Tarantino Week: Revisiting ‘Pulp Fiction’

It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since PULP FICTION debuted, officially making Quentin Tarantino a household name. I was in my junior year of high school when Tarantino’s opus hit theaters. I hadn’t yet gotten the filmmaking bug at that time, that would plant its seed my senior year, but what this film did was to solidify my status as a movie geek.

I’d already been an avid movie-watcher, going through an average of probably 2-3 movies a week. That doesn’t sound like much, but keep in mind I was in high school and had plenty of that nasty homework stuff to wade through when I wasn’t working for gas money. What PULP FICTION did was to make concrete my appreciation of and passion for the creative process of making movies.

PULP FICTION was such a breath of fresh air… well, fresh air with plenty of profanity, but there really hadn’t been anything quite like this movie when it came out. While the film was incredibly original and hip and cool, it also was filled with throwbacks and homage to older films, classics and genre gems that I hadn’t even heard of at the time.

Watching PULP FICTION for the first time is an experience that movie geeks can relish and from which newcomers can learn a bit of movie history. For movie geeks, the film can be a game of “Where’s the reference?” Many scenes have a duel purpose, the primary goal is naturally to move the story forward, but Tarantino loves to where his geekiness on his sleeve.

The scene featured above (funny with French subtitles) has Butch Coolidge is searching for a suitable weapon to kill Zed and rescue Marsellus. This is an homage to multiple films, each weapon referencing a different movie… the baseball bat from WALKING TALL (1973), the hammer from THE TOOLBOX MURDERS (1978), the chainsaw from TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974). Butch finally settles on the katana, or samurai sword, which is more of a genre reference that clearly influences Tarantino’s work.

Harvey Keitel’s “Wolf” character is derives partially from Luc Besson’s LA FEMME NIKITA. The dance competition at Jack Rabbit Slim’s is derived from Jean-Luc Godard’s 1964 film Bande a part (Band of Outsiders) from which Tarantino also named his production company.

Honestly, before experiencing PULP FICTION I seriously doubt I could have clearly and accurately defined what exploitation cinema was. Granted, my awareness of this genre of film would not occur instantaneously overnight, but once again Tarantino would prove to be my guide into another new world of moving picture pleasure.

My discovery of other great films through PULP FICTION as my cinematic gateway wouldn’t truly take hold for a couple years, once I was in college. Until I first saw PULP FICTION, my modus operandi when it came to recreational movie-watching was still fairly limited to horror and sci-fi films as well as American action flicks. I had only just begun to discover some of the standards of Hong Kong martial arts films.

PULP FICTION is a film that doesn’t easily fall into one specific category of movies. It had action, drama, comedy, and mystery and if you want to get technical, added a little science fiction of sorts. Yeah, I’m talking about that all-to-famous scene when Vincent checks out the contents of the brief case, which is actually an homage to Robert Aldrich’s 1955 movie KISS ME DEADLY.

That mysterious golden glow would spawn and ongoing debate with my closest friends who also has a developing appreciation of film. Without a doubt, our obsession with what was in the brief case was not an isolated phenomenon, as other fans across the country were having the exact same debates that would takes years to fully fall by the wayside.

Tarantino’s second movie would prove to be perhaps his best, meaning he’s set the bar high for all his films to come. Fortunately, Tarantino is a brilliant filmmaker and has been able to continually produce quality films that repeatedly meld the crossbreeding of innovation and homage, pushing himself in a progressive direction, but never forgetting the influence other films and directors have had on his own style.

PULP FICTION wasn’t just a landmark film for Tarantino, but it was a crucial film for several members of the cast. Before this film, John Travolta’s biggest claim to fame since the late 70’s with SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and GREASE was with his LOOOK WHO’S TALKING trilogy, the third of which came out the year before Tarantino would receive his comeback opportunity from Tarantino as a super-cool rebellious hit man named Vincent Vega.

Aside from his work with Spike Lee, and a role in Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS, Samuel L. Jackson had been primarily used in stock bit roles and small supporting character parts. For an African-American who was literally credited as “Black Guy” in 1989’s SEA OF LOVE, it may have seemed a distant goal to reach the level of success that Jackson would experience in 1993-94.

The Hughes Brothers would start the trend in 1993 by casting Jackson in MENACE II SOCIETY, followed by JURASSIC PARK and TRUE ROMANCE, written by Tarantino. This undoubtedly led Jackson to his role in PULP FICTION, as Tarantino probably found himself awe-struck by his kindred style.

Uma Thurman, a beautiful woman and a talented actress, was not new to receiving great roles prior to PULP FICTION, but she also wasn’t a recognizable talent either. Prior to 1994, Thurman had worked with Terry Gilliam (BARON MUNCHAUSEN), Stephen Frears (DANGEROUS LIASONS), Phillip Kaufman (HENRY & JUNE) and Gus Van Sant (EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES). So, working with Tarantino may have been a change of pace, but what this actress/director relationship would do is put her on the Hollywood map and make her a highly recognizable star.

Popular culture, both old and new, decorate PULP FICTION on every level. From the wardrobe and cars to locations and especially music, we find ourselves strangely straddling the past and the present. The soundtrack was one for the ages, including music from Kool & the Gang, Al Green, Dusty Springfield and Chuck Berry, just to name a few.

Whether it’s ‘Surf Rider’ during the opening credits or ‘Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon’ from Neil Diamond, performed by Urge Overkill during Mia Wallace’s overdose scene, the music is actually the backbone of this movie. Without the music, the scenes lose their uniquely playful but serious tone.

Jack Rabbit Slim’s with it’s $5 milk shakes and servers dressed like Buddy Holly and Jane Mansfield co-exist with mob hit-men waxing philosophical and suburban-based high-end drug dealers. Even the boxing match that Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is supposed to throw for Marsellus Wallace is a throwback to another era. It would seem out of place in today’s culture, but Tarantino created a sort of alternate universe by which this and other events could occur out of their normal timetable.

So, what about the people who paid their ticket price and didn’t like PULP FICTION? Believe it or not, they are out there, but don’t ask me what’s wrong with them. Regardless of whatever their reasons are for disliking this film, one thing cannot be dismissed… PULP FICTION was a revolutionary cinematic event, featuring multiple elements that made it stand apart from the pack.

PULP FICTION presented itself in a severely non-linear style of storytelling, with it’s parts edited together out of sequence, taking the viewer forward and backward in time as well as taking them across time from one event to another happening simultaneously. For some, this became the strongest argument from those who would criticize PULP FICTION as a confusing mess. Of course, we know better than that, don’t we?

Coincidentally, this style of writing and ultimately editing PULP FICTION out of sequence was the corner stone of the film’s success. Initially, the diner scenes with Ringo and Honey Bunny have little purpose in the story, but in the end they serve a vital purpose. It’s all in the way the puzzle is put together. Try and imagine the film as a purely linear story… does it still make sense? Does it still hold your interest? The same story told in a linear fashion would not work.

While RESERVOIR DOGS had more than it’s share of sharp, intelligent and gritty dialogue, once again it would be PULP FICTION that truly placed Tarantino on the short list of writers who have mastered the colorful and intriguing, while not entirely realistic style of writing dialogue that flows “like butta”. I personally rank Tarantino right alongside David Mamet as a master of writing this kind of surreal, poetic dialogue. Yes, I DID just describe Tarantino’s dialogue as “poetic”.

I see some of you still shaking your head at me, refusing to give PULP FICTION its rightful place in cinematic history. Fine. You don’t have to believe me. Just look at its critical record… nominated for seven Oscars winning one for Best Original Screenplay, won the Golden Palm at Cannes Film Festival, won Golden Globe for Best Screenplay and won four of five nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Altogether, according to IMDB, PULP FICTION won 44 awards on top of 40 additional nominations… what’s that? I’m sorry. I thought I heard your jaw drop. By the way, PULP FICTION remains strong with viewers, it holds its place at #5 on IMDB’s Top 250 List based on more than 359,200 votes and currently boasts a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomato-Meter.