#94. Pulp Fiction

Year: 1994

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Academy Awards: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen


In this twisting tale, Pulp Fiction follows the lives of a boxer, two hit men, small time outlaws, along with a mob boss and his wife in a witty adventure packed with crime, retribution, and a touch of grace.

First, Quentin Tarantino can write a screenplay. Can't argue with that. In this story, he pursues at least five protagonists as they're pitted against their environment, their lifestyles, and eventually one another. The tale is also told out of sequence, so on our first time through we get to play the guessing game of when and where the action takes place. Not only does the intricately winding, protagonist-packed story stay interesting for the whole two and half hours, but the dialogue is just indisputably witty and original.

If I had to choose a favorite set of dialogue, which is truthfully very hard to do, I would have to go with the first interaction between mob men Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson). With Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie"setting the ambiance, the two cruise up to retrieve a mysterious briefcase from a group of amateur thieves. In a span of ten minutes or so, Jules and Vince cover everything from how to order fast food in France to Netherlandish hash to the sexual implications of a foot massage. In a perfectly balanced line between comedy and drama, the two reveal many character traits, give the audience some crucial backstory to the their mob boss (Ving Rhames), and even find time to formulate a game plan to retrieve the target. This lovely dialogue transitions into to the next scene where we have the pleasure of enjoying what is surely one of Samuel L. Jackson's greatest acting performances. From there, Pulp Fiction hits the high gear and never take's it's clever foot off of the pedal.

By the time we've met Mia Wallace, Butch Coolidge, as well as Pumpkin & Honey Bunny, the story comes full circle. At this point, there's nothing left to do but get out of your seat, change your pants, and wonder what exactly was in the briefcase... I could pretty much go on for days about the screenwriting, but I need to knock a few more items off of my to-do list before dinner.

Please, allow me to close on this note. For anyone looking for clever screenwriting and an intriguingly elaborate story, I highly recommend Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.