PULP FICTION
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Written by Tarantino, from stories by Tarantino and Roger Avary
Cast Rosanna Arquette, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel,
Amanda Plummer, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz,
Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, John Travolta,
Christopher Walken, and Bruce Willis
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language, violence, drug use,
etc. etc. etc.)
Running Time 153 minutes
============
"Dorks."
- Tarantino to Keitel
Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to RESERVOIR DOGS is a brilliantly funny series of sketches about professional criminals and their miraculous second chances. No sophomore slump here; PULP FICTION is a shoo-in for sanction among critical and commercial audiences alike.
The stories number four and go something like this: two lovers (Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth) want to switch from heisting liquor stores to robbing restaurants. Meanwhile, a hitman named Vincent (Travolta) has been ordered to take the boss's wife (Uma Thurman) out to dinner. Meanwhile, boxer Butch Coolidge (Willis) has been ordered to take a dive in fifth. Meanwhile, Vincent and his partner Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) have to clean-up the mess from a "bad hit." Got it?
Said stories are presented both separately and out of order, and the effect actually strengthens the suspense. All is made clear in the last hour, but, until then, the viewer is lured into a lurid limbo where no one--either in the audience or on-screen--can even *imagine* what's going to happen next.
While the direction is good, very good, nothing sizzles like the script. Tarantino's prose overflows with some of the richest (and most unprintable) dialogue of the decade. Punctuating the obscenities are pop references of every sort; from Madonna (of course) to "Le" Big Mac.
Close your eyes and see it a second time.
You could quibble on a couple points, such as the length of the third segment. But, oh those stories! Here is a world where even the smallest detail--such as the unavailability of a "balloon"--can mushroom into the most catastrophic of consequences. The violent unpredictability of the Tarantino universe has never been more brutal.
With two exceptions, the ensemble is exceptional. PULP FICTION marks the umpteenth return of John Travolta, who gives a career performance as the toilet-trained (don't ask) hitman Vincent Vega. His partner, Samuel L. Jackson, hits a higher note in the commanding role of Jules; he's so cool, you can't take your eyes off him.
The two sore thumbs are Willis (too loose) and Tarantino (too stiff). Better is Christopher Walken, who wanders through for one scene and one delicious monologue. He's almost as good as Harvey Keitel, who makes an eleventh-hour appearance as the world's best-dressed janitor.
And, yes, that's Mr. Pink as Buddy Holly.
To those who strain to complain about the subject matter, all I can say is, well, touche. PULP FICTION plays for laughs rape, racism, murder, masochism, drug overdoses, Vietnam POWs, and, even, the Bible. If any of the aforementioned offends, then this may not be best movie for you.
NOTE: Film won the Best Picture award at this year's Cannes film festival where the director gave the finger to a detractor during a press conference. Really.
BOTTOM LINE: Best Picture, no question. Not for the sensitive or
squeamish.
Grade: A
-- Michael J. Legeros Raleigh, North Carolina
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