Pulp Fiction (1994)

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Pulp Fiction, much like any Tarantino film, is a classic. It is a classic not only because of the story told, but also because of the way the story was portrayed. This film starts off with two characters talking about their next move in life. Specifically they are talking about how they should continue to pursue criminal activity. They have been robbing liquor stores, but they are ready to move away from something so dangerous and instead rob coffee shops. The story cuts away to a different plot line as the two begin to hold up the coffee shop. The next plot line we are exposed to shows us two men getting ready to do a job. They are humorously bantering back and forth with each other about whether massaging feet is a sexual act or not. Whether or not it is, they end up going into an apartment and killing its residents as if it were nothing. The scene cuts again to yet another story line, and this is how the film progresses.

Upon entering the third plot line, we are finally exposed to characters that overlap the different stories being told. This helps grasp a timeline in the film, but there are still gaps that are left untold. For instance, when Jules and Vincent walk into the bar to deliver the package to Marcellus, they are in different clothes than the last time we saw them. At this present time there was no explanation for this, but it is explained later in the film when the story jumps back in time.

This jumping back and forth between story lines may seem a bit confusing at first, but I think that it really adds to the film. If this film would have had a traditional, flat, timeline then it would not have that extra piece that really helped it stand out. I also think that it is a very effective way of telling the story because it also allows for a much deeper character development as we are able to jump back in time to really get a good grasp of who they are.

Another piece of editing that stuck out to me was the length of shots used in this film. While there were some really short shots like I am used to with films made today, the vast majority of shots were pretty long. This affect almost made it seem like you were there as a spectator watching this story unfold before your very eyes. It also allowed me to focus more on what was going on in the scene which almost seemed more natural to me than if there were tons of short clips put together.

This classic Tarantino film not only has a gripping story, but it also uses great film techniques to help tell it. To some, it may be a little bit too vulgar/violent, but I don’t think that it took anything away from the film. I have already seen this movie a handful of times, but I am confident I will watch it again.

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/ 

23 thoughts on “Pulp Fiction (1994)”

  1. Thanks Jeremy – a compelling argument for Pulp Fiction. I feel like I have to remind myself how groundbreaking Pulp Fiction was when it first came out. It wasn’t the first movie to use a nonlinear/intersecting narrative structure, but it did seem to rewrite the rules for that kind of storytelling. I think partly because many films since Pulp Fiction have used this kind of narrative structure (and because many of them are not nearly as good as Pulp Fiction) the film doesn’t seem as cutting edge in hindsight as it actually was.

    Also: I was talking about this stuff with my officemates, and one of them suggested that, 30 or 40 years from now, Kill Bill is the film that Tarantino will be remembered for, not Pulp Fiction. It’s an interesting challenge to try to figure out what films will stand the test of time . . .

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  2. I watched Pulp Fiction for the first time a few months ago, not knowing anything about the film other than it was a Tarantino film and who was in it. I was so mad that it took me so long to watch that film because I thought it was great. The nonlinear timeline is the reason that film has become such a cult classic and how the characters’ stories unfold within those timelines. It may not be the only film that uses the nonlinear timeline, but it does it in a way that stands out and becomes memorable to the viewers. Tarantino creates intriguing situations and characters that makes the audience want to know more about them, to see how they tie together, and how things will unfold. The nonlinear narrative structure definitely keeps the audience engaged and guessing throughout the film until the very end.

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  3. I agree that Pulp Fiction is a unique and ground breaking film. It is one that every film buff and film novice has seen. The manipulation of the plot that the film uses set the tone for modern cinema editing.

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  4. I really liked how you analyzed this film. Tarantino is known for telling stories in a non-linear way, but I’ve never really thought of why and how it adds so much significance to the story. I agree with what you said about how Tarantino’s narrative style allows for greater character development. In a linear storyline that sequentially goes from start to finish, there is only so much you can tell about the film’s characters. In a non-linear storyline, the director can single out a specific period in time, and tell multiple stories involving separate groups of characters while still being able to tie those separate stories together as the film progresses. I am a huge fan of Tarantino and really liked how you dived into the analysis of his signature narrative delivery.

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