7. Pulp Fiction - Dir. David Lynch
Many of the films in my top 10 are here because they made me look at cinema differently. In addition to being great films that I admire, they also represent landmark steps in my own cinematic journey, and contain moments that allowed me to see more fully the artistic merits of the art form. Pulp Fiction is such a film. This may be the first film that made me really pay attention to directing and writing. I will not claim that it is the best directed or written film I've seen, however Tarantino's film made me pay closer attention to these kinds of details. It changed the way I watched movies.
When I think of Pulp Fiction, I often focus on the dialog. It is, after all, one of the most quotable films of modern times, and it has been copied and parodied far too often. It is easy to think of Tarantino as just a writer of witty dialog filled with cursing and hip quips. And this is partially true - he does write in such a way. However, he does so to strengthen the archetypes of his characters and to more fully flesh out his universe. I know that, to some, his writing seems superfluous and trite, but I get a charge out of the rhythm and cadence of his dialog. When I listen to Jules and Vincent talking during the opening moments of Pulp Fiction I feel as though I am witnessing something pretty dang incredible.
I do feel that some people focus too intensely on his writing thus forgetting the fact that he is also a good director with a fantastic eye for shot selection and stage direction. Sometimes even I forget, and I wrongly imagine Pulp Fiction as a static film full of talking heads - and it is not. Tarantino does a wonderful job of directing the shots, and he sets things up with the visual panache of a far more mature filmmaker. I am always surprised at just how mature this film looks. This was only his second film, but it possesses the visual allure of a film from a much older and more experienced filmmaker.
Notice that I haven't used the word “original” once in this short write up. I think this is a word often nefariously thrust upon the director, and so his detractors point out the various other films he has riffed on, paid homage to, or flat out stolen from. I don't think this is a problem. Tarantino is from one of the first generations who grew up with the ability to watch films at any time, thanks to cable television and the VCR. He also grew up during the genesis of hip hop and deejay culture.
Like a deejay who studied music and the nuance of mixology, Tarantino studied film and the mythological power of certain narratives and archetypes. To me, he is like a multimedia deejay who mixes, cuts, scratches, samples, and loops all of the things he has studied into something that is uniquely his. Pulp Fiction is built from a variety of sources, but each one has been filtered through the director's head and is used to tell a signature story.
Pulp Fiction made me aware of new things to look for while watching films. It made me appreciate the art of filmmaking more. It is also just a damn good, well made, and entertaining film. It's funny as heck (The Bonnie Situation), populated with interesting characters (Marcellus Wallace, Vincent, and Jules), features some absurd and memorable moments (The Gimp, and the hypodermic needle), and is simply a blast to listen to and watch. I think this film has it all. It is an example of the artistic merits of the medium while it is also highly entertaining.
