Jaimee Stevenson
Professor Bomboy
Humanities 101
Film Critique
Pulp Fiction is a film written and directed by Quentin
Tarantino, who has an extremely grungy, action-based style that he implements
in his films. Pulp Fiction tells a story out of sequence while still
successfully portraying an order of events that manages to begin and end the
film within the same scene. This film was created primarily for entertainment,
however Tarantino undoubtedly inserted his artistic style in the film, not to
make a statement, but to present himself as a writer, director, and actor.
Tarantino is known for making cameos in his films, usually as small roles only acting
in one or two scenes. The plot of this film shows the lives of two hit men, a gangster
and his wife, a boxer, and a bandit couple whose stories intertwine with
redemption and violence.
The film begins with the bandit couple who have decided to
make a diner their target for robbery. This scene depicts crime right from the
beginning of the movie, representing the whole theme of the film. Viewers are
lead to believe that this couple will continue to appear throughout the film,
possibly as primary characters; however, the scene ends on a cliffhanger and
these particular characters are not seen again until the very last scene in the
film.
The two mob-men are introduced next, and the plotline at
this point in the film is confusing and undetermined. Viewers are uncertain
about the direction of the film, and there is no background told about the
mob-men and no known reason for their actions at this point. Additionally, it
is unknown what the mob-men’s intentions are or what they are trying to
accomplish. Considering all of the unknowns, Tarantino captures his audience’s
attention using humor, established actors, and clever script. The conversation
between the mob-men, played by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, remains quick-witted
and cunning throughout the film.
Next, viewers are introduced to drug use and the gangster’s
wife, who has been mentioned but never seen until this point. This scene builds
on what was shown in the previous scene and the sequence of the film begins to
unfold. The chronological sequence ends with the following scene in which it is
unknown of the time and relevance to the previous scenes and characters.
Tarantino maintains his audience’s attention using action and brilliant
dialogue. At this point in the film the all of the primary characters have been
introduced and their designations are better understood.
The remainder of the film depicts a series of crime scenes
and immensely indulging script. Tarantino makes an appearance as a highly
contrasting character given the nature of the film, and perhaps this is his
intention as a director to stand out in the film. Although the film remains out
of sequence, the chronological order is understood; however, the history of the
characters are unknown. Each scene portrays a day out of the character’s life
in which a major event has occurred or it holds meaning to the character. It is
unknown as to how the characters have gotten where they are and where they will
end up; this film shows transitional periods in the character’s lives.
The film concludes in the same diner scene in which it
started. The bandit couple are again seen and although their lives do not
interfere with the mobsters, their stories connect at this point for a
climactic ending. The epilogue is again out of sequence from the rest of the
film, but it is known that this scene chronologically occurs previous from
other scenes, despite being the epilogue.
Tarantino ingeniously created a film that is out of
sequence, yet loops from beginning to end. Each scene in the film builds upon
the previous scene despite the lack of chronological order. Pulp Fiction is
captivating and brilliantly thought-out by the director and actors. All of the
actors communicated their characters flawlessly and forcefully to create a
highly entertaining film. The film is enhanced by the accurate portrayal of the
time-period through the costumes, music, scenery, and language. Pulp Fiction is
a fun, invigorating, and inadvertently comical film that should not be missed
out on.
