Flashback: Quintessential Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction (n.)

1. A publication, such as a magazine or book, containing lurid subject matter.

2. Mass produced magazine, printed on cheap "pulp" paper.

3. A 1994 Quentin Tarantino classic

Pulp Fiction, directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, intertwines the four stories of two hit men, their mob boss gangster's wife, a boxer, and a pair of diner bandits in one unconventional timeless film. With quintessential Quentin style, it has everything you'd typically find in one of his films: violence, dark comedic moments, and witty dialogue. It was a major breakthrough for not only Tarantino's career but because it turns the gangster crime genre on it's head. Cool guns, fancy suits, the extravagant car chases charge most gangster films. Pulp Fiction, on the other hand, finds it's charge from it's wisecracking witty dialogue, it's alternative long-take camera style, it's blend of many genres, it's trademark non-linear narrative structure, and it's smart, sometimes oddball, cast. 

Tarantino is an undoubtedly a quirky, eccentric, and brilliant original. And his writing truly stems from his originality. He has the ability to focus on small details, often seeming so irrelevant and trivial, and follows them where they lead, even if they move the story away from atypical plot developments. He follows the unconventional path.

"That's when you know you found somebody really special.
When you can just shut the fuck up for a second and comfortably share silence."

Movie Moment: The Diner scene with Vincent (John Travolta) and Mia (Uma Thurman). The scene showcases some of the finest Quentin Tarantino writing. And the writing allows the characters to shine. With the dance number at the end of the scene, it's outlandish, quirky, and sparkling with clever one-liners. The scene is basically a portrait of Quentin Tarantino himself. 

With that said, the real movie moments for me exist in Tarantino's ability to focus on small details in important, often nail-biting situations. Whether it's Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta's) random chat about french hamburgers in the car on the way to a mob hit, or Jimmy (Quentin's cameo character) asking how Wolfe likes his coffee while Jules and Vincent are cleaning a blood splattered car. Quentin's true artistry comes in his ability to add seemingly insignificant dialogue in significant places, adding a delicious irony and inventive wit to his films. Pulp Fiction is vintage Tarantino- a film to establish that Tarantino-esque style that we know of so well.

                                       What was your Pulp Fiction movie moment?