Film critique on Pulp Fiction

Student’s Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Course Name:
Date:
Pulp Fiction Film Critique
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 movie that was directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an out of the ordinary film (Tarantino 87). It’s apparently a complete narrative that has been cut into vignettes and reorganized like a puzzle. This film is a gangster film where not even a single policeman is found. It is a mixture of peculiar characters, some from a black hoodlum with a strange bandage on his bald head, to sexual perverts; from characters dressed in dark suits whose dialogue is about what fast foods are referred to in Europe to a crowd problem-solver that goes to dinner parties in the morning while dressed in a complete tuxedo. In general, the film talks about American Nihilism.
Rationale for the Choice of the Film
With the film having the genre of thriller and crime as well as with relation to other production she has made, Quentin Tarantino has fascinated a particular audience and this has worked so well with regard to the success of his films (Tarantino 91). With the many films in the same genre, Pulp Fiction particularly catches the attention of the audience and more particularly the type of audience that it would fascinate would-be thrill seekers as it is full of action packed. The reason for picking this film for analysis is based on the fact that it is one of the original films to come up with multiple stories that is based on the character’s point of view. Also, it offers more action and drama that specifically attracts the attention of the audience.

Most importantly, this film offers connected to the audience from the first scene. The suspense it creates in the reader’s mind makes the reader want to watch the whole film which is one of the reasons that has led to the success of this particular film. As such, with the success that has been seen with regard to this film, it is important to analyze some of the major aspects of the film to fully understand how Tarantino utilized his knowledge and skill to produce and come up with this particular film. Thus, this analysis shall be based on the sound of the film, the camera techniques and the director’s purpose in the film.
The Sounds
In the film, the comforting sound of the vehicle driving on the road is one of the first things one notices. The sounds put the viewers in the vehicle with the film characters. For instance, in a scene where there is n argument between the characters in the car, the car’s sound is still somehow relaxing. In essence, after watching a number of Tarantino’s films, the one thing that a person cannot fail to notice is the way he likes to keep the natural nature and originality of things in his film. In this regard, in most of the scenes, Tarantino does not include any extra background music or redundant sound effects. This enables the film to retain its meaning. This is because the experience of other films has demonstrated how redundant sound effects and extra background music can completely change the meaning of a scene in the film. Essentially, with the absence of the background music and the unnecessary sound effects, the audience can clearly understand and hear the whole conversation and dialogues in the film. For instance, in the scene where Vincent shoots Marvin in the face, he gets so caught up in the dialogue that he forgets he holds a gun. What is hilarious, however, is how he says he has shot Marvin in the face, “Aw, I shot Marvin in the face…” In essence, one can easily follow the conversation without the distractions of the background music and unnecessary sound effects.
In addition, the actual sounds in this film always seem to have different functions. They, n most cases, prefigure negative events and echo the actions and feelings of the character as well as stressing discursive essentials in the film. Despite the few exceptions, every sound of music in this movie is actual and diegetic. For instance, the two music sounds that play at the opening of the film are all revealed to be actual and real since we can hear the switching of channels by the radio and also the music director is recognized. Also, the second music sound plays softly during the conversation between Vince and Jules; the same method is also employed in the bar scene. Most importantly, the way Tarantino uses the sound effects in the film allows the audience to clearly understand and hear the various dialogues in the film which enhances the ability of the audience to fully understand the film.
The Camera Techniques
The techniques employed by film directors are different with regard to the camera angle used in the film (Rabiger, Michael, Hurbis-Cherrier 19). As Roger Ebert says, foreground things are more vital than the things in the backdrop when shooting a film. In this film, the scene where Marvin is in the car demonstrates a lot about the camera technique used in this film. For instance, when he sits in the back seat, he is distorted out when the two main guys are conversing in the front. More evidently, in the beginning, the camera doesn’t focus more on the character talking; the focus is on the words said by Jules; which is an evidence of that he does not want to focus more on Vincent and what he says. This also works as a scene setting up shot, which is a demonstration of where this particular scene is likely to play out instead of jumping right into the arguments by the character. This helps in setting up the stage before having to focus on the interactions of the character. After this, the camera starts to cut between the people talking. For instance, at 0:49 when Marvin starts talking, the camera still appears blurred, most likely implying that Marvin is not yet part of the conversation between Vincent and Jules. However, after Marvin is done talking, the camera ends the point of view of Marvin in the back seat. This makes the viewers be part of the film by making them feel as if they are inside the movie next Marvin. Thus, this explains that Marvin blurred background shows he is still not significant in this scene.
The Purpose of the Director
Quentin Tarantino is the director of this film. He somehow sticks to and follows the Hollywood Editing System. This is evident in the way he uses the 180 degrees rule. However, there are times when a director crosses and ignores the rules of Hollywood Editing System. The main purpose of the director is to determine the scenes and instances that make it necessary for the film to cross the lines and ignore the Hollywood Editing System. For instance, in this particular film, Quentin Tarantino ignores the rules of continuity editing, particularly cross-cutting, at the end of the movie. Under this rule, continuity editing should be followed throughout the film. However, Tarantino does not use crosscutting at the end of the film. More importantly, when a director is faced with one of these situations, he has to make a choice ignore the rules. The decision requires expertise to analyze the scenes and the instances when adhering to the Hollywood Editing System is necessary.
Also, the director’s purpose is to incorporate different styles of cinema (Proferes 36). In this film, Tarantino includes styles such as Surrealism and Film Noir as additional styles. Particularly, Noir is noticed by the fact that the characters used for this film do not possess clear moral base. For instance, Jules kills people and quotes a verse from the book of Ezekiel which shows how he does not have any moral base. Surrealism, on the other hand, can be noticed in the scene where Mia goes with Vincent to a restaurant. The director uses mostly long shots and medium and to avoid identifying with the characters.
In conclusion, the way Pulp Fiction has been directed explains why it is considered one of the best movies of its time and even in the current age. In fact, almost every person in the current society has watched the movie. The characters used for the movie are some of the best characters in Hollywood and the freedom given to the characters makes the movie more interesting. Tarantino has also managed to effectively use the sounds and music to enable the audience to connect with the acts.
Works cited
Proferes, Nicholas T. Film Directing Fundamentals: See Your Film before Shooting. Taylor & Francis, 2008.Print
Rabiger, Michael, and Mick Hurbis-Cherrier. Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics. Taylor & Francis,2013. Print
Tarantino, Quentin, Roger Avary, and Lawrence Bender. Pulp Fiction. London: Faber & Faber, 1994. Print