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Pulp Fiction - Miramax Collector's Edition Customer Reviews (19 - 21 of 166 Reviews)

A Movie That Has To Be Seen To Be Believed
Even thought Reservoir Dogs got him noticed in the States, it was this film that really made everyone see that a genius story writer and director had been born. Always paying homage to the kinds of films he grew up with, Quentin comes through with Pulp Fiction. A brilliant story about two worn out hit men that are basically tired of their jobs, at least one of them is. The side-story of the Boxer who has a bounty on his head for not throwing the fight is equally as interesting of a story.

Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman...the list goes on about how many great actors and actresses are in this film. If the characters aren't believable, the movie is a bust and not good, but each did a great job at fitting their roles perfectly. The acting added a lot to the well written story. There is even a cameo by QT himself in the film. I don't know. This film is so great; it's hard to put into words on how great it is. Words don't really do it justice; it has to be seen to be believed. You will love this movie if you haven't seen it already. It's definitely one of the best films to come out of the 90's.


The pinnacle of filmmaking
*POSSIBLE SLIGHT SPOILERS WITHIN*

Quentin Tarantino burst out of nowhere with 1992's RESERVOIR DOGS. After wowing audiences and critics alike with that film, he took a two-year hiatus to make his next movie. Then, in 1994, Tarantino unleashed upon the world PULP FICTION. Though its budget was a measly $8,000,000, PULP FICTION wound up grossing nearly $108,000,000 in the U.S. alone. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won one (Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino and his pal Roger Avary); it also took home the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.

None of these things, however, come close to really expressing how grand a film PULP FICTION is. It is not only one of the absolute finest movies ever made; it is the pinnacle of great filmmaking. Tarantino is infatuated with every aspect of filmmaking, and his love for the medium radiates from each and every image in this movie. It takes more than infatuation to make a great film - it takes talent as well. Thankfully, Tarantino is just as talented at moviemaking as he is infatuated with it.

PULP FICTION is, more than anything, a throwback to the cheap old noir tales of the 50's. Scenes which take place in vehicles use a purposefully old-fashioned and cheesy background projection. The outstanding soundtrack is made up almost entirely of classic surfer music and 50's tunes, though there's also tunes from Dusty Springfield, Kool & The Gang, and Al Green. The three stories which make up the bulk of the film are old-fashioned as well; they are certainly pulp fiction.

The first of these stories stars John Travolta as hitman Vince Vega, who is assigned to take care of his boss' wife (played by Uma Thurman) while the boss is out of town. Naturally, things don't go exactly as planned. Vince begins to wonder if he's falling for Mia (the wife) - then she O.D.'s, and it's up to Vince to save her. This leads to one of the film's best and most gruesome sequences. Travolta is better than he's been in years, and Thurman is delightful as Mia.

The second story revolves around boxer Butch, played by Bruce Willis. Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) - Vincent's boss and the head of the local mob - fixes a boxing match and pays Butch to go down in the fifth round. The problem is, Butch's pride gets the best of him, and rather than losing the match and retiring to the Caribbean he finds himself planning an escape with his girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros). Again, things don't go as planned: Butch discovers that his watch, passed down from his great-grandfather to his grandfather to his father while each was at war, has been left at his apartment. Willis is superb; there's great chemistry between he and Medeiros' character (whom is, by the way, irresistibly sweet and innocent). Rhames seems invulnerable as the sinister Marsellus Wallace. Also great is Christopher Walken, who opens the segment with a very amusing speech about the importance of Butch's watch. The highlight of this segment is a sequence in which Butch, searching for a weapon, comes across a hammer. He grips it, getting a feel for it - then he notices something else. He picks it up and we see it's a baseball bat. Again, he gets a feel for it, but he sets it down when he notices a chainsaw. Just when it looks like he's satisfied, he looks up and his jaw drops. Butch has discovered a beautiful samurai sword (which would have a far larger part in Tarantino's next masterpiece, 2003's KILL BILL: VOL. 1).

In the third and final segment, Travolta returns as Vince, working with his partner, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson). When Vince accidentally blows out someone's brain in the back of Jules' car ("Oh man," exclaims Travolta, "I shot Marvin in the face!") in the center of L.A. in broad daylight, the two hitmen take refuge in the home of Jimmy (played by Quentin Tarantino himself). Jimmy's not very happy about having a corpse in his garage, and his wife is going to be home in an hour and a half. So they call in "The Wolf" (Harvey Keitel), a smooth, super-cool guy who thinks he can solve the problem in no time. This is arguably the finest segment, thanks to many laugh-out-loud moments. Jackson gives the finest performance of his career, and Keitel seems as cool and confident as one can. It's the perfect way to close the film.

As with most of Tarantino's other films, PULP FICTION is told in non-linear fashion. This is a very clever technique which makes the film twice as interesting. Each of the stories interweave to create one big seamless masterpiece. Tarantino's screenplay is truly wonderful and features some of the very best dialogue ever written. In fact, Tarantino's screenplay is one of the best of all time: original, over-the-top, and darkly humorous. I found myself struck also by the cinematography, which is truly excellent. Each scene is captured from just about every possible angle. It really spices up the film and helps keep you mesmerized for the entire 154-minute runtime.

How can a film be this good? There is no grand statement here, no deeper meaning - just three simple crime stories. It's Tarantino's dedication that makes PULP FICTION so good. The acting is superb, the editing seamless, the script outrageous and original, the soundtrack classic, the cinematography magnificent. It's a masterpiece that is undoubtedly one of the ten best films ever made - it may even be number one. The rave reviews, the awards, the fans, these things cannot give one the slightest idea of how truly outstanding PULP FICTION really is. If you have not seen it, then you musn't hesitate to rush out to the nearest video store and watch it. It's a move that no true moviegoer will regret.

The Hardcover Truth
Consistently witty, and despite the glorification of its seemingly amoral or immoral characters, one is not left without
the message of there being consequences for our actions. While in many ways dated, primarily by having influenced lesser talents, it holds up as a very special, stylish, and intelligent work.

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