Pulp Fiction

1994

Directed By – Quentin Tarantino

Starring Uma Thurman, John Travolta, and Samuel L Jackson

By Axel Larock

Spoiler: This was a very vulgar movie and definitely not for teenagers if you are not into that sort of thing; it is rated R. However, I will say that Tarantino is a wonderful director, and this is definitely his second-best film. Just like Wes Anderson, Tarantino is well-known and well-seasoned. Going into this, I had just watched one of his newer films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That movie was absolutely wonderful, and I was hoping that this would live up to its standards; I will say it was very close, but not quite. Warning: Watching any of his films, he has a foot fetish. Also, this is a special edition of my movie reviews because this was, in fact, made before you were born; without further ado, Pulp Fiction. 

Plot (Story Arc and Plausibility): 10 out of 10

I’d say Tarantino definitely tried to focus more on the plot of this movie, and sure did it paid off. It was undeniably one of the best, most engaging movie plots I have seen in a very long time. Compared to the usual morose melancholy plots I’m used to watching, this really spiced up my taste. It brought a whole new perspective to an industry we all thought was so serious; also, we all are wondering what is in the briefcase. It is those little details that make a movie stand out. Another ridiculously memorable scene is, of course, the dancing scene. Overall, this plot was clearly well thought out and construed in a way that was easy to understand yet also interesting.

Attraction (Premise & Entertainment Value): 10 out of 10

Going into this movie, I already knew it was a cult classic, so obviously it has a lot of appeal to it.  This is one of those movies that is referenced 30 times a day, there are posters of the cover everywhere, and everybody knows it. I think, though, that possibly a lot of people have not actually seen this movie for themselves. I can say that after watching this movie, I get why it has gotten so much high praise over the years. 

Theme (Identity & Depth): 8 out of 10

I love the theme of this movie, as someone who usually is not into comedy action movies. I genuinely will not watch a movie if the genre has the word action in it, simply because I find them to be soulless; this movie, on the other hand, surprisingly had a lot of soul to it. I thought the fact that he left the part about the briefcase up to interpretation was so incredibly smart. 

Acting (Characters & Performance): 10 out of 10

Wow, wow, wow. This movie characters/performances were undeniably one of the most gracious acting performances I have ever seen. John Travolta did an absolutely phenomenal job. I had only seen him in Hairspray before this, and he really surprised me. Samuel L Jackson is such a good actor, and he transcended my expectations for him with this one. For me, and I think for everyone, the star of this movie was Uma Thurman. Her performance is genuinely one for the history books. The very first time she appears on screen, I am entranced by her, and she completely holds the movie together.

Dialogue (Storytelling & Context): 9 out of 10

I love the dialogue in this movie so much. I think that is what makes it especially funny. Quinten Tarantino knows what he is doing when it comes to storytelling. He has so many funny one-liners and great joke build up and it is shown in this movie. The ending tying into the beginning was just absolutely phenomenal, and the way the story was told, not in order, was so fascinating. I love all of the different stories within one story and the way that, in some way, they all tie together.

Cinematography (Visual Language & Lighting, Setting, and Wardrobe): 7 out of 10

To be honest, this movie didn’t excel at cinematography, it has two scenes that excelled in cinematography, but not most of the other scenes. The dancing scene was genuinely the best scene that I have seen in the past year. The setting and wardrobe I love, on the other hand. I think that where they lacked in visuals, they made up for in plot. I love the opening scene, though, and how it is filmed, great visual language as well.

Soundtrack (Sound Design & Film Score): 10 out of 10

This movie didn’t have much of a score, but what it did have was great. The soundtrack was the best soundtrack in a movie I have seen in a while. The actual sound of the movie was so crisp and clean, also. The movie was basically made by the music played though. For example, the scene where Uma Thurman is first introduced would not have been the same without that record on. The dancing scene was practically made by the song that played, so if you watch this movie after reading this, look out for those songs.

Directing (Vision & Execution): 10 out of 10

I already knew how good of a director Tarantino is, but this is most certainly one of his best works. I can see the clear vision of his idea, and he executed it perfectly. Putting himself in the movie is genuinely genius, and I love that he does that in almost all of his films. He is a fantabulous director with a plethora of cult classics. This movie his directing especially shone and I applauded him for that.

Final thoughts + Final rating 

This was a great and tantalizing movie from start to finish. I was thoroughly enthused by every aspect, and if you get the chance to watch it, I heavily recommend it.  I also recommend that you dive further into Tarantino’s filmography because almost all of his films are perfect. My final rating for this movie is a 9 out of 10. My only note for it is that I wish there was better cinematography.