Pulp Fiction
Category
Crime, Drama, Film noir
Director
Quentin Tarantino
Cast
- John Travolta
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Uma Thurman
- Bruce Willis
- Tim Roth
- Harvey Keitel
- Amanda Plummer
- Maria de Medeiros
- Ving Rhames
- Duane Whitaker
- Peter Greene
- Eric Stoltz
- Rosanna Arquette
- Steve Buscemi
- Christopher Walken
Release Date
14 October 1994
Synopsis
With a number of different stories rolled tightly like a fat cigar, Tarantino's Pulp Fiction takes his audience for a roundabout experience. His darkly-themed characters and situations, in-your-face violence, goons, guns, drugs, and cursing that will make your mother cringe, are mixed with philosophical repartee, sardonic humor, and even a dance number. Pulp Fiction by turns unsettles you and then leaves you to ponder the significance of the elusive black case, Samuel L. Jackson's Bible quote, and the karmic consequences of one's actions.
Released in 1994, Pulp Fiction, with its many pop culture and movie references, has become one of the top films of all time. It has become the ultimate cult classic loved for its defiant and unconventional story structure, dynamic quirky characters, unusual camera angles, and odd yet ingenious imagery. This thrilling and energetic film also boasted a stellar cast - John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as the partners in crime, Bruce Willis as the over-the-hill boxer, and Uma Thurman playing the wife of mobster Ving Rhames. Also appearing in the movie are Tim Roth and Harvey Kietel from Tarantino's previous hit Reservoir Dogs, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Maria de Medeiros, Rosanna Arquette, and Christopher Walken.
Tarantino's collection of stories are livened up by his cool characters that jump off the screen -- two talkative goons who end up bickering over a murder mishap; a hitman taking his boss' wife for a night out at a fifties diner, with bloody burgers and steaks served by the era's icons, with the night out ending in a drug disaster; a double-crossing boxer on the road to retirement with his exotic French lover; the same boxer who unexpectedly comes to the aid of the mob boss he swindled; and two thieves who thought holding up a diner was the best way to go.
These memorable characters turn Tarantino's script, pumped with snappy bantering conversations and filled with pop culture references, into a veritable source of quotable quotes that would perk up the ears of anyone who's seen the film.
Pulp Fiction only had a very humble 8 million dollar budget but it managed to make over 100 million dollars in the U.S. box office alone. The movie was also honored with dozens of nominations from award-winning bodies like the Academy Awards, where Tarantino and Jackson snagged the best original screenplay and best supporting actor awards, respectively.
Critics have praised Pulp Fiction to high heavens. It's been called a postmodern film, mainly because it broke the conventional straight narrative. It also put a new spin on the film noir genre and inspired countless imitators. But while Pulp Fiction is loved by many, it still strikes others as too violent. But actually, the film can be viewed as an attempt at showing the most natural and realistic situations of grim violence and how a person's actions can be lead to his salvation or his demise. Pulp Fiction is certainly a provocative film done with great skill and style.