Pulp Fiction
A hit man has a life-changing religious experience. Another hit man faces a test of loyalty. An aging prize fighter risks it all on a get rich quick scheme. Meanwhile, two small-time crooks hatch a new master plan. Three stories and a side story intermesh and orbit around a mysterious briefcase.
Written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction was released in 1994 and set the standard for the Tarantino genre. It's hard to name anyone as the star of this film, with so many stories, sub stories and with so many big names. A short list includes: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Uma Thurman and of course, Quentin Tarantino himself. The long list includes too many greats to name in this short treatment.
Quentin Tarantino may deserve the credit for having made this movie among the greatest ever produced. His dialogue is among the best, rivaled only by Rod Serling and Woody Allen. Tarantino has an amazing ability to write as people really speak as opposed to as movie people speak. He then uses amazing shots and well thought out lighting to convey the emotional impact of the plot. As both a writer and a director, the man is a brilliant genius. Of course, putting great actors in front of the camera creates character depth and chemistry that can deeply effect the viewer.
The three main stories seem random and unrelated at first glance, but as they are shaken together and spilled out like so much dice, it becomes easily apparent how they interrelate. The soundtrack also seems unrelated, a mix of surfer music, vintage rock, old soul, and a Sattler Brothers tune, but it all works beautifully. Also, the film breaks all rules of tying up all loose ends. We still don't know what is in the briefcase, why the boss has a Band-Aid on the back of his head, we're not even sure of the time period. It becomes secondary during this exciting ride that keeps us gasping and laughing .
By the end of the movie, you will surely crave a Big Kahuna Burger, a five dollar shake and a shining briefcase. You will also have a lifetime use of the term, "I'm about to get medieval on your ass." Pulp Fiction is definitely one for the archives. If you don't own this movie, or if you haven't seen it enough to recite clever quotes, you need to get a copy pronto. It was a classic on the day it was released.