Pulp Fiction was the movie that launched or re-launched many careers such as John Travolta’s, Samuel L. Jackson’s or Uma Thurman’s. Director Quentin Tarantino, who was known by most critics and cinema lovers for his previous work, Reservoir Dogs, became idolized by the masses –and most skeptics of the critics- who recognized Pulp Fiction as one of the finest movies of the decade and Quentin as Hollywood’s latest virtuoso. The film honors its title and pays homage to very popular movies –which aren’t necessary good- by mixing three irrelevant stories which’s only attempt is to entertain; the dialogues are so fresh, witty and irreverent –this is also Juno’s approach- that the most apathetic of the viewers will be gratefully surprised with what the movie contains. The difference between this and Jason Reitman’s flick is that Tarantino doesn’t try to attach a deep message to his movie, he just tries to engage the viewer using typical pieces of the old stories while Juno tries to be ultra-original falling in clichés.  Everyone seemed to believe this motion picture was super-entertaining so I tried watching late at night; I started watching it at 10:00 and considering it lasts for over two and a half hours, finished it at 00:45. Honestly, the movie didn’t bore for a minute.

As mentioned before, Pulp Fiction follows three different storylines which are ultimately interconnected but happen in different time periods. The first one, named Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s wife is about a mob hit man, Vincent (John Travolta), who’s just returned from Amsterdam and come back to work for Marcellus (Ving Rhames) who gives him a very difficult mission, to take his wife Mia (Uma Thurman) out and make her have a good time while he’s away for business. Rumor has it Wallace has just thrown a subordinate from a balcony four stories high just for touching her wife’s feet so Vincent has to be extremely careful careful. The second one, The Golden Watch tells the story of Butch Coolidge a boxer who’s about to retire and has been bribed by Marcellus to loose a fight. He takes the money but refuses to loose he’s now on the run trying to escape from the mob. Butch’s girlfriend Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros) forgets his most beloved possession at their old flat, his father’s watch, which has been for generations in the Coolidge family; so now the boxer has to return to the very place he’s being expect to be to recover it. Finally there’s The Bonnie situation, which follows Vincent Vega and his fellow hit man Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) who have to find a suitcase which belongs to Marcellus. When they arrive to their destination, things get a little complicated and they have to find refuge in a friend’s house that will have to divorce his wife, Bonnie, if she finds out what they’re hiding at their house.

Of course what’s the most remarkable thing of Pulp Fiction is its brilliant script. Although the film obtained an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Quentin Tarantino sustains he adapted his and Roger Avary’s stories but whatever way it was, he did a magnificent job. From the dialogue at the beginning between Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) we know we’re going to watch a great flick. The script is cleverly developed and its brilliancy lies on the fact that the story is funny and the subjects it treats aren’t really important –that’s what Pulp Fiction in general is about- but the film never feels stupid at all. This is the main difference between Tarantino’s movie and most of the other movies of its ilk. The way the stories are linked is just fantastic and original and it also excels in the way it mixes a number of genres. Pulp Fiction is a crime movie but at the same time a good thriller, gore movie, comedy and at times even a good drama. The film is not frightened of showing the violent side of Los Angeles and doesn’t seem to have worried about the MPAA Rating it was going to get. Another of the highlight of the picture is the not-straightforward way the story is told, which causes the viewer not to get tired of the characters because they are never on-screen for too long and therefore, never loose their freshness.

The way the story is directed is as important for the movie’s success as the screenplay, and Tarantino proves he can direct as well as the best of the directors –at least in this film, I didn’t very much like his Kill Bill flicks-.The constant use of close-ups during the conversations makes us differentiate the feelings of the characters, and the variety of camera angles Tarantino uses add the film a different atmosphere for every moment which only causes the film the be more enjoyable. The director also evidences his ability to create suspenseful situation like when Vincent is about to inject adrenaline to an overdosed woman. The final sequence is masterfully directed as well and the long dialogues used for it never feel tedious or dragging. Tarantino deliberately falls in some clichés which make the movie funnier and Pulp Fiction-like; for example, the Mexican music in a restaurant’s kitchen. He also uses some of his Trademarks like the camera inside a car’s trunk; he already had done this in Reservoir Dogs. There might be many memorable scenes in this film but I’d like to highlight one in particular, the dancing sequence between John Travolta and Uma Thurman. It is so well choreographed, directed and acted that is definitely one of the most memorable of all times.

The performances are top-notch. I mean, how often do you get a movie with three acting Academy Award nominations? Well in Pulp Fiction, John Travolta got one for Best Acotr, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman for Best Supporting Actor and Actress. It’s just too hard to imagine different actors incarnating the characters of the film, and I’m not referring just to the protagonists, Harvey Keitel for example, is excellent as The Wolf, one of the most important members of Wallace’s criminal organization. Christopher Walken makes a brief appearance as the Vietnam veteran –any similarities with his role in The Deer Hunter are not a coincidence- who gives Butch his father’s watch. Every single actor seems to be tailor-made for his role. Even Quentin Tarantino who plays Bonnie’s husband is not bad at all. This actor, writer and director creates an outstanding atmosphere for the movie as well. There are long absences of music which highlight the witty screenplay and when there is music, it creates a Western-like tone making the movie and the protagonists feel epic. Visually, there are well accomplished scenes which aren’t too noticeable at first sight but if you pay attention are really remarkable. The pacing of the movie is perfect; it never feels rushed and every story manages to entertain the audience in its own way.

As a closing remark Pulp Fiction is a unique movie which masterfully combines an excellent script with an excellent direction style and excellent performances. The only problem is that this film might be too violent and gory for some but if you are not too susceptible you’ll like it. There are few movies like this and most are recognized just by the critics. Tarantino’s film has been popularly accepted as a masterpiece because it doesn’t require much thinking from the viewer. I would normally consider this to be a negative aspect of the film but, as the title is Pulp Fiction it can’t be, can it? If you haven’t watched this flick, do so and you’ll thoroughly enjoy it.

© Mauricio Kahn

Lima, Feb 2008

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