Our story takes place in Los
Angeles, and it’s ugly, criminal underworld. Populated by hitmen, drug lords,
and crooked boxers. All out to settle a score, or do some business for The
Man. How are they connected? By chance,
by circumstance, and by eating at the same diner. Focusing on goons for hire
Jules and Vincent (Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta), ageing boxer Butch
(Bruce Willis), and crime lord Marcellus Wallace and his wife Mia (Ving Rhames
and Uma Thurman). All intertwining in a story as whimsy and coincidental as a paperback crime
novel – I guess that’s why they called it “Pulp Fiction”
It’s hard
to pinpoint exactly what inspired Pulp Fiction, but it was the passion project
of young up and coming filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Having already directed “Reservoir
Dogs” (his first feature) and some screenwriting work here and there. Tarantino
was a video-store clerk graduate, with a love for film and a vast knowledge of
storytelling techniques. With almost no money, but a strong enough script to
get some pretty big stars on board, he directed Pulp Fiction and premiered it at
the revered Sundance Film Festival to a rousing reception. From there, it hit
the mainstream, and generated enough word of mouth to get people talking about.
Pulp
Fiction was the film that put Quentin Tarantino firmly on the map of
Hollywood’s hottest directors. Going against traditional story telling techniques,
his second feature as writer-director broke all the rules, and reinvented
cinema. Many viewers were confused as to how John Travolta’s character could be
shot, then brought back to life. It confused me the first time I watched it at
14 years of age, until it had to be explained to me. Aside from that
out-of-order timelines of events, the characters and the situations they found
themselves in were so risqué, confronting and downright shocking, that Pulp
Fiction won the world over- we couldn’t believe what we were watching on
screen, yet we couldn’t turn away. It helped Bruce Willis veer away from just
making action films, and revived John Travolta’s career after a few duds in the
late 80’s and early 90’s.
The film
was so influential in its storytelling and gritty style, that it proved great
movies could be made for next to nothing, as long as the story was solid. And
it was. With smart, witty dialogue, frequent profanity, and characters who
seemed larger than life and simultaneously lower than most decent people, a new
formula was created. Pulp Fiction not only sent Tarantino’s career into the
stratosphere, but Hollywood jumped on board and tried to emulate the look, feel
and vibe of the film. Casting A-list actors in generally smaller roles than
they would normally take, and basing characters in recognisable locations,
meant we found ourselves falling in love with lowlifes, thugs and criminals.
After all, they were still people despite their life of crime, and enjoyed
talking about burgers and foot rubs like we all do.
Pulp Fiction carved out its own genre of films – Tarantino. We couldn’t wait to see what the talented filmmaker would bring us next. But never one to repeat the same tricks twice, Tarantino continued to make one original, inventive and crazy film after another, taking his time doing so. He would continue to surprise us with new ideas, out-of-the box filmmaking techniques and characters you weren’t sure whether to love or fear.
It allowed him to write and make any film
he wanted, but it was a privilege he didn’t take for granted. Over the coming twenty-five
years, he gave us the brilliant “Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2”, “Inglorious
Basterds”, “Django Unchained” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Each film
inspired by the classics Tarantino himself had watched and studied rigorously.
But he didn’t just imitate the films he spent hours watching on shift at his
video store; he turned the genres upside down, and you knew instantly you were
watching a Tarantino film. His trademark look was easily recognisable with its
unique characters and unusual moments between them that meant you could never
predict what would happen next, or who would make it to the end of the film or
not.
Keep ‘em coming Tarantino.
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