Pulp Fiction

If Reservoir Dogs introduced to the world what a Quentin Tarantino film would be, Pulp Fiction showed that he had the ability to make a damn near perfect one. This is one of the few movies whose impact never lessens. It is just as entertaining today as it was the first time that I saw it over a decade ago. The characters, the dialogue, the situations, all add up to one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Of all the things that Pulp Fiction will be remembered for, I hope the cementing of Samuel L. Jackson as the baddestass motherfucker on the planet is at the top of the list. All of his dialogue should be committed to memory and used in your day-to-day life. It’s all there for your study and I will not waste my time listing out scenes, although I do love me some lists. The interrogation scene to start the film is beyond a classic. I wish I were watching it right now instead of writing about it. But in that way lie madness and a never-ending cycle of incomplete work. Second only to the immortalizing of Sam Jack is the resurrection of John Travolta’s career. Whether or not you are happy about that is neither here nor there. He has some classic back and forth with Sam then combines that with the equally famous segment with Uma Thurman. I could go for some heroin right about now. It looks really appealing as a lifestyle choice. Can I get my own adrenaline shot to the heart? And would it truly be possible for Eric Stoltz to help prepare said needle? That would be sweet. Speaking of Uma, it always nice to see her in recommendable movies instead of some of the other films on her resume like Batman & Robin, The Avengers, or Paycheck. Let’s see there was a cementing, a resurrection, and there was also an introduction of Ving Rhames. He may have been working prior to Pulp Fiction but this was the movie that householded his name. Not only does he have the famous "medieval on your ass" line but the man is first seen on film through a shot of the back of his head, specifically the bandage on the back of his head, without ever revealing his face. Plus he sends the Wolf when there is something in need of cleaning. Man, I want to be able to send the Wolf. I do feel bad for Bruce Willis since he had to play many of his scenes against what was damn near close to a retarded girlfriend. Then again, that is counterbalanced with getting to gun down Travolta, run over Ving, and then slice people up with a samurai sword. Tarantino once again goes with his own unique storytelling narrative with intersecting chapters. Although nowadays I may have tired of this story telling format, in 1994 it seemed much more original. Each segment is strong in its own right but once all the characters are threaded through each story, the overall narrative becomes even stronger. In a career full of movies known for their dialogue, Pulp Fiction easily takes the gold star for the best QT written conversations. They are peppered throughout the film. Jules and Vincent in the car, Jules and Vincent at the dinner, Vincent and Mia at the restaurant, and definitely anything involving the Wolf. I wish these characters could have continuing adventures that revolve around them just talking to each other.

I wonder if there is anyone out there who actually dislikes Pulp Fiction. It is the 5th highest ranked movie on IMDB.com so I guess the dissidents should just give up by now. I was a fan of Reservoir Dogs but it was Pulp Fiction that convinced me to follow Tarantino until leads me off a cliff. A decade later and nothing has changed, I still anticipate his movies and still feel that Pulp Fiction is one of the best movies I will ever see.

10 out of 10