I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen Pulp Fiction

1994 was an extremely formative year for me, I experienced some of life's greatest milestones in that year.  Milestones including being born, smiling for the first time, rolling over for the first time and pooping my pants for the first (but not last) time.  So as an infant learning all of these new exciting things about life, I didn't have time to get to the movie Theater and see Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.  Pulp fiction is consistently ranked among the greatest movies of all time, so it was a long time coming that I finally sat down and watched this masterpiece.

John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson star in Pulp Fiction

Story:
Pulp Fiction is a complex film because it really doesn't have a cohesive plot.  Instead it is a collection of stories focusing around compelling characters that eventually intertwine.  And it's the characters that keep this movie interesting, because without the masterfully crafted dialogue this movie would be an absolute snooze.  The plot never really feels like it's going anywhere, which I disliked until the very last scene of the third act, when the multiple chapters finally converged.  This plot device made the payoff so much sweeter, because the characters, who are smart and cool and fun on their own, thrive when they are interacting with each other and exposing the different facets of their personalities.

Tarantino does a good job of trusting his audience to appreciate and take note of such subtle characterizations, which drive the plot in a controlled humorous way.  There are definitely some dark, borderline vulgar themes in this film.  But not dark in the sense that Tarantino was trying to make a gritty crime drama, more so in a way that exposes the ugliness of the world, and sometimes it's best just to laugh at it.

Characters:
As I mentioned above, it is the characters that make this film so great.  Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) is a soft-spoken, cold-blooded killer for hire.  But his willingness to kill isn't one out of blood lust, it is more a by-product of him never trying or being good at anything else.  He got into business with the dangerous Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), and has since been tied to his bidding.  The reason he can't get out, and often how he deals with these inhibitions, is a crippling heroin addiction.  Vincent is partners with Jules Winnfield (Played by Samuel L. Jackson), who is one of the most fascinating characters ever put to film.

Samuel L. Jackson plays Jules Winnfield

Jules is Vincent's equal in terms of his willingness and ability to kill, but is still a devout Christian and God-fearing man.  Jules is looking for his place in the world in proportion to his God some divine occurrences that are infused into the story.  The only complaint I have about Pulp Fiction is that I wish we spent more time with Jules.  His confliction between being an obedient servant of the Lord and an obedient employee of Marsellus Wallace is such a coercive characterization, and it seems like what we learn about this man is very limited, but that's another mysterious aspect about him that makes him an imperative addition to film history.

Cinematography:

Quentin Tarantino

This movie would have been a flop with anyone but Quentin Tarantino at its helm.  Tarantino has such a way with creative writing and bringing amazing characters to life.  He is one of the most passionate directors in Hollywood in terms of trusting his own vision, and because he operates out of his own studio, he can have full control over the story and characterizations without any executive interference, which is evident in the way this movie flows.  Tarantino gets the most out of his actors by giving them a clear window into the brain of the character, and he shoots in such a way that often no words are required to tell the story.  The unorthodox story structure of Pulp Fiction is one of the unique quirks that will keep this movie fresh and re-watchable for years to come.


OVERALL GRADE: 9.1/10