“Pulp Fiction” (actors: D. Travolta, W. Thurman, B. Willis, S. L. Jackson and others) - Quentin Tarantino's film masterpiece of more than 20 years of exposure. The film changed the history of cinema in the same way as Hitchcock's Psycho or Space Odyssey. Before him, none of the critics could have imagined that the audience would want to watch an almost two-hour crime drama with a non-linear narrative and long philosophical dialogues. But Tarantino took a chance and did not lose: the film “Pulp Fiction” has firmly taken its place in the cinematic pantheon, and it is impossible to forget it after watching it once.
Adrenalin
Tarantino eventually became Tarantino due to his courage and partly arrogance. The self-taught director at the dawn of his career did not shy away from throwing something crazy that shocked the beholder, repelled and at the same time attracted him to the screen. Anyone who has seen the movie Pulp Fiction remembers a stunning episode in which the hero of Travolta introduces a huge dose of adrenaline to the character Thurman right in the heart. Here is the brainchild of Tarantino - like pure adrenaline, even after 21 years.
The plot and the actors. History No. 1
The originally designed, comical storytelling of the film “Pulp Fiction” (the actors called it “looped flashback”) consists of three equal storylines connected by common parts, location (limits of one city) and complicity of the characters. The first plot component tells the story of two colleagues - Jules (S. L. Jackson) and Vincent (D. Travolta), who carry out the assignment of the boss - the local mafia leader Marsellus Wallace (V. Rhames). They must bring him a case, the contents of which are unknown throughout the duration. In this story, the director with inimitable irony revealed the problem of idealizing the underworld, crime in the American film industry.
History No. 2
The second plot component tells the story of the same Vincent (D. Travolta), who had to go on a date with his wife's boss Mia (W. Thurman). Wallace instructed his subordinate to entertain the missus during her departure so that she would not get bored. Vincent, having heard about the jealousy of Marcellus, does not go beyond the boundaries of what is permitted, fulfilling the whims of the beautiful Mia.
History No. 3
The third plot component tells the story of an idealist and dreamer, boxer Butch (B. Willis). This character is a real exception to the rule in the movie Pulp Fiction (the actors described the character of Bruce as the only one able to go beyond the reality invented by Tarantino). According to the idea of the latter, Butch is going to go on a well-deserved rest (retirement), and all the same criminal boss Marcellus offers him a deal that can ensure the hero a comfortable life for the rest of his life. He only needs to lose, but Butch intends to leave beautifully. He takes the money, agreeing to a deal with Marcellus, puts it on himself and wins the fight.
Creators
Initially, director Quentin Tarantino and screenwriter Roger Avery decided to shoot a short film. Avery even wrote an exemplary scenario of one of the short stories, but their studio idea did not arouse interest. Quentin did not despair and took his friend to Amsterdam. It was there that ideas were born for the next two stories, the volume of creation was sufficient for a full meter. And then Tarantino took everything into his own hands.
The intuition of the author during the selection of artists
In the image of individual characters, Tarantino initially saw certain actors, so the script was written specifically for them. The intuition of the author determined the nature of the picture. Although it was not so simple. Surprisingly, Samuel L. Jackson could not pass the initial test for the role of Jules. But thanks to the persistence of the actor, a second attempt took place, and he was approved for the role. His hairstyle also changed right on the set. At first, the director saw the image of Jules framed by dreadlocks, but after trying on a dozen wigs, the creators chose the hairstyle in the style of “early Michael Jackson”. Samuel L. Jackson made his film debut back in 1972. But his career can hardly be called swift, because because of his addiction to alcohol and drugs, the actor lost most of his roles. He was offered to play only episodic characters. After Morgan Freeman “took patronage” over the actor, and he himself underwent a rehabilitation course in a special clinic, Jackson’s career went uphill. A turning point in his work is considered to be participation in the filming of the cult picture of Tarantino.
In the role of Butch, the authors saw the actor-star of world cinema, they wanted to attract Sylvester Stallone to work on the project. But in the end, the role was already played by the eminent Bruce Willis. The actor really liked the character of Vincent, and the director had to convince him to play Butch for a long time, promising that he would survive to the finals and become a hero.
Hero's return
In the 80s, John Travolta lost two beloved women (his mother and wife later died of cancer), therefore, despite a successful start, his career began to decline. The reason for this was his psychological state and excessive drinking. Tarantino helped him get back into operation. In Fiction, Travolta plays brilliantly, he is nominated for an Oscar, and their twist with Thurman is called the most popular cinematic dance number of the 90s. John Travolta at the beginning of the filming of the movie was known as the fading star of musical paintings, but after “Pulp Fiction” he returned to his former glory and became one of the most popular actors of the Dream Factory. Although the role was originally prescribed specifically for Michael Madsen. The actor played in Tarantino's Mad Dogs, but during the preparation for the filming of the new film he was busy, and the script had to be changed. The author himself in the film "Pulp Fiction" (the actors complacently accepted the director's initiative) played a supporting role - Jimmy, a friend of Jules.
Director's Muse
Tarantino, shocked by the impressive size of the foot of the actress, in the role of Mia wanted to see only Uma Thurman. But the film star was capricious and at first refused to take part in the filming. But the director did not give up, he called the capricious beauty with an enviable frequency and read the script into the telephone receiver. As a result, the actress lost under the onslaught of a manic fan. Uma Turaman made her film debut at the age of 16, since then she has been shot regularly (her filmography has exceeded 50 films), but “Pulp Fiction” is considered the peak of her acting career. “Giving bliss” - this is how the name of the actress is interpreted, she always complained about her appearance, although her flat and rather high figure exactly corresponds to the standards of the modeling business. Before enrolling in acting classes, Thurman was one of the leading models in New York.
Quentin was able to entice into a relatively low-budget (by the standards of Hollywood) picture of stars of the first magnitude only thanks to the rapid success of "Mad Dogs". More than two-thirds of the movie budget was spent on royalties for actors, but it was worth it.