Pulp Fiction Essay

Pulp Fiction Analysis
Pulp Fiction is a crime, drama film starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and Samuel L. Jackson.
The film was directed by Quentin Tarantino and also written by Quentin Taratntino and Roger Avary.
Pulp Fiction was a production by A Band Apart, along with Jersey Films and distributed by Miramax.
The film in 2013 was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (SOURCES: http:/
/www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies
/library–of–congress–announces–2013–national–film–registry–selections/2013/12/17
/
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PLOT SUMMARY In the film Pulp Fiction, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny are a couple eating at a
diner and deciding what place they should rob yet. Then they come to the realization that the best
place to rob would be the dinner that they are at. Julies and Vincent are two hitmen who got sent
on a mission to get a very important briefcase from a person who screwed over their boss, Mr.
Wallace. Soon after Vincent is ordered by his boss to show his wife a good time while he is out
of town for the night. Then Butch, an aging boxer is paid off by Mr. Wallace to throw a boxing
fight. Butch instead crosses Mr. Wallace and ends up killing his opponent in the ring and tries to
skip town before realizing that his father's watch has been left at this
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Pulp Fiction Essays
Pulp Fiction The puzzle pieces are carefully fitted together as director Quentin Tarantino intermingles
three different story lines in his hit movie Pulp Fiction. The movie begins in a quiet little diner as
two petty robbers discuss their next mission. The mission in question involves two lovebirds
(Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth) holding up unsuspecting restaurants, instead of their usual liquor
stores. As their plan falls into action, time alters and we find ourselves riding down the street with
Vincent and Jules John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), two hit men on their way to work. As the
men travel to work they discuss such worldly things as gourmet food, like the "Royale with cheese",
and the sexual innuendoes involved when...show more content...
Although they chalk–up his movie watching as experience; they do not fail to see its effects on his
storytelling abilities. Even without a high school diploma Tarantino is most praised for his verbal
cues. "His passion is for storytelling that allows the most outrageous characters to reveal their
feelings in long takes and torrents of words, poetic and profane" (Travers 79).
Once the critics discovered the plot of the movie, they investigated the use of violence as a
central theme. Each of the three episodes revolves around danger and death. According to Richard
Corliss, "Tarantino's films are energized not by so much violence as by its threat" ("Blast to
Heart" 76). The more danger involved, the more a character is willing to risk. For instance, Vincent
was willing to stab a needle full of adrenaline into the heart of Mia not only to save her life but also
his butt.
As the movie progresses, other factors begin to stand out. For instance, many comments were made
about the use of male dominance within the film. Each male actor plays some sort of tough guy.
They have the walk and the talk, with the nerve to back up either. Even their idle chatter contains
pure masculinity.
But this is a very male form of gossip –– verbal machismo. With their

Pulp Fiction Themes
Pulp Fiction (1994) is a mesmerizing, violent and entertaining movie. It has a bizarre cast of
characters, a nonlinear sequence of events and endless references to pop culture. The underlying
theme of the movie, however, deals with religion and the transformation of two characters: Jules
(Samuel L. Jackson) and Butch (Bruce Willis).
In the beginning of the film, Vincent (John Travolta) has returned from a stay in Amsterdam, and the
conversation between Jules and Vincent deals with what Big Macs and Quarter Pounders are called
in Europe. As the movie moves on, other references are the Fonz on Happy Days, Arnold the Pig on
Green Acres, the band Flock of Seagulls, Caine from Kung Fu, TV pilots, and other such...show more
content...
Jules always quotes this just before he kills someone. The point is that the passage refers to a system
of values and meaning by which one could lead one's life and make moral decisions. However, that
system has no connection with Jules's life and as he realizes later, the passage is actually
meaningless to him.
In addition to the pop references in the film, its dialogue on language is concerned with naming
things. What's a Big Mac called? What's a Quarter Pounder called? What's a Whopper called?
When Ringo (Tim Roth) calls the waitress "garГ§on," she tells him: "'garГ§on' means 'boy'."
When Butch's girlfriend refers to his means of transportation as a "motorcycle," he insists on
correcting her: "It's not a motorcycle, it's a chopper." When a Hispanic cab driver, however, asks
Butch what his name means, he replies: "This is America, honey; our names don't mean shit." The
point is clear that in the absence of any lasting ambition or value and meaning, our language no
longer points to anything beyond itself. To call something good or evil makes it so since there's no
higher authority or criteria by which one might judge such things. Jules quotes the "Bible" before his
executions, but he might as well be quoting the Fonz or Buddy Holly.
This absence of any kind of system for making value judgments, this lack of a larger meaning to
their lives, creates a

Pulp Fiction Essay
Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino in 1994, is a movie made of various storylines
consisting of two hit men, a boxer, a mob boss's wife, and a pair of bandits, which are interwoven,
in a nonlinear fashion in four tales of violence and dark comedy.
The movie opens up with a still frame of the dictionary definition of the word 'Pulp.' It is clear that
the second definition is more relevant to the topic of the movie and sets up the tone for the coming
feature. The definition is faded onto and out of the screen with no sound, indicating that Tarantino
wants it to be kept in mind throughout the film.
The first scene begins In medias res with a medium shot of a couple eating and having a
conversation at a diner. The man is laid back,...show more content...
She has gone from calm and friendly to being a criminal and she seems to enjoy the idea. The
man then slams a gun on the table in plain sight, but yet, doesn't attract any attention. This action
lies in contrast to the safe atmosphere of the diner and shows that the two characters are serious.
Before they preform their robbery, they share an exaggerated kiss portrayed in a close up shot of
their faces solidifying the idea that they are a couple. The man, stands up onto the table to
exclaim that the place is being robbed. His height and the upward camera angle shows that he is
the dominant figure in the robbery. The woman, facing away from the camera, turns waving a gun
wildly, threatening that she would "execute every motherfucking last one of you!" This quickly
diminishes any former ideas that this character is nice and quiet. The opening sequence come to
an end with a freeze frame of the couple waving their guns in the air as the movie's theme song,
Misirlou begins to play. This song is fast and is normally played in relation to surfing. The fact that
it was chosen for the end of this scene tells the audience that this movie will be exaggerated and less
serious then one would imagine a gangster movie to be. The opening sequence ends with the movie's
iconic yellow–orange font showing the title and slowly fading

Tarantino's Depiction of Violence
Quentin Tarantino is well known and often criticized for his depiction of violence in his films.
Although at times graphic, Tarantino's violence holds a purpose. This paper will look at two films,
Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, and their depiction of violence and the aesthetics used. It will also
look at classic film conventions and ultraviolence aesthetics used by Tarantino. Finally, the paper will
determine what aesthetics Tarantino carries over in each film.
Quentin Tarantino's depiction of violence in Pulp Fiction becomes bloodier and more graphic as the
film continues. Early in the film, Martellus shoots two people, neither of which show any blood or
even a gunshot wound. Tarantino uses a classic film convention where the victim of the gunshot
clutches the spot where they were shot, covering what in real life would be a gunshot wound. He
employs another classic film convention later when Mia is stabbed in the heart with the adrenaline
shot. Instead of showing the violent act, Tarantino shows Mia's reaction to being stabbed in the
heart. In the next segment of the film, Butch shoots Vincent with a small machine gun. It riddles
Vincent's body with bullet holes and is the first time the clutch technique isn't used. Vincent's body is
shown covered in blood around the abdomen in a very bloody bathroom. This marks the transition in
Pulp Fiction from a more classical style of violence to contemporary ultraviolence.
From now on in the film,

Essay Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction, through the course of incorporating three seemingly unrelated narratives pulled
together an interwoven story that unfolded like a well–oiled machine. With each of the narratives
relying on pieces of the lurid subject matter (pulp) previous to it, which aided in expressing the
overall theme. The film manages to pull this off while still giving each of its narrative segments
equal weight; as a result they work like interlocking gears, each one necessary to all the others.
Leaving us with thematic structure and many different kinds of pulp in a humorous amoral setting.
What is strange about these intermingled narratives is the order in which they are told. I hope to
articulate how the fracturing...show more content...
Once in the apartment our first discrepancy between the film and the screenplay also takes place,
cutting this narrative segment after Jules speech. As a result the scene solidifies our impressions of
the gangsters as true gangsters, by not instantly putting them in a vulnerable position. A position that
isn't even dealt with at all in the following narrative, in fact, in the screenplay Jules is not even part
of the next story. Cutting the scene here also sparks interest in Jules bad speech (bad in the cool way).
Moving into the next narrative right away the foundation for The Gold Watch is setup, as Marsellus
and Butch talk over their business deal. Albeit Marcellus is the big man on campus, but with the
large self–confidence of all the films characters he soured his deal from the start. Condescendingly
speaking of Butch's ability: how it won't last, and that being a fact that he's going to have to get
real about. Marsellus continues, "Besides how many fights you got left? You came close but you
never made it, and if you where going to make it you would have made it by now."
In the movie the affect of Marsellus's words was dealt with considerably better than in the script.
Marsellus's spiel (from above) is the changed version; it makes the film more realistic not having
Bruce Willis as a featherweight. However the big change that should have tipped Marsellus off was

Pulp Fiction Meaning
On a day–to–day basis, most people do not realize how much the Bible comes into play in our
regular lives. The Bible makes entrances into our lives even when we are least expecting it. Even
people who do not choose to practice a religion have it involved in their lives. From reading books,
to watching movies and watching any sort of television, religious beliefs are everywhere. Sometimes
the message is in hiding, but other times the message is right upfront, like in the movie Pulp Fiction.
The beautiful thing about having hidden and very obvious messages is being able to connect them
back to the source. The Bible. By connecting them back to the Bible people are able to understand
movies on a deeper connection. Then, by choosing to study the...show more content...
The verse that he is saying is a mix of different verses throughout the whole Bible put together to
create a verse that makes a lot of sense. The verse that Jackson is saying is made up of different
stories which all have a good meaning to what the whole quote means. Most of the quote is made
up of Ezekiel 34, Psalms 23 and Genesis 4. Ezekiel 34 visits mostly about the evil man and how
he takes whatever he needs but does not help better the other things in the world. Pslams 23 talks
all about the Valley of Darkness. In the Valley of Darkness King David mentions of not being
afraid because there are other people close to him keeping him safe that he trusts. Finally, Genesis
4 talks about how Cain was born and how he was created just as the Lord himself had been
created. All of this connects to his passage because of what Jackson is doing after saying his
monologue. Jackson says this monologue before murdering people that his boss had wanted him
too. He looks up to his boss that they way followers look up to Jesus. By killing these men that his
boss wanted him to he believes in the time that he is safe because his boss would do the same for
him. Jackson knows that it is not good, which refers to the Valley of Darkness, but he is comforted
by his partner and boss that would save him if needed

Pulp Fiction Film Analysis
Pulp Fiction is a black comedy crime film written and directed Quentin Tarantino (1994). The film's
"narrative follows the unpredictable actions and reflections of two hit men who philosophically
meditate out loud about the Bible, loyalty, and McDonald's hamburgers" (Corrigan, White, 368). The
movie goes against the three–act structure of classic films as the story is told out of chronological
order making the film so memorable to its viewers. Tarantino's film begins in a coffee shop and
also ends in the same shop. In the beginning of the film, it appears to be a soft, moist, shapeless
matter of mass but as the movie progresses the audience can take away much more from the
mundane acts they view on screen. The film's odd narrative...show more content...
Pulp Fiction employs various devices such as dialogue and visual motifs that provide narrative
clarity and unity along the lines associated with classical Hollywood cinema (Bailey, 52). The
dialogue in the coffee shop indicates that the film has more to do with the mundane aspects of a life
of crime than it does with the "glamour," "danger," and "intrigue" typical of thrillers or film noir
(Howley). The film's dialogue can range from absolutely pointless to completely captivating
moments. These conversation establishes character and character relations early in the film in an
entertaining fashion. This is depicted when Vincent and Jules are having a normal conversation
about Amsterdam and foot massages directly before they are about to commit multiple murders. This
organic conversation establishes the characters as reasonably ordinary people to the audience till
they arrive at the apartment and appear stone cold. Tarantino's Pulp Fiction clarity illustrates the style
of mundane versus the extreme. A motif that remains constant in the film is the bathroom. Various of
the film's major events occur while someone is using the restroom. For a majority the film this
phenomenon occurs to Vincent. When he uses the restroom in the diner, Jules has a heart–to–heart
with the robbers, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Next, Vincent is using the bathroom at Mia's and she
comes across his heroin.

Essay about Postmodernism in Pulp Fiction
The film Pulp Fiction was an immediate box office success when it was released in 1994 and it was
also well received by the critics, and celebrated for the way it appeared to capture exactly a certain
pre–millennial angst and dislocation in Western capitalist societies. The term post–modernist, often
used to refer to art and architecture, was applied to this film. The pulp fiction refers to popular
novels which are bought in large numbers by less well educated people and enjoyed for their
entertainment value. The implication is that the film concerns topics of interest to this low culture,
but as this essay will show, in fact, the title is ironic and the film is a very intellectual presentation of
issues at the heart of contemporary...show more content...
On another level the film plays with the cultural connections that the actor John Travolta has with the
1950s. The musical film Grease which is perhaps Travolta's most famous film, takes place in this
kind of setting. When Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction encounters this scene, playing a much
older character in a much more adult and violent film, it causes an ironic ripple. The audience
makes an instinctive connection with what they know outside the film, and this explodes the
usual time and action frame of film. In Pulp Fiction Vegas begins to dance and this again brings
in a whole host of meanings related to the famous dance between Travolta and Olivia Newton
John in Grease. In the later film, however, this is no innocent flirting between teenagers. The new
context is a dangerous flirtation with the wife of a deadly killer, and both of the participants are
adults who know the consequences of their actions. Critics have noted that this, also is ironic,
quoting elements of older film styles: "The story of the flirtatious boss's wife draws on established
elements from the gangster genre, while her overdose provides an unexpected Gothic reference."
The trickle of dark blood from the pale body of Mia (Uma Thurma) is what recalls the Gothic horror
genre. These evocative touches characterise Tarantino's exuberant style. The scene where Vincent
takes Mia to

Essay On Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino has been a sensation since its release and has received numerous
awards, including one for its original screenplay. The screenplay can be designated to several genres,
mainly due to its intertwined plot sequence and events, but the genre Pulp Fiction conforms most to
is gangster crime. The main characters of Pulp Fiction are gangsters who commit crimes and face
struggle and conflict which they have to overcome. This induces obscure events, including murder
and rape, which are associated with gangster crime. Quentin Tarantino however has cleverly made his
screenplay to deviate from standard conventions in order to distinguish his screenplay from others.
Pulp Fiction deviates from the conventions of the gangster...show more content...
Film gangsters are often materialistic, ruthless, immoral, maniacal and self–destructive, and although
the main characters Vincent and Jules murder several others, they do not fit this description. Jules
and Vincent seem rather professional, partly due to their black suits. Especially Jules is very calm
and professional, when Vincent accidently shoots Marvin Jules immediately thinks of possible
solutions. Furthermore Tarantino also shows the human side of the characters, not only their
gangster actions. Such as the dancing scene of Vincent and Mia, and Butch and Fabienne who seem
to be a peaceful couple after Butch his boxing match. Another deviation is the lack of characters
which attempt to stop the crimes, such as the police. In gangster crime movies it is conventional to
have characters which counterwork the criminals. In Pulp Fiction Jules and Vincent do mention the
fact that they could get in a lot of trouble if someone would find out about their deeds, but the police
is never displayed in the story. The effect of these choices is that the gangsters are glorified and the
reader can sympathise with them. The reader wants the characters to overcome their struggles, even
though their actions would be concerned immoral in normal

Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction, a modern day legacy of a film was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, in
1994. It first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to surprisingly rave reviews. The films
approach is atypical; it is a choppy set of scenes that create a connection of characters that is far
from the traditional chronological Hollywood story line. The plot is uniquely arranged, around
and between the ideas of revenge and redemption which best fit the Independent Film category due
to the combination of genres it reaches including: comedy, (indie), thriller, crime, gangster, black
comedy, and drama. The twisty way the movie unfolds brings forth the elements of romance,
vulgarity, violence and humor in a way that is so surreal it keeps viewers entertained and wanting
to keep watching like a bad Jerry Springer Episode. No matter how bizarre or disturbing the films
reviews were, it happened to be deemed the first independent film to gross more than $200 million
dollars,...show more content...
Always wonder where the stories would come together and which characters would intersect with
each other. The chronology of the film is that there is no time relative story line, the audience has
to try and figure out that the end of the film is more like the middle. Vincent Vega's death is a dead
(pun intended) giveaway that might have changed the audiences expectations if it was shown in any
other place in the movie. Pulp fiction is one of the best examples of telling a story in a
non–chronological order and is possibly the reason that the film was such a hit. It is one of those
movies that invites the audience to watch over and over, the more it's watched the more the
disconnected scenes makes sense and why it seems more interesting than the actual story

Pulp Fiction Essay
This essay will discuss to what extent the postmodern style is characterized by pastiche,
intertextuality and nostalgia by referring to Quentin Tarantino's most talked about, controversial, and
black comedy crime film: Pulp Fiction (1994). The films title refers to the American pulp magazines
that had graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp Fiction has led critics to describe it as a prime
example of homage and pastiche, with plot trends that emerged from the post–classic movie era such
as neo noir.
There are many critical positions and views on postmodernism, which aimed to further aggregate
power structure by attacking and provoking modernity. Many describe this style as a renewed
appreciation for popular culture that re–appropriates forms of high art and pop culture in order to
create something new. Postmodernism could also be viewed as a continuation of modernism. Fredric
Jameson argues that postmodernism is a culture that is marked by the "complacent play of historical
allusion" (1988:105)
The conception of postmodernism outlined here is a historical rather than a merely stylistic one. I
cannot stress too greatly the radical distinction between a view for which the postmodern is one
(optional) style among many others available and one which seeks to grasp it as the cultural
dominant of the logic of late...show more content...
There is a cohesive force in literature that connects all the various traditions such as past and present.
Pulp Fiction and its 'intertexuality' occurred where Tarantino used shared experiences from the past
movies to communicate his ideas with his audience. The postmodern aesthetic relies heavily on four
tightly inter–related concepts: parody and pastiche, prefabrication and intertextuality, all imbued with
a genuine or ironic nostalgia for the past, according to film journalist and screenwriter Dana

Pulp Fiction Essay
Ethical Values in Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction is a movie filled with drugs, violence, gambling, and pop iconography, describing how
real–life society is going towards the "death of god" era; a life without morals. A lot of movie
critics would say that Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) possess no ethical
values, no sense of morality. They also say that the movie does not convey a message. The movie
does convey a message; Quentin Tarantino just masks it behind the street–savvy talk and murdering
of persons who "wronged the boss." Pulp Fiction is about a world where cold–blooded murder and
greed are socially acceptable. Virtues as Aristotle states are mainly based off of habits, these men's
habits are killing and...show more content...
Of course with greed being a main theme and Butch's "survival of the fittest" attitude he gets a
guy to bet on himself with as many bookies as he could and wins the match, he also kills the
opponent he faced and shows absolutely no remorse which goes with the norm and theme in the
movie; murder. Later on Butch is driving back from getting his watch and sees Marsellus
walking across the street which leads to a chase scene into a pawn shop. This is where Tarantino
does an interesting thing, he introduces a greater threat, Zed and his brother, to fix the dispute
between Marsellus and Butch, this is also when Butch has his redemption/escape moment.
Marsellus is the first one to be taken to the back room while Butch is tied up in the chair. Butch
breaks free and can run away but decides to rescue Marsellus; this is when Butch has his change of
heart. He grabs the best weapon he can find (a katana sword) to save Marsellus. Although Butch
doesn't have a monologue or anything about it, you realize he has escaped the morally wrong world
as well.
Vincent never makes the transformation that either of the characters previously discussed made. In
fact he completely denies the fact that those missed shots were a "divine intervention," he considers
it a "freak occurrence." Vincent like Butch was in the beginning is filled with greed but Vincent
also seems a little paranoid he thinks killing is the only profession he would be able to do to make
money. When Jules

In the film Pulp fiction, Quentin Tarantino decided to make the film non–linear in order to keep the
attention of the audience as well help develop the story. Tarantino has been know to tell most of his
narratives in this very disjointed manner. The non–linear order in all of his films helps to develop the
characters much more before you get to see how they are related to the main narrative. It also helps to
keep the audience's attention and makes them really focus on the individual scenes presented in the
film. You can tell that Tarantino wants the audience to pay close attention to the main narrative as
well as the message behind the film because he has always presented his films this way. Although
there are benefits of this type of disjointed narrative, there are also a few things that could go
wrong with them. For example, by jumping from scene to scene, you can get a feel for the type of
character each person portrays, although not learning how much they actually matter to the main
narrative. I think that Tarantino's style works well with Pulp Fiction simply because of the type of
narrative he is trying to tell. For a good bit in the beginning of the film, Tarantino shows what seems
like random dialogue just to show that both Jules and Vince like to joke around and kind of set the
audience up to expect something that is not at all what really happens. By setting this up in the
beginning of the film, Tarantino already has the audience paying close attention when the

Pulp Fiction Essay

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