★★★★½(4.5/7)
"Pulp Fiction" is about the lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits, and how their lives intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. The film was released in 1994 and was directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The movie "Pulp Fiction" was one that I was very excited to see for the first time a few months back. Being a teenage boy it is almost required that you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino, and more importantly, his smash hit "Pulp Fiction." On one hand, I am a fan of Tarantino. I think that he always stays completely true to his own style and crafts films that are visibly his. On the other hand, "Pulp Fiction" is his film that has most disappointed me.
With subsequent looks at scenes from the film, the story and meaning of "Pulp Fiction" still baffles me. It is a film that it seems was only made to be undeniably cool. Revitalizing John Travolta and pairing him with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis and others, while giving them lines that would please any teenager is ultimately what the movie did well. Tarantino crafted one of the most influential films of all time, and he certainly deserves credit for that. However, the influence of the film has convinced movie fans that it is his best work.
I like "Pulp Fiction" almost strictly for its influence. Releasing this film made it nearly impossible for a movie studio to ever turn down a Tarantino made film. This lead to films he has made that I really have enjoyed. However, my enjoyment during "Pulp Fiction" was almost completely restricted to the first and the last scene of the movie.
Many praise "Pulp Fiction" for its unconventional story telling and the way it supposedly connects the different characters and scenes we see throughout the film. I do not share in this praise. I found "Pulp Fiction" to be sloppily crafted with really no need for most of the events that take place. It is commonly known that Quentin Tarantino obsesses with and glorifies violence. It has obviously worked for him, as any movie he puts out is highly anticipated. However, I thought "Pulp Fiction" was his worst use of violence in a movie of his I have seen. Many of the violence centered scenes were obscure and off-putting. I was not entertained by the unnecessary violence, abhorrent drug usage, and the poor story telling.
The circumstances under which I watched "Pulp Fiction" may have been somewhat unfair. It was much harder to like it after hearing endless conversations about its greatness. However, I feel that it is hailed much more than it deserves. The influence of "Pulp Fiction" is great and the film has some enjoyable moments, but overall it is overrated and not truly a great film.
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