LET THERE BE VIOLENCE, CONFUSION AND ENTERTAINMENT

Cast: John Travolta as Vincent Vega Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Rated: R

Running Time: 154 minutes

In simple words, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) could be described as a violent tryst with mayhem. It is a case study of how a film could be conjured straight out of retro Hollywood movies and not out of reality. In the brightly lit world of Pulp Fiction, gangsters rule the roost and there is not a single dull moment. In fact, the movie is evidently a celebration of blood, gore, chaos, and situational comedy. A few formulaic critics brand Pulp Fiction as a black comedy and some even go to the extent of calling it a neo-noir. Fortunately, neither is it! Neither the apparent lack of apathy, a typical characteristic of black comedies, nor the grim melancholy of neo-noirs abounds in the strange word created by Tarantino where an old wristwatch is hidden in human rectum and homosexuality is a casual hobby. A viewer gets so engrossed watching the movie that he misses posing important questions like the details of what is there inside the briefcase that apparently is the cause for multiple deaths. The screenplay is a treat with the writer having thrown all the boring rules out of the window.

Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield is more than a handful. His role as a feisty hitman and his subsequent decision to quit the profession on account of a ‘divine intervention’ elicit all of laughter, empathy, and a sense of hope. His dialogues with the redeemed John Travolta as Vincent Vega create an informal sense of humour only to be crushed by the proceeding violence. Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace, the wife of wealthy mob kingpin Marcellus Wallace (played by Ving Rhames), is a refreshing break from the usual bread and butter acting ensued by some of her contemporaries. Her dance sequence with Travolta evokes nostalgia as it distinctly reminds us of movies from the sixties of the last century. In one sense, it is self-repetitive as Travolta had done a similar scene in Saturday Night Fever (1977).

Having been involved in a couple of recent flops, Bruce Willis needed something as tantalizing as Pulp Fiction to revive his career. He plays a picture-perfect role as the ageing boxing champion Butch Coolidge. Having double crossed Marcello Wallace after agreeing to throw up a match, Butch is compelled to come to his apartment because his girlfriend Fabienne (played by Maria De Medeiros) forgot to take his grandfather’s wristwatch. One of the most shocking incidents happens in the apartment when Butch kills Vincent in a gunfight. With Travolta being the lead actor, the viewers most definitely get a shock at this juncture. But this is exactly where this film enthralls. With a circular non-linear structure, the narrative is complex, and it is impossible to remember the exact sequence in this movie even after a couple of views. Consequently, Travolta returns to an earlier event but in a later sequence to comfort the viewers.

Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer, as a couple involved in petty crimes, stun the audience with their impeccable timing and comic sense. In a restaurant scuffle with Jules and Vincent, Amanda, playing the role of Yolanda, suddenly retorts that she needs to go and pee. More than relevance, this depicts a generic disdain for order, so typical of Tarantino movies. Critics have often pointed their fingers at Tarantino for overt display and aestheticization of violence through his movies. Tarantino shows his utter irreverence for such criticisms by making this film. He goes on a rampage and paints a world far removed from the ulterior of reality. The resultant constructed world is much crueler and more dreaded yet bright.

The yesteryears masters such as Harvey Keitel and Christopher Walken also stamp their class in the movie through their tiny yet significant portrayals of a problem solver and an erstwhile army colonel respectively. Walken’s monologue could be easily classified as one of the most hilarious in cinematic history and Kietel’s role as Winston Wolf creates a sense of immediacy and purpose.

Tarantino also pays homage to popular culture and old films through this movie. He intelligently intertwines music and pop icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly and Mamie Van Doren through a theme restaurant named Jack Rabbit Slim’s where Mia and Vincent participate in a twist contest. In fact, the retro touch in the movie is obvious from Tarantino’s selection of music.

Puritans can point towards the excessive usage of contraband materials in this movie, but the movie entertains everyone in a guilty way. As the name of the movie suggests, it is akin to those hardboiled crime fiction books that someone would not like to make public but would love to read whenever he/she manages to get some time.