pulp fiction (quentin tarantino, 1994)

I have no problem saying Quentin Tarantino is one of his generation's finest directors. His influence on other film makers is not always positive ... the cinema is filled with Tarantino wannabes who aren't as skilled as he in writing screenplays and end up copying his worst habits (and they definitely exist). Tarantino is not flawless, and in fact it's hard to imagine what a flawless Tarantino movie would look like. He is a master of excess, so even the things he does well are often done too much.

I don't think he has ever made a completely excellent movie. But he comes close more often than most other directors. For me, his two best pictures are Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction. If I had to pick one I'd go with Jackie Brown, thanks to the way he allows Pam Grier to shine. But Pulp Fiction is the more dazzling of the two, and if I was to use just one movie that personifies Tarantino's qualities, this would be my choice.

The intricate timeline shifting is so well integrated that we aren't confused. The casting is nearly perfect (Tarantino himself is usually the weak link in his films). I imagine most actors would love to wrap their talents around his dialogue. The violence, when it appears, doesn't feel as gleeful as it did in Reservoir Dogs.

But it comes down to the dialogue in the end. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta have conversations so loopy that it's almost a disappointment when they stop to actually perform some action.

Ultimately, I think Pulp Fiction is a triumph of style over substance, a movie that like so much of Tarantino's work feels more knowing about movies and pop culture than it does about actual life. More than any other film, though, I forgive him here.

Comments

[Tomás]

What an interesting, measured, and smart analysis you give of Tarantino. Lots to think about, so much I wish you were a podcast. :)

[Steven Rubio]

No podcasts here, although Phil Dellio and I manage to get YouTube videos out once in a while.