Pulp Fiction Review

Pulp Fiction, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a very popular yet controversial film. The film is very raw and brutal but still manages to keep the audience entertained. Personally, I found this film was extremely disturbing (e.g: homosexual rape, Vincent accidentally shot Marvin resulting in Vincent and Jules are covered in blood and pieces of Marvin’s brain, Mia bleeding everywhere after overdosing). Tarantino achieves humor through a well written and witty dialogue.

After watching this movie it is clearly demonstrated that Tarantino’s use of violence confuses the audience’s emotions, as his representation of violence is comical. For example, Jules asks his victim before killing them, what a Big Mac is called in Paris, and why the French don’t call a Quarter Pounder a Quarter Pounder. He then tries his victim’s fast-food, because he has never tried that brand before, because he prefers McDonald’s. In another scene Butch returns to his old apartment, where he finds a gun in his kitchen, the discovery of the gun is being presented as a point-of-view shot, Butch picks it up and shoots the hit-man (Vincent), after having his last pee. These scenes are terrifying, and kinda funny at the same time. 

Tarantino also uses a really interesting narrative element by creating suspense with an eye line shot. After Butch wins his boxing fight, and betrays the boss he flees by taxi, as we see hidden person in the bathroom. While Jules is saying his words from the Old Testament. In addition there is the eye-line shot. The conversation between Mia and Vincent in the restaurant in an eye-line shot. The eye-line shot is a simple idea, but a powerful one, since the directional quality of the eye-line creates continuity.