Pulp Fiction

There's so much to talk about when it comes to Quentin Tarantino's breakthrough crime caper Pulp Fiction that I barely know where to begin. On the first day of this class, when we were asked to write down our favorite movie and explain why we chose it, I wrote down Forrest Gump, and said it was my favorite movie because it had a little bit of everything: drama, humor, heroism, and romance. Pulp Fiction is Forrest Gump's evil doppelgänger. Pulp Fiction contains gangster related drama throughout, humorous conversations between Jules and Vincent, heroism when Butch frees Marcellus Wallace from his rapist captors, and even a bit of romantic spark between Vincent and Mia, as well as Butch and Fabienne. The two movies also both make constant reference to well-known events in popular culture. Forrest experiences some of the defining moments of the twentieth century, like Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the integration of African American students into public colleges. Pulp Fiction, meanwhile, makes reference to other forms of entertainment, rather than historic events. John Travolta's dance scene at Jack Rabbit Slim's is seen as a homage to his 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Butch encounters Marcellus Wallace by pure chance while driving his car through the streets of Los Angeles, just as Marion Crane's boss nearly sees her in her car in the opening of "Psycho". Jules refers to one of Brett's friends as "Flock of Seagulls" because of his haircut, and tells Yolanda that everyone is going to be "like 3 little Fonzies" in the closing diner scene. The list goes on and on. The primary difference between the two films, however, is Tarantino's generous use of intense violence, vulgar language, sexual content, and general dark themes that are not present in Forrest Gump. Tarantino was clearly trying to appeal to a different kind of moviegoer than Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis, and although it is debatable as to which film is greater, there is no denying that Pulp Fiction has withstood the test of time as enigmatic, entertaining, and one hell of a ride.