Movie Analysis Essay on 'Pulp Fiction'

Introduction

Before I write anything about the movie, I want to reiterate that this my best movie of all time. Now having said that let's continue with the paper, and today we will be analyzing or reviewing 'Pulp Fiction', and now let's have fun with this wonderful piece of cinema. This paper will commence with talking about a little backstory on the film Pulp Fiction which was released on September 10th, 1994 in South Korea, written and directed by the prime mover himself, Quentin Tarantino and aided on the screenplay by Roger Avary. This was his second full-length feature film with its predecessor 'Reservoir Dogs' coming out two years prior, and it is his most celebrated movie to date (Cresswell,2002). This film having being produced by a long-time friend of Tarantino, Lawrence Bender who have worked with him in numerous feature films including Reservoir Dogs. In this paper, we will be looking at factors that make the film great with the pinch of madness by a filmmaker who will come up to define a generation, Quentin Tarantino.

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Distribution and Accolades

The flick was distributed by Miramax Studios, and it was a success for both the Studio and Tarantino with a meagerly budget of 8.5 dollars and a quick side note, "It was the first movie to be fully financed by Miramax". The cast was incredible been made up of; the magnificent 'Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis'. This movie made the likes of Jackson and Thurman 'a household name' and bolting them to stardom. It was nominated for a total of seven Oscars at the '67th Academy Awards' for which they won one in "Best Original Screenplay" for Tarantino, the first for him.

We will now talk about the plot before I rant even further, the movie is a landmark for several things including dialogue, direction, and graphic violence. This masterpiece is a crime film, telling stories of several criminals in Los Angeles and it occurs out of the familiar chronological order. Most people ask what the title means, and its mainly denotes to the mid-20th century during the popular era of hardboiled crime novels and pulp magazines that often displays punchy dialogue and graphic violence (Blakesley,2002). This film has a runtime of two hours and thirty minutes, which is a bit long and this is a summary of the same.

Movies' Plot

Before the title credits, the film starts with a couple who have staged a hold-up in a diner, then moves to Vincent and Jules two hitmen. They arrive at an apartment belonging to Brett, an associate of their boss Marsellus Wallace to retrieve a briefcase. They kill Brett and his friend for double-crossing their boss, beforehand having to check the contents in the briefcase, getting to Marsellus to give him the briefcase they have to wait as he bribes Butch a boxer to be knocked out in his upcoming match. We see Vincent purchasing 'heroin' from Lance a drug dealer, drives to meet up with Mia Marsellus's wife, go out to eat and participate in a dance contest in the restaurant. Returning home with a trophy, Mia snorts Vincent's heroin as he is in the bathroom mistaking it for cocaine and overdoses, she is then rushed to Lance's house reviving her with a shot to the heart.

Marsellus is double-crossed by Butch as he wins the match, at a motel with his girlfriend, Fabienne whom they are prepared to flee but lying low. He discovers Fabienne has forgotten his father's watch and files into a tantrum, he returns to his apartment where he finds a gun on the counter and kills Vincent with it who are now exiting the bathroom. Marsellus sees Butch at a traffic stop and chases him in a pawnshop, they are captured at gunpoint by the owner and tied in the basement. The owner and a security guard Zed take Marsellus into another room and rape him, Butch left alone break loose and saves Marsellus. Butch is told by Marsellus that they are even but has to leave L.A and he goes picks up Fabienne and leaves

Earlier, after Brett is killed by Jules and Vincent they drive off with another friend of Brett's Marvin, as they are driving Vincent shoots Marvin in the face accidentally. They hide the car at Jimmie's, Jules friend who demands they deal with the problem, Marsellus sends Winston Wolfe a cleaner who directs Jules and Vincent to hide the body in the trunk, clean the car and get 8rid of their bloody clothes. At a diner, Jules tells Vincent he plans on retiring from a life of crime. In the beginning scene, you recall the couple holding up a coffee shop, coincidentally it is the same as to where Vincent and Jules are having their breakfast. when Vincent is in the bathroom, Jules overpowers the man with the gun shows mercy by letting them go. And Jules and Vincent leave the diner with the briefcase in hand.

The In-Depth Review of Pulp Fiction

After that not so short summary of an entire movie, we have to analyze it, telling you what makes the movie great and why it is a landmark of modern cinema. Many critics have praised Tarantino and his way of telling tales with graphic violence at the center, particularly Roger Ebert calling him and the movie a masterpiece. He continued by saying Quentin Tarantino is the Jerry Lee Lewis of cinema, as a don't care to pound performer tearing up the piano when rocking up everybody. Roger said that Pulp Fiction was a dark comedy about guts, blood, strange sex, violence, fixed fights, drugs, leather freaks, a wristwatch and body disposal that makes generations to go down through a dark journey.

During its release, most critics called it one of the worst films of the year or one of the best, for Tarantino to make a boring film will be shocking because he is too gifted of a filmmaker. That is what film enthusiasts said at the time, but as we can see he has made a couple of lackluster films that were not bad but not that interesting (The Hateful Eight anyone). Others proclaimed Tarantino as the 'Worst Director' of all time but with every shot you see his love, making a movie he is intoxicated with every act. The lack of introspective and caution that ends up by making 'Pulp Fiction' a masterpiece that a generator from the ozone may crackle like it. With later remarks talking about a person or a director who is playing all night or wants to by being let loose inside the toy store.

The Non-Linear Storyline

The script or screenplay by Roger and Tarantino, written in a way that is fanzine or scruffy and also beautifully written all you want is to rub your face in it. Those faces of the screenwriting classes by the zombie writers that teach formulas for hit films (like the ever celebrated Citizen Kane "no offense"). The mere construction of this movie in its nonlinear manner and where you wouldn't remember even after seeing it a dozen times of what comes next (Cameron,1-19). The title is perfect for this piece of cinema, Pulp Fiction-like those old magazines that had names like' "Wonder Scary Stories" and "Detective Jackal". Pulp Fiction then moves further by doubling down on them by coming up with scenarios that they are no more ordinary days or no normal people left around. This is the movie where down a fire escape breathless prose clatters and then the dumpster of doom he leaped into.

An aging genre is resurrected together with a few careers, John Travolta acts as Vincent Vega in the movie a hitman who takes assignments for his boss and the first time we see him he is riding with Samuel L Jackson his partner known as Jules in the movie talking about Vega's travels abroad and how in Paris they are a phrase for Quarter Pounders and are as innocent as two kids playing in a playground together and none of them understands the other's language. Tarantino is a mad genius the way he makes his character move or gets involved in sticky situations only to let them flee into stickier ones. "A good example is when Butch Bruce Willis character escapes from the grips of Marsellus only to end up in the pawn shop and meets Zed".

Critical Reception of the Film

Quentin Tarantino who was a former video store clerk opened the New York Film Festival by winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes back in 1995 with our film Pulp Fiction. Between that period the Hollywood elite had to suck up to him, the Rolling Stone nicknamed the movie 'the new King Kong of crime movies'. They continued saying that the acting was fantastic with acting giants like Bruce Willis and John Travolta who had revived their careers with the movie (Boor,243-257). The action was sizzling and the sex too with Tarantino's wit which was strafing, this film is so much fun and also lacks political correctness, complacency or even no trace of caution that adds to the plot. Together with Willis and Travolta, this film jump-started the careers of Tarantino, Jackson, and Thurman who later went on to do magnificent jobs in the film industry.

Themes Portrayed in the Movie

Many critics and audience alike have complained or stated that Pulp Fiction was supposed to win Best Picture in the 62nd Academy Awards of which the trophy went to 'Forest Gump' a safe choice for the academy (Spicer,2016). Pulp Fiction did not only mesmerize the audience but also broke glass ceilings in the crime genre film category, where it broke ground with its pushy dialogue and bright characters who were so dark it was confusing at time. It was also one of the biggest dark comedies that had been seen in decades, this is a movie that talks about hamburgers, foot massages, cheeses and variety of coffee and makes us be invested (Giroux,299-315). The way Tarantino wrote the movie in a comical way and yet so terrifying you can't switch off or walk out because there is an edginess that invites you to sit, ride, fight and die with this characters. The movie appears on many top 100 movies of all time lists and the fury of audiences made Forest Gump have a backlash with people questioning even the plot itself.

Nobody can argue that the pulpy twist is the work of art or something damn near that, in 1995 he was only 31 years of age, where he showed his peers a rare disdain for his lofty pretension and flashy style (Campora,119-131). He showed the world his love for filmmaking or storytelling that revealed innermost feelings of the most outrageous character in torrents and long takes of profane words, poetry, and words that also reveal his inner genius and his inner demon. Pulp Fiction is the one proof that Tarantino by preserving the spoken rhythm and the playfulness that is wicked of his scripts as an ideal director. The pop culture that Tarantino revels upon, especially the 70s Blaxploitation with the French New Wave kind of movies and proves that he is not a snob.

Conclusion

In summary, I would like to finish this long discussion with waving off Quentin Tarantino film making skills by stating that, his audacity has been witnessed to extend to street smart conversation filled with profanity, racial slurs or epithets often pepper through because having a film amicably and completely integrated by the fact that the film itself is 'toothless'. Tarantino's way of kind of an embrace by a filmmaker whose pop culture references are fresh by manifesting on amazing ways of storytelling. Pulp Fiction makes even the boldest hater of violent films to smile awkwardly not knowing what the hell they've just watched but loved it anyway. Every frame is shot in a way that is superb and crazy all in one superfluous shot that can be understood in one sitting but wondering why Tarantino put that there in the first place.

Work Cited

Cresswell, Tim, and Deborah Dixon, eds. Engagin...