Seventeen years later and it seems that Pulp Fiction still draws the same attention it did when it first premiered in 1994 at the Cannes Film Festival. The small theatre was packed with almost all young adults. The type of people who cant be defined, because to fit into a category would be too mainstream. Although none of them were old enough to see Pulp Fiction when it was first in theaters in1994, (including me) their knowledge of the film was only rivaled by their understanding of obscure music and Dostoevsky novels. But I’m here as a first timer, because after telling my friends I had never seen Pulp Fiction, they refused to be my friend until I did.
The movie stars John Travolta as Vincent Vega, a mid-level hit man working for a mob boss. And Vega’s partner Jules is played by Samuel L. Jackson, a bible-loving gangster keen on reciting Biblical verses to his victims before killing them. Other important characters include Uma Thurman who plays the mob boss’s girlfriend, and Bruce Willis who plays a boxer mixed up with the mob who doesn't throw a fight he is supposed to. The way in which these characters interact, mostly in times of crisis, sets the tone for the movie, while also bringing out the brilliance in Tarantino’s writing. One sequence that stands out is between Travolta and Uma Thurman. Travolta is ordered by the mob boss to take Uma Thurman out for the night. After dancing at a 50’s themed restaurant, Uma Thurman's character overdoses on heroin. Scared to go to a hospital, Travolta brings her to his friends house who conjures some adrenaline and a syringe from his bedroom. After debating about who is going to administer the shot, Travolta takes a wind-up worthy of chopping wood, and digs the needle into her chest.
Opposite to todays use of CGI action and pyrotechnics explosions, Tarantino employs a gunfire of dialogue that provides a story you hope will never end. The dialogue between characters offers far more than to just advance the plot. It is part of the fun to hear Travolta’s character and Jackson’s character talk about how in Paris they have a French word for Quarter Pounders, or how Jules doesn't eat bacon because pigs are filthy animals.
Backing up the elaborate dialogue is Tarantino's ability to combine violence and humorous dialogue. He is able to make the viewer laugh at something that they shouldn’t be laughing at. One scene in particular where Vega accidentally shoots his gun off in the car killing the passenger in the backseat. Travolta's character insists Jules (the driver) drove over a bump.
Of all the films Tarantino has written and directed, Pulp Fiction has one of the lowest on-screen death counts with six. But this certainly doesn't mean that Pulp Fiction lacks violence. Tarantino has set himself apart from other filmmakers in terms of the way he portrays violence. Violence in his movies is over the top. Gunshot wounds do not look like a circle of red blood on a victim, but instead the victim will have a hole in their head, and blood spraying like a hose. (Thats you Kill Bill) These dark and gritty scenes have become a staple in Tarantino films and Pulp Fiction is hardly lacking.
Two and a half hours later and the lights came back on. The crowd cheers as if Tarantino was coming on stage for a Q&A. Pulp Fiction felt unique. It is not the first violent film with strong dialogue and homage to film noir to come around.Without knocking the brilliant performances from Travolta, Thurman, and Jackson, some of which revitalized their careers, Pulp Fiction’s aliveness, and the thrillingly spectacular writing set it apart. It was smart, sexy and gruesomely hilarious. And now I can hang out with my friends again.
