Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
As a Christian, I think I have a pretty high tolerance for "adult" themes and elements in film. Some examples: I'm not a fan of swearing, but I can tolerate it rather easily in movies like Phone Booth, Die Hard, and other films with potty language; I abhore violence, but even disturbingly violent Apocalypse Now captivates me, and I enjoy watching The Following on TV.
Having said that, two "adult" elements that really turn me off in movies or TV are sex and drugs (read my post on The Last Picture Show to get an idea of how I feel about the former).
In "Pulp Fiction", drugs are quite rampant and practically celebrated throughout, so it's a movie I would normally be repelled by. The peculiar thing is, I like the film. Even with all the drug elements, the way the story is told is so different, and the dialogue so unique (many of the conversations remind me of dialogue from Seinfeld, where the characters are just chit-chatting about seemingly random, irrelevant stuff), that I appreciate the film as a whole. It's so unconventional that I don't know of any other movie out there that this compares to in terms of structure. On the other hand, my wife really doesn't like this movie, and after it ended she asked the simple question, "what is the point of this movie?" Aside from the excuse to break as many conventions as possible in storytelling and shocking the audience, I didn't have an answer.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I'll leave it to a well-written AFI description of "Pulp Fiction": Maverick director Quentin Tarantino exploded conventional cinematic storytelling and single-handedly created a new genre – one that re-purposed well-worn pop cultural tropes into something fiercely original and uniquely his own. His non-linear crime story broke new ground with its irreverent dialogue, eclectic soundtrack, stylized violence and quintessentially cool ensemble cast – including Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta as two contract killers at the beck and call of the city's kingpin. The movie was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning only one, deservedly for Best Original Screenplay.
Complaints?
It's too long. The infamous "Zed" storyline feels like the climax with the ending just around the corner, yet there are two more stories after that. "The Bonnie Situation" in particular tends to drag and slows the whole film down.
Another complaint is that "Pulp Fiction" is so low on the AFI List, at #94. I think this deserves to be much higher.
LET ME SUM UP...
One of the most uniquely original films ever made. It's a stylized yet gritty film that pulls no punches when it comes to language, drugs, and violence especially. It's a bit too long for me, and extremely lurid (the word used as part of the definition for "pulp" at the very beginning of the film), but very well done for what it is.
MY RATING: 7.5/10 (0.5 lower than my previous rating)
2 comments:
Great review! The film definitely had it's strengths and weaknesses.
You have discussed here very important topic. Movies should be inspiring for good purpose. But some movies become reason to spread evil things. must watch movies
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