The cult and, possibly, the best film of Quentin Tarantino has long been a role model for directors in many countries of the world. Reviews of "Pulp Fiction" were only the most enthusiastic. The film was an important stage in the history of cinema, which provided a significant incentive for the development of independent auteur cinema in America.
general information
The American name of the picture Pulp Fiction ("Pulp Fiction") refers to the popular in the mid-20th century cheap magazines that printed sensational and scandalous materials.
The picture consists of several storylines shown in the technique of non-linear narration - a favorite technique of French directors of the New Wave. The film is divided into five short stories, which are mounted in a non-chronological order. The picture shows the story:
- two gangsters conduct leisurely conversations with references to the Bible;
- favorite entertainment of the 90s, including dancing and drugs;
- a boxer in an extreme situation.
Professional critics and viewers in reviews of "Pulp Fiction" write that this is a metaphor for a deck of cards shuffled by the highest demiurge, the role of which is played by the director in the film. Another group of viewers believes that the stories are arranged on the basis of increasing emotional stress. And that's why the action unfolds so slowly to give you the opportunity to get used to style, vocabulary, and from about the middle it starts to accelerate, ending with a spectacular climax.
The story of two gangsters
The film traces three storylines connected by common characters, details and the scene.
Two gangsters Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) work for the local godfather of Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). He instructs them to deliver a case, the contents of which remained unknown to the viewer. At the same time, gangsters conduct theological and philosophical dialogues between murders and other crimes. In passing, they relate to boss Vega’s instructions to entertain his wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) in the evening.
Jules, the survivor of the shootout, takes this as a sign and decides to end the criminal past. After that, he reads a whole sermon in a roadside restaurant, which does not look trivial, because before that the bandit participated in a cold-blooded murder.
How to safely entertain the boss's wife
Having completed the assignment, the gangsters come to Wallace, who instructs boxer Butch (Bruce Willis), giving details of the upcoming contractual fight. After injecting himself with heroin, Vincent takes the boss’s wife and they go to the popular restaurant Jack Rabbit Slims, where she takes a dose of cocaine in the toilet.
Under the influence of drugs, the couple decides to take part in a competition for the best dance, which has become the most spectacular scene of Pulp Fiction. Uma Thurman became a good partner to John Travolte, who was a professional dancer. Vincent takes Mia home, where he still has to save the woman from an overdose.
Honest Boxer
Mafia boss invites professional boxer Butch Coolidge to make good money in the last fight of his sports career. To do this, he must lie down in the fifth round, but Butch decides to throw Wallace. He puts on his victory all the money received for a contractual battle. Having knocked out the opponent, as it turned out to be a death, he tries to leave the city.
But at the crossroads he unexpectedly meets Marcellus Wallace, whom he is hit by a car, and he has an accident. An enraged gangster starts shooting at Butch. Fascinated by the duel, they are captured by sadistic sodomites.
Main dancers
Now it is impossible to imagine a picture without the most spectacular scene - the enchanting dance of Uma Thurman and John Travolta. Pulp Fiction may have set a record for the duration of the filming of one dance, which lasted continuously for 13 hours. The dance was invented by Tarantino and Travolta based on the once popular twist and twist. The actor, who in his youth was professionally engaged in dancing, specially filmed with Uma Thurman before filming the scene.
“Pulp Fiction” could well have been left without its famous dance number. After all, the director’s favorite for the role of Mia Wallace was Michelle Pfeifer, in addition, the candidates of Isabella Rossellini, Meg Ryan, Rosanna Arquette and many other Hollywood stars were considered. The role of the white gangster was originally written by Michael Madsen, as it should be Vic Vega - the character of Madsen from the movie "Mad Dogs". Therefore, when he was unable to take part in the filming, he had to change his name - Vic became Vincent, and the script was slightly corrected.
Other actors
According to the idea of Tarantino, it was Samuel Jackson who was supposed to play the black gangster Jules Wynnfield, but first they tried to play Paul Calderon for this role. He fit so easily and organically into the image of a black gangster that he was almost approved. True, in the end, Calderon got the role of a bartender in the bar of Marcelas. And Samuel Jackson became a partner of John Travolta. As noted in the reviews of "Pulp Fiction", these are the most philosophical thugs in the history of cinema, who are talking about the meaning of life between criminal showdowns.
The hero of the novel about an honest boxer was supposed to be somewhat younger than Bruce Willis, since the role was written for another actor - Matt Dillon. However, he refused to star in the film due to participation in another project. Then Harvey Keitel recommended that the director try Willis for the role of Butch Coolidge. Tarantino agreed after a moment of thought and tweaked the script. The role of the boxer was a good success for the actor, although Bruce Willis himself wanted to play the gangster Vincent Vega.
Reviews of the film "Pulp Fiction"
Many viewers noted that despite Tarantino’s love for often ostentatious cinematography, the characters in the film do not speak a literary language at all. The specific construction of phrases, jargon, and even obscenities give the impression that the characters in the film speak a living language, and not template text invented by the scriptwriters. Thanks to this, not only some catchy phrases, but also monologues, and even dialogues, went into the people. Especially critics and viewers liked the philosophical conversations of two gangsters Vincent Vega and Jules Winfield, which they led on the way to another criminal case.
In reviews of the 1994 Pulp Fiction film, Russian viewers noted that the premiere took place at a time when bandits were the main characters in the post-Soviet space. And although the Californian tough guys were different from the domestic ones, they still had similar features.
And of course, in reviews of "Pulp Fiction" everyone enthusiastically mentions the fun dance of Mia Wallace and Vincent, which was liked by absolutely all viewers.