GREAT SELECTION: Pulp Fiction (1994)

There are two words that many film lovers or casual moviegoers are familiar with: PULP...FICTION. This was one of the most influential movies of the 1990s because for two reasons: 1) even though he had one movie under his belt, Reservoir Dogs (a movie that I am not too fond of), Quentin Tarantino has introduced his most signature style of filmmaking that every filmmaker has copied with inserting his music with an homage to another film. 2) It changed the landscape of independent films because this movie definitely had some notice among not just crowds but also landmark award circuits such as Cannes.

It was awarded the nearly unanimous and esteemed Palme D'or, its highest award to the best film. A few of the French moviegoers did not like that decision but say what you will, some of those international judges had great taste. But, since then, it gained some steam towards the critics and the audiences. It is not solely a milestone in cinema but a movie that provided an insight to the direction and also provided a pop trend in its soundtracks that many people would have the pleasure of watching and listening.

The movie is divided into seven chapters but it is mostly divided into three sections based on the point of view of who the protagonist is according to the appropriate storyline. 

Hitmen Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) are on a mission to retrieve a briefcase for their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). On the way, one of the conversations they had was a rumor floating about that Marsellus was furious about someone giving Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), his wife a foot massage that he threw the guy out the window now creating an unusual speech impediment. However, Vincent tells Jules that Marsellus is going out of town and orders Vincent to take Mia to dinner. Later on that night, Vincent gets high and picks up Mia to go out to dinner and have a conversation about a pilot she did and then right after, they perform a dance. 

Another story revolves around champion boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) in which Marsellus bribes Butch into throwing the match for points shaving. Later on, Butch double-crosses Marsellus and wins the bout, killing his opponent in the process. Marsellus is incredibly upset that he wants to now kill him no matter where he is hiding. Butch returns to the hotel where his girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria De Medeiros), is sleeping. However, before they go to breakfast and on the way to exiting California, Fabienne forgets Butch's father's gold watch, a beloved heirloom, at his apartment. He gets into a rage and drives to go get it back.

The last story revolves around Vincent and Jules being in a sticky situation after taking care of their mission regarding the briefcase. While on the road to return the briefcase to their boss, Vincent is having a conversation with a decoy about a miracle they witnessed and the gun accidentally goes off and shoots him in the face. To prevent getting pulled over by the cops, Jules calls Jimmie (Quentin Tarantino), an associate of his, to do him a favor and asks him if they could go to his house. Jimmie freaks out because his wife will divorce him if the situation does not get resolved. 

SPOILERS AHEAD!

There is so much to analyze about Pulp Fiction and it all starts as to how Tarantino and Roger Avary, his co-writer, structured this narrative around. By watching the movie more closely, you can notice little details in almost every shot of the film in terms of where the characters are placed, how the dialogue is being said, its themes and its homages to other movies. However, in the end, you notice how each chapter is placed in the movie as the story is more confusing in the beginning but circles back into the start. According to some critics and analysts, they think that each chapter represent an episode with elements that are relevant to the main arc. There is a connection to each of the characters.

I want to talk about the violence that is represented here and how it parallels with certain other violent classics such as A Clockwork Orange, Psycho or even Scarface, the 1983 version. Each of these movies represented a chapter of the influential representation of how violence is viewed even in today's world. Psycho views upon the violence upon a naked woman in the shower that quickly turns into crime, A Clockwork Orange looks upon ultra violence in a futuristic world and Scarface is how greed and corruption with the use of drugs has driven a man insane to rise to the top of drug world. Here, the violence for its time does still shock you, yes, but creates an original take that mixes humor/violence in one situation and sadomasochism/violence in another as to how Tarantino directs the sequences. His eye is quite unique and delicate as to how he sets up the situation in the scene or sequence. Also, I noticed that most of the violence is off-screen. 

The underlying theme in this movie is loyalty. Each character except one knows how hard it is to build that credit to establish his/her character. Vincent and Jules performs any task to Marcellus. For example, based on a phone conversation between Jules and Marcellus to bring up a man to take care of some nasty work called "The Wolf" played brilliantly by Harvey Keitel. But, it's the dialogue that shows us the relationship between hitman and boss to is so refreshing that the loyalty is noticed in that stylistic Tarantino way. Also, it is shown very briefly after he is done lecturing Butch that Marcellus and Vincent has a friendly relationship as both boss and hitman respectively. But, the one character is not fully loyal is Butch because he wants to have his own life with his girlfriend. As both Butch and Marcellus are wounded and as two perverts are raping Marcellus, Butch has a chance for redemption to settle mostly his own score once and for all. And, as he kills the pawn shop owner and wounds the cop, the framing and cinematography of that shot while looking at the suffering cop, it shows that there is an accord and that Butch is half-loyal, at best, with Marcellus since he has saved his life.

Another theme is judgment for their decisions. Obviously, all of the judgment in this movie is questionable because it is their world: the crime world of L.A. Marcellus gives orders to Jules and Vincent to perform tasks that require them to kill people. But, the two sequences in the diner which again circles back in the end is what is so fascinating even in the dialogue that balances humor but some gravitas in two of the characters played by Samuel L. Jackson and Tim Roth. They yell for a little bit but they have a natural conversation in a normal tone like two regular fellas.

When Jules recites the Bible passage of Ezekiel 25:17, he recites the verse in a different way. As you noticed in the first sequence in the apartment, he recites it and says at the end, "And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee." He executes the guy. However, in the diner, he says, "And you will know I AM the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee." He gives Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) a warning to drop the briefcase and take the cash because he said some time before the scene happens that he will retire leaving behind a life of crime. Jules has had it after witnessing a miracle as a guy was shooting him but not being hit. He expresses what life he had in the criminal world to Pumpkin. And, details like those two different versions of the verse is what cemented Quentin Tarantino as a grand master of screenplay writing. He listens very carefully to what conversation has been said in reality and can translate it cinematically and stylistically on the screen.

Last, but not least, let's talk about that briefcase: that mysteriously coded 666 briefcase. It is a McGuffin, yes, but the bright "light bulb" that is shining from the inside of the briefcase is a plot device. But, I believe that the bright "light bulb" is symbolic of a person's soul especially going through the rough and violent lifestyle of the criminal world. There's definitely a great chance that each player of that world will go to Hell but there is a glimmering light of hope that redemption and righteousness can help them go to the lighter path of life and truly become forgiven because in the end, most of the players are loyal to Marcellus, who can be symbolized as the devil, especially with the bandage on the back of his head. The briefcase does remind me of Raiders of the Lost Ark where power and maybe their souls are staring right back at both Indiana Jones and the Nazis. But, the Nazis succumb themselves to that greed that they lost their lives and souls forever.

I'll put this clip here because many people enjoy this:

But, you cannot just credit Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino for their original story and stylistic approach to the gangster genre. (Hey, it also established one of the best movie soundtracks ever recorded that sets each scene with tension or humor but with style.) You have to hand it to the cast ensemble, which in my mind, it is one of the best I've ever seen: John Travolta, which basically resurrected his career for the 1990s, Samuel L. Jackson, his best performance ever, Uma Thurman, which many female fans to the way still will helm her costume every Halloween, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, Amanda Plummer, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiros and Ving Rhames. Each character represents a piece of the puzzle to the world that is nihilistic and overwhelming. One mistake can bring you down and the loyalty will cease.

The movie established Tarantino's career and the independent film genre with great attention. Does it still hold up? It absolutely does and it can certainly be debated as among the greatest American movies ever made. Above and all, you can certainly replay it repeatedly to notice other details and to simply to enjoy the ride and enjoy listening to them talk. And, the latter is a rare wonder these days: Enjoying characters talking to each other and even in front of a mirror with the music playing in the background. Watch the movie again or even listen to the soundtrack again. It is still an excellent experience.