Setting the Scene
Watched at home on DVD, in one sitting with a close friend.
The Movie
Quentin Tarantino's second directing effort is an instant classic. Most people consider this his finest film (personally I think Jackie Brown is slightly better), and it was a particularly shocking film when it was released in 1994. This movie earns it's R rating, it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Tarantino's script, while short on action, is filled with razor sharp dialogue and mostly terrific acting. In fact, other than the casting of what has to have been the producer's girlfriend or neice in the role of the junkyard heiress, and of course Tarantino himself as Jimmy, the acting is perfect throughout the film. Uma Thurman, Samuel L Jackson, and John Travolta made themselves instant stars through this movie (Travolta for the second time). Travolta is especially terrific, the bravado-laced mannerisms he gives Vince are fun to watch, and a little real life self-spoofing in his dance scene is a nice touch.
The real treat though is Tarantino's script. He has a gift for creating bizarre yet utterly believeable conversations about anything and everything in his movies, and they all seem to perfectly add to each character's depth and background. The story is great, but really not all that important, it's how Tarantino gets you there that is really special. I think the dialogue is really what has made this movie a true classic, there have been gangster movies before, and movies about washed up fighters, and movies about lovers on a crime spree; but rarely do you care about the characters in the same way you want Vince to avoid a four-story freefall, and Mia to live, and the Wolf save the day, and Jules to figure out the meaning of life. This, combined with Tarantino's perfect music choices, also makes it one of the most rewatchable movies I have ever seen.
This is the first film I remember watching and being concious that the story was not laid out in chronological order in the movie, it was cut into pieces and rearranged. I'm sure this had been done before, but it is done with such effect in this movie that I think this is the biggest reason it has been such an influential film. Anyone who has seen Doug Liman's excellent GO knows what I mean.
Verdict
9.5 out of 10
See it now. Go rent, buy, or borrow it. If you love movies, this is two and a half hours well spent.
Pulp Fiction is on Myk's Top Twenty Movies list.Quentin Tarantino is on Myk's Top Ten Directors list.
