Pulp Fiction Review

For those unfamiliar with writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s cult masterpiece Pulp Fiction, it is a twisted combination of plots that capture the very pulp of society that are evident in its title. The plot is a non-linear combination of three main stories that intertwine with the five main characters popping in and out of all of them. The three main stories revolve around a duo of hit men, a deceiving boxer and a mob boss and his wife. In order, they are titled, “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife,” “The Gold Watch” and “The Bonnie Situation”.

The hit men’s story revolves around their retrieval of a mysterious briefcase for their boss and the panic caused after an unfortunate accident after the getaway. The second involves one of the hit man’s mission to take his bosses’ wife out on a date only to find her dying from an overdose halfway through. The third involves a boxer who is supposed to throw his final boxing match but decides to win and run away with a hefty profit.

All three of the stories are very simplistic in theory and purposely made stereotypical by Tarantino. However, his goal was to take these classic mobster stories and add a twist to all of them. Most stories of two hit men retrieving a briefcase would end after they get it, but Tarantino decides to stick with the two and provides the most entertaining and memorable moments of the movie of what happens after they are leaving. A Boxer being paid to throw a match he decides to win instead is nothing new, however, most stories of this origin do not end in the rape dungeon of a pawnshop. It is these aspects of Tarantino’s stories that change the formula from something generic and unoriginal to three of the most intense and memorable stories of film history.

The glue that progresses and ties all of these stories together is the sharp natural dialogue that Tarantino is so well known for. He is at the top of his game in Pulp Fiction providing the most natural and genuinely interesting dialogue that not only serves as something to listen to, but also actually progresses the story just as much as the character’s actions do.

These actions are actually what the film is most criticized for with the movie being rated R for almost everything, including graphic violence, strong sexual material and heavy drug use to name a few. Some claim that the movie is just an excuse to set up extreme situations of violence and substance abuse. This has caused the film to be known for its excessive and brutal nature. However, when paying closer attention, it is quite easy to see that it is largely a story of redemption. Since the film revolves around less than moral individuals, it is not surprising to say that everyone who is killed in this movie could easily be considered a “bad person” but when examined, one will notice that every character that seeks forgiveness for their actions is alive when the credits roll.

The soupy morals and excessive nature are what this movie is known for. For good reasons too, further supporting the choice for the title of the movie. However, the reason this movie has reached a certain level of greatness over the years is not only from its drugs and violence but also from its tangled story superb dialogue.  With Pulp Fiction being the masterpiece of a director as talented as Quentin Tarantino, any movie fan owes it to themselves to see it. (592)

User review: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/reviews-1860