiction

Welcome back to Summer of 101 Movies. Today's film is one that changed the way films were made, it changed what type of movies were made in the 90's, it made careers and brought back dead ones. It's one of the most quotable and iconic films of all time, it's the most successful "indie" movie of all time, and it's a film buffs dream. I'm of course talking about...

  Let's Begin

PLOT(S)

Pulp Fiction tells four stories that are told out of order and interconnect through characters and events. The first story is about two hitmen, Vincent and Jules, who are on a hit from their boss, Marsellus Wallace. Story 2 is about Vincent taking out Marsellus's wife, Mia Wallace, to show her a non sexual good time. Story 3 is about Butch who failed to lose a boxing match and is now on the run from Marsellus Wallace. And finally, story 4 is about Vincent and Jules adventures after the hit at the beginning of the film. Each story is filled with comedy, drama, and kinetic energy that never stops for even half a second.

PROS

Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta are amazing in the film. They both have great chemistry and have their own moments to shine. Also, this is the movie that made both their careers and made Jackson the king and rightful owner of the F-bomb.

Tarantino is a master of dialogue, and this is his writing at it's best. This movie should be slow, boring dialogue driven, but the dialogue is so good and the actors are also so good that it never becomes dull or boring. The dialogue feels natural and like a conversation you'd have with one of your buddies.

Even though the movie is 2 and half hours long, it never feels like it's slow or like its been going on too long. You're so engrossed with the characters, the stories, and the world that you never notice the time fly by. I always felt the film ended abruptly because it left me wanting more, in a good way.

The soundtrack is phenomenal, always adding and never subtracting from a scene. Weather it be a jazzy song or classic funk, it feels right at home in the movie. It's said that Tarantino chooses the songs he wants to use before he even starts shooting the movie!

The film is violent without showing the violence. That may seem confusing, but let me explain. The movie, when it originally was released, was considered to violent and needed so serious censorship. But, without counting the "Shot Marvin in the face" scene, the movie is pretty tame. One great example is when Bruce Willies cuts a guy with a katana sword, you see the first cut (which realistically bleeds, unlike Kill Bill), but the camera pans up and you see Willis stab the guy, but you only see the sword move, not the sword penetrating the skin. It leaves the more gruesome parts up to your imagination, which is always better in my opinion.

CONS

Did you seriously expect me to find some serious flaws with this movie? That my friend, is like trying to find someone who doesn't like or appreciate the Thriller music video. Simply impossible.

CONCLUSION

When I first saw this film, I was afraid it wouldn't hold up, that it was a novelty of it's time. I'd heard all my life how it had "Changed films forever" and that "You haven't lived 'till you've seen Pulp Fiction." Well, I was happy to see that not only did it hold up, but it was accessible to any and everyone without even trying. I've probably seen the movie over five times, and it never gets old. If you have not seen this masterpiece, see it. Rent it, record it, buy it, steal it if you have to. ( Do not actually steel this or any film, that was a joke that should not be taken seriously, stealing is wrong.)

RATING

RUN TO