Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction

1122 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of the scientific revolution on religion

In Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino, Tarantino uses quirky dialogue, vivid visuals, and nihilism to mirror postmodern pop culture in western society in the early 1990’s. The film artfully portrays the 1990’s as a time where action granted meaning instead of performing moral actions; where there was a social hierarchy held by mob bosses to control those who attempted to search for meaning through action, doing outrageously violent and horrible things without the slightest scruples.
Pulp Fiction contains specifically existential nihilism, which is the belief that life has no true purpose or value. Expressed through the nihilism held by the characters, they involve themselves in situations with a degree of egotism, only considering their own personal interest and demonstrate complete neglect and disregard for the interests or lives of others. For example, in one scene, Jules (one of the henchmen) kills three of his boss’s former business partners with the hope that completing this task will put him on the track for his much-desired retirement. Jules accomplishes this task with seemingly no hesitation, demonstrating his nihilistic character by not valuing the lives of any of these men, and even putting himself in danger.
Nihilism is further portrayed in Pulp Fiction through religion because the scientific revolution made man interpret life with a different perspective, one potentially without a divine being. Throughout the movie, Jules preaches a Bible passage to his victims before he murders them without having any idea what it truly means. It is ironic because this passage, Ezekiel 25:17, “refers to a system of values and meaning by which one could lead one’s life and make moral decisions.” However, Jules life does not c...

... middle of paper ...

...3. 246-248. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Dean, Adam. "Pulp Fiction." Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia. Ed. Philip C. DiMare. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 404-405. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Fried, John . "Pulp Fiction Cineaste ." . N.p., 07 Sept. 2011. Web. 2 Dec 2011.
Klawans, Stuart. "Pulp Fiction." Nation 20 June 1994: 883. Questia School. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Nile, Richard. "Pulp Fiction: Popular Culture and Literary Reputation." Journal of Australian Studies (1998): 66. Questia School. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Stone, Dr. Alan A. "Pulp Fiction. (Reel Life)." Clinical Psychiatry News July 2002: 32. Questia School. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
"Pulps and Detective Fiction." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Essay on Behavior in All Quiet on the Western Front and Lord of the Flies

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beetz, Kirk H., ed. Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction. Vol. 5. Osprey: n.p., 1996. 5 vols.

    Read More

  • Women In Hollywood: Pre-code and Post War Eras

    1963 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slowly she asked "Is anyone there?" as she walked down the dark deserted road. When she heard a loud sound she turned abruptly trying again "Hello?" Met with only silence she picked up here pace almost running down the dirt road. Her nerves had just began to calm when she heard "WRRRREEENNNNNRRRRRRR" as a chainsaw started behind her. Running she started looking behind her hoping that whoever it was, wouldn’t catch her. With her lack of concentration she tripped over her high heels and face plants into the dirt, giving the murderer a chance to catch up. Slowly he lowered the chainsaw and began cutting --CUT -- This is a common plot used in horror movies today. Movies have changed over the years. They were different five years ago, fifty years ago, and even a almost a century ago. Technologies have unthinkable things possible. They have allowed us to re-sink "the unsinkable ship." They have allowed us to see dinosaurs in all their brutal glory. We have seen imaginary creatures, only ever mentioned in stories brought to life. Movies have moved so far from the 1920's and 1930's. They have developed ideals, rules and even standards; but where did they begin? Did movies just fall out of the sky? Did they just come into being? No they began slowly, silently moving towards a new era, the era we today call "Pre-code Hollywood"

    Read More

  • The West Memphis Three Murder Trial

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 16 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • The Devil and Tom Walker by William Irving

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 23 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • The Power of the Written Word: Literary Greats Paving the Way for Social Equality

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 19 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • Wage Theft in the Fast Food Industry

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 23 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • The Children’s Crusade: Dr Martin Luther King Jr

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 20 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • Pulp Fiction Thesis

    1678 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are movies that make you laugh, that make you cry, that blow you away with jaw-dropping, ever-so-satisfying action sequences. And there is Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, an homage to the old Pulp Magazines and crime novels popular in the 1950s. Known for their incredibly dense and complex dialogue and excessive violence, Tarantino adds his trademark nonlinear chronology and thorough character development to create a movie that celebrates the fact that chance governs all of our lives. The film consists of multiple stories that tell of the criminals, gangsters and outliers of Los Angeles, the underbelly of society. It follows Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield as they embark on their mission to recovering a briefcase that

    Read More

  • The Hero's Journey in Modern Film

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    Being one of the world’s most popular art forms, it was inevitable that these archetypes would find their way into film as well. In this essay I will argue that the films Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Watership Down, and Trainspotting are all versions of The Hero’s Journey, consequently demonstrating just how prevalent these archetypes have become in modern cinema. And that mythology and storytelling are important parts of each culture because they prevent the darkness in our hearts from spreading.

    Read More

  • Literary Devices Utilized in Thomas Foster's Book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" Put to Use in "Pulp Fiction"

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.

    Read More

  • Media Portrayal of Transgender Characters

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 08 Mar. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • Vaccinations: Vaccines Should Be Mandatory For All People

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 08 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.

    Read More

  • Postmodernism in Pulp Fiction

    1676 Words  | 4 Pages

    The film Pulp Fiction was an immediate box office success when it was released in 1994 and it was also well received by the critics, and celebrated for the way it appeared to capture exactly a certain pre-millennial angst and dislocation in Western capitalist societies. The term post-modernist, often used to refer to art and architecture, was applied to this film. The pulp fiction refers to popular novels which are bought in large numbers by less well educated people and enjoyed for their entertainment value. The implication is that the film concerns topics of interest to this low culture, but as this essay will show, in fact, the title is ironic and the film is a very intellectual presentation of issues at the heart of contemporary western culture and philosophy.

    Read More

  • Pulp Fiction Pastiche

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a nostalgic reaction to pieces of a past culture may celebrate another time, but also offer personal comfort in the present, the past may be widely celebrated by connecting past pop culture with the present culture. This form of nostalgia uses memories of an era’s success and continues to attempt to uphold it in a permanent celebratory remembrance of cultural impact. In Pulp Fiction, the film plays homage to some of the great films of the past. The film is enhanced by use of pastiche, incorporating films that have brought joy and excitement to viewers for decades. In Pulp Fiction, the dark suits, skinny ties, the camera shots of the guns, and the slow, sinister apartment massacre is reminiscent of gangster films from the 1950s and 1960s. Honeybunny and “””” ‘s storylines are resented during the beginning and end of the film, their love story is intermingled with their lust for crime, specifically robbery, is a comedic twist to the Bonnie and Clyde. John Travolta gets to recollect on his own success in films “Grease” and “Saturday Night Live”, by re-creating a dance competition, in which he leaves victorious. Butch, a misunderstood boxer is placed in the most scenes mimicking great films from the past. As Butch takes a taxi from his big boxing match, is clearly a steal from the 1987 film, Taxi Driver. The style of the taxi along with the seating position of the “FARE” and the dark conversation is heavily

    Read More

  • Forrest Gump American Culture

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every film has a story to it, but it takes some analyzing to really know the story behind it as well. Many societal functions and tensions come into play depending on the time period that correlates with some communities in order to be relatable. The interplay between film and American culture’s societal tensions are interesting to watch regarding the meaningful sense in which it may be conveying to the audience. One of the most iconic films throughout the course of history is “Forrest Gump” directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks. Along with this film came nostalgic 70’s music to benefit the relevance. Even though this 1994 film is showing the 70’s war time period, there are many reasons why it is exceptional at displaying American culture and societal tensions.

    Read More

More about Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction

Open Document