Pulp Fiction

Cast

Vincent Vega: John Travolta
Jules Winnfield: Samuel L. Jackson
Mia Wallace: Uma Thurman
Marsellus Wallace: Ving Rhames
Butch: Bruce Willis

Ringo/Pumpkin: Tim Roth

Yolanda/Honey Bunny: Amanda Plummer
Mr. Wolf: Harvey Keitel

Plot Synopsis

Pulp Fiction is a classic neo-noir crime thriller. Focusing on the lives of two hitmen, a wealthy mob boss and his wife, an aging boxer and his girlfriend, a thieving couple, a drug dealer, a Vietnam war veteran and an underworld problem solver. Each storyline focuses on a different series of incidents, they connect and intersect in various ways. There are a total of seven narrative sequences, though it is focused around three primary, distinct storylines which are interrelated. Vincent Vega, the mob hitman working for Marsellus Wallace is the lead of the first story "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife". Butch Coolidge, the professional boxer is the leader  of the second "The Gold Watch". Vincent's companion and duplicate; a contracted killer to Marsellus, Jules Winnfield, is the lead of the third story "The Bonnie Situation" The film starts at a diner with a hold-up staged by "Pumpkin" and "Honey Bunny" and it finally returns to where it began, in the diner. Vincent and Jules, who have stopped by to eat something, find themselves embroiled in the hold-up. The intermittent stories of other important characters; Vincent, Jules, Butch, Marsellus Wallace, Mia and Winston Wolf are woven through, throughout the course of the movie. The way the narrative is told:

1. Prologue—The Diner
2. Prelude to "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
3. "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
4. Prelude to "The Gold Watch" (a—flashback, b—present)
5. "The Gold Watch"
6. "The Bonnie Situation"
7. Epilogue - The Diner

Pulp Fiction is often regarded as the most influential movie of the 1990’s. Arguably, it’s one of the most influential movies of the last 30 years. An international and worldwide smash hit. It launched the careers of supremely talented actors/actresses; notably Uma Thurman and Samuel. L. Jackson. As well as resuscitating and revitalising the career of John Travolta. It made Tarantino a household name and his non-linear, violent and theatrical style of directing became notorious.
Pulp Fiction had an immediate cultural impact on the country more than almost any other film. Film critics at the time knew it was a true piece of art - but certainly the message is not fully wholesome. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It was up against Forrest Gump - another great film, but one with polar opposite values.
Pulp Fiction won a ton of accolades and had an enthusiastic approval from critics. It was heralded as "the most influential film of the decade" with many plaudits and countless awards:

Academy Awards - Best Original Screenplay — Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary

BAFTA Awards - Best Supporting Actor — Samuel L. Jackson

                                       Best Original Screenplay — Quentin Tarantino/Roger Avary

Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or — Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, director)

Golden Globe Awards - Best Screenplay (Motion Picture) — Quentin Tarantino

National Society of Film Critics - Best Film — Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, director)
Best Director — Quentin Tarantino

Best Screenplay — Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary

Gene Siskel said "The influential movies in Hollywood history are nearly always the surprises". This is true for Pulp Fiction as technically it shouldn't work. People usually like to see a clear hero, someone to root for, however all the characters have some type of vice, they are either crooks and hitmen, drug users, mob bosses or "lowlifes". However, this formula somehow works, so, what makes Pulp Fiction so successful and why has it had such a cultural impact?
The cultural impact the film had on society at the time of its release is one of the most considerable in film history.  It's impact was so broad that it has been described as a "major cultural event" and an "international phenomenon" that influenced television, music, literature, and advertising. Not long after its release, it was identified as a significant focus of attention within the growing community of Internet users. Lauded as one of the most "magnetic and engrossing" films ever made, it boasts stylistic cinematography, intelligent dialogue and an eclectic soundtrack. The plot isn't singular and doesn't have a constant flow in any particular sequential order, instead it is a collection of intertwining short stories told non - chronologically. The narrative is also out of sequence.
The violent intensity in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction calls to mind other violent watershed films that were considered classics of their time and still are today e.g. Hitchcock's Psycho and Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange. Each film shook up a tired, bloated film industry and used a world of lively low lives to reflect how dull other movies had become through repeating formulas and mundane and often clichéd scripts. Pulp Fiction presented the world with a new kind of film-making  and it came right at a time when films seemed less willing to branch off. It is a combination of fashion, music and art all thrown together, yet it's an unpretentious piece of work. It is anything but dull, and that is the simple beauty of it.
It was an independent movie that became a mainstream success. Due to it's violent nature and adult rating it wasn't expected to do well at theatres or cinemas but because of its great dialogue, unique editing and directing, cast and music, it became an hit. It spawned so many imitators and like minded films, that it became an important part of our cultural film-fabric. It cost 8.5 million dollars to make, not a lot for a film of its magnitude yet worldwide, it took in nearly 213 million dollars making it the first "indie" film to surpass 100 million dollars. The independent film movement was taken seriously, it was and still is seen as the medium for brave, intelligent cinema.

Brilliance shines though in the plagiarism or rather appreciation of other works. Large biblical references are used such as recitation of "Ezekiel", it is classed as one of the greatest film speeches of all time. 

The image of Vincent and Jules standing side by side in a sharp suit and tie, pointing their guns menacingly, has also become one of the most iconic images, copied and instantly recognisable. 

Also the infamous dancing scene at Jack Rabbit Slim's. The genius of these scenes is that they are not really necessary. Why is Tarantino showing this to us? It doesn't really advance the plot in any major way. Yet we enjoy the scene, it sticks in our mind, it is a joy to watch and that is the only thing that matters. 

It isn't only the large standalone scenes as a whole that make Pulp Fiction great. Constructs such as using the infamous glowing briefcase as a pure plot device (a MacGuffin), Mia's iconic bobbed haircut and the small, humourous discussions like the "Royale with Cheese" chat in the car. Two tough hitmen having an everyday conversation about burgers ties in with the whole offbeat nature of the film.

The main theme: Essentially it is a story of redemption and righteousness, everybody in the script whose life has been spared is given another chance to do something better with their lives. The idea of being born again and starting up a new life, with which hopefully they will do the right things with them.

The music: It's no secret that Tarantino is famous for his incredible soundtracks, this separates him from most other directors. Every song from the movie became famous and instantly recognisable. The film's song selection enhances the atmosphere in many ways throughout the film. The music provides a sense of calm and organisation after and during violence which critics argue glamourises it. This is my favourite song, covering a Neil Diamond classic but with a more eerie and sinister vibe:

The dialogue: Quentin Tarantino is a genius when it comes to dialogue. His strategy of toying with the audience by delaying action and violence is often temporarily replaced by humourous dialogue. Conversations about typically mundane information was engrossing. Plus, he was able to get top performances out of all of the actors.They delivered his lines so well, making the characters come to life, cementing them with individual, quirky and quick-witted personalities. 

Pulp Fiction has a 95% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently listed as the fifth greatest film of all time on the IMDB's poll of the top 250 greatest films. Pulp Fiction now appears in several lists of all-time great films. The American Film Institute's "Ten Top Ten" poll ranked it number 7 all-time in the gangster film genre. In 2005, it was named one of Time's "All-Time 100 Movies". The film ranks very highly in popular surveys as well;  Empire polled the opinions of readers, movie industry professionals, and critics which named Pulp Fiction the ninth-best film of all time. Total Film ranked it as the number three film in history. 
It is intrinsically an art film, using a new and innovative concept to have actors onscreen moving a story along with dialogue. He does this by combining the theatre “tell me” medium and the film “show me” medium. Tarantino finds a way to marry the two ideas and merge the visual and sonic aspects which are key to ascertaining a film associated with him. The list of films that would not exist without Pulp Fiction is endless, new wave independents felt a new lease of confidence and larger studios wanted to hire these small scale directors. This is all further telling of the impact this film has had on popular culture as an entity, it is not just entertainment but an embodiment of a generation as a whole making it one of the most prominent films ever created. Some directors and films have even attempted to mimic Tarantino’s use of violence simply by employing more of it e.g The Boondock Saints. Though this is where Pulp Fiction differs. It is exciting, watchable and has a soul, many of its weak imitations come off as fairly enjoyable but not memorable and slightly offensive.

Pulp Fiction is truly a masterpiece, still today, 19 years on, it is still enticing new viewers and film fans. Every detail was cleverly thought out and added a special and unconventional  characteristic to the film. The incredible, flawless direction, the original idea to weave all the characters and cross the plots together worked so well. The camera constantly knowing precisely where it needs to be to achieve the best effect, it has an omniscient presence. The music is contagious, the acting is second to none and the editing is superb. The problem is that its influence and legacy have become larger than the film itself which leads many to call it "overrated" with no substantiated judgement to back it up, but this can cloud rational judgement of it. In my opinion, Pulp Fiction has the most polished dialogue that Tarantino has ever done in any of his films. Everything flows together surprisingly well, and while he has definitely made outstanding films one after the other, none of them have quite matched that same level of consistent quality that flows together in Pulp Fiction. It was Tarantino's second feature as writer/director and was produced on a modest budget. Yet, it became an international smash that ended up as being one of the biggest films of 1994 and one of the most influential of the decade. If anything, Tarantino's film may go down in history as one of the most utterly bizarre pieces of popular entertainment.

Dedicated to Miguel Abad!