Pulp Fiction

A quick review, but one about a classic to say the least! If you've been noticing a trend, I've been rewatching Tarantino movies lately and regathering thoughts on them. I've been on a list for some time, so you'll occasionally see certain themes or directors pop up for a whole week! With Pulp Fiction, we see Tarantino at the height of his craft, delivering a perfect time capsule of the 1990's in a tightly-written story that utilizes its long story to perfection. With amazing characters, stellar music, and shot composition that's iconic, there's only one area I saw where it struggled to keep me engaged and we're about to get into it! This is Pulp Fiction!

PLOT: The one part where I might lose people.

I actually like this plot, but I will admit to the ending kind of being anticlimactic. I would've liked a bit more meat to it or for it to at least connect to the story a bit more. It sort of does, but really just goes to show what happens to the couple at the beginning more than anything. That being said, I enjoy every other part of the plot. It's well-paced, has great action or humor to keep you engaged and a very engaging story of criminals just trying to survive or escape the city. Whether or not this engages you is based on your tolerance for non-linear storytelling. I personally love it, but will admit it must be accompanied by strong reasoning throughout and this film doesn't really have that. Reservoir Dogs did, which is why I think that movie's plot works better.

CHARACTERS: Iconic!

Most people know about Jules and Vega, but I think every character in this film is incredibly strong. Marsellus, Butch, and all the various side characters are played by crazy good actors all at the peak of their careers and showcases a ton of stellar writing and acting. To avoid discussing writing, I'll avoid mentioning certain characters, but there's no problems here. Everyone is incredibly well-cast and played to perfection by each actor.

SHOTS: Perfect.

I don't even really need to talk about this movie's shots. They've been memed, recreated in other movies or shows, and talked about to death. That being said, they're iconic for a reason and demand at least a few words in any review of this movie.

SOUND: A time capsule.

Much of the sound in this movie captures the time period as Tarantino often does within his movies. It demonstrates understanding of what music is like at the time and delivers not only original pieces but also licensed music in a way that carries the story forward. Good music enhances the story, but good music rarely carries it. Suicide Squad (2016) is an example of a broken jukebox movie, using music to try and convey emotion but failing at every stop. This movie does it very well.

WRITING: Clever and poignant, even today.

To address the writing section, there's a particular part from this movie I'd like to recap. Butch, Bruce Willis's character, is given a watch by Christopher Walken's character. Walken then goes into a long speech about bringing the watch, an important family heirloom, back from the war and from his dad. He talks about how important it is, why it's important, and puts every ounce of emotion into it. Then, after all that, he undercuts the whole thing with the location of where it was hidden by his father. This is then followed up with a one-two punchline of where Walken also hid it. This is the brilliance of the script. It can absolutely deliver emotional and poignant moments and then undercut them with jokes, but it's so earnest and honest that it never feels like it's cheap or poorly-written. It's possibly the best script in any of Tarantino's movies with clever and poignant moments that hold up today while also being hilarious.

LITTLE THINGS: Tarantino's casting.

This man will write roles for certain actors, but then have to recast and the role will still work amazingly well. Jules was originally envisioned as being played by Laurence Fishburne, but no one will ever say that anyone but Samuel L. Jackson could've played the role. Same for Vega, who was meant to be Michael Madsen, but I literally would have never casted anyone but Travolta. Just... amazing how well his casting works.

VERDICT: A 90's classic!

I love Tarantino's works, but rarely admit to them being perfect. This is the closest you can get to perfect in his library. All of his works are great, but this one is elevated by timing, casting, and every single element of its story. It can be a bit drawn out and the ending goes nowhere, but it's a fantastic worth-while watch for any recent critic looking to expand his film knowledge. Watch this movie if you can, you won't regret it!

SCORE: 9.5/10, near-timeless classic