Monday, February 27, 2012

PULP FICTION by Quentin Tarantino


 Believe it or not I’ve never seen Pulp Fiction before! I decided to watch the film last night for this weeks posting. I love this film by Tarantino! To make a work like this one day or be part of a team that contributes to making a work like this would be a dream.

A brief synopsis: A crime movie, which unfolds in an unpredictable sequence and at different points in time revolves around the happenings of a couple of robbers (Pumpkin and Hunny Bunny), two hit men by the name of Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield (Travolta and Jackson) and a boxer, Butch Coolidge.
How their stories intersect is often vague and as I was watching the film I was constantly trying to piece together how one story was connected to another. I was particularly confused by the role of the fighter and his relevance to the rest of the story until I could piece together his relationship with Marsellus, whom he betrayed his word by winning a fight he took money for in an exchange for a promise to purposefully lose. I really liked this layering and unpredictable story line. 

The whole film really worked for me. I loved the aesthetic of the way it was shot. The colors were rich and reminiscent of film noir. The lighting was perfectly executed! I really enjoy the dramatic tones and sharp constrast. Another part of the shooting I enjoyed were the dolly shots. One dolly shot in particular which I think really worked was in a scene were Samuel L and Travolta are walking at a  rhythmic pace towards the camera down a hall way and the dolly is in front facing them moving to their beat as it backs up down the hallway. I really felt engaged with the characters and a part of the scene with this shooting style.

An unconventional shot I really enjoyed was within the first 20 minutes of the movie. There is a scene where Travolta and Samuel L are having a conversation which is filmed of the back of their heads rather than of their faces. This really made me consider camera angle and being innovative.

Something cool I wasn’t expecting to see- When Uma Thurman and Travolta’s characters are outside of the restaurant I the convertible and Uma tells Travolta not to be a square and she draws the square with her hand and we see a white square appear on the screen. Totally unexpected and totally exciting to me!

The aspect of the film which was most effective and impacting was the script. The language is lyrical and poetic, particularly in the case of Samuel L’s character and also Uma Thurman’s character. I could list so many scenes right now that are sticking with me! ( Tasty burger… uncomfortable silence… the list goes on!) 

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