Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction

The puzzle pieces are carefully fitted together as director Quentin Tarantino intermingles three different story lines in his hit movie Pulp Fiction. The movie begins in a quiet little diner as two petty robbers discuss their next mission. The mission in question involves two lovebirds (Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth) holding up unsuspecting restaurants, instead of their usual liquor stores. As their plan falls into action, time alters and we find ourselves riding down the street with Vincent and Jules John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), two hit men on their way to work. As the men travel to work they discuss such worldly things as gourmet food, like the "Royale with cheese", and the sexual innuendoes involved when one gives a foot massage. These two intellects do the dirty work for the infamous Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Due to Wallace's lifestyle, the movie branches off into three separate stories.

The first tale begins when Wallace has some overnight business he must attend to. While gone, he leaves Vincent in charge of entertaining his beautiful wife Mia (Uma Thurman). After a surprisingly pleasant evening of dinner and dancing, Vincent must revive Mia after her abusive episode with heroin.

The second adventure involves Wallace and a washed-up boxer, Butch, portrayed by Bruce Willis. Wallace gives Butch a substantial amount of money to throw a fight. After receiving the cash Butch decides to double-cross a double-crosser.

The final episode revolves around Vincent's accidental murder of a young black in the back seat of Jules' car. This hilarious scene develops when Jules is forced to ask the "Wolf" (Harvey Keitel) to act as a clean-up man. As the 2½-hour movie unfolds, one must keep very alert and place the pieces together just right to complete the final picture.

Before Tarantino begins his clip, he attempts to focus the audience by quoting two dictionary definitions of pulp. "The first one is literal: the second is the figurative usage, derived from magazines of the past that were published on cheap pulp paper and specialized in lurid fiction of several genres" (Kauffmann 26). With the making of his Cannes Film Festival winner, Tarantino changes all the rules restricting genre.

"Tarantino has lifted up the dark rock of crime cliche and found a brilliantly colorful world thriving undern...

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...r night out on the town with Vincent. Vincent also feels a sense of responsibility for Mia because of his relationship with Wallace. Even Wallace's enemy, Butch, goes out of his way to save Wallace from being "man-handled". Since Wallace's faith is only in those he has control over, loyalty appears to have a price. Because Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction branches off into several separate stories, one must concentrate hard to get the full affect of his work. With great talent he blends three main scenarios and several sub-plots into one full-length movie. Once completed he tosses in chaos, and ready to serve is an award winning film.

Bibliography:

Ansen, David. “The Redemption of Pulp.” Newsweek 124. (October 10, 1994): 71.

Ansen, David and Charles Fleming. “A Tough Guy Takes Cannes.” Newsweek 123. (June 6, 1994): 79.

Corliss, Richard. “A Blast to the Heart.” Time 143. (June 6, 1994): 73.

Johnson, Brian D. “Making Crime Play.” Maclean’s 107. (October 24, 1994): 57-8.

Kauffmann, Stanley. “Shooting Up.” The New Republic 211. (November 14, 1994): 26-7.

Travers, Peter. “Movies Tarantino’s Twist.” Rolling Stone. (October 6, 1994): 79-81.