Throwback Thursday: Pulp Fiction

Today's Throwback Thursday flick is one of my favorites, this is one of those movies that was just the complete package. Good acting/actors, good plot/story, just a good movie! Pulp Fiction is that type of movie that will force you to pay attention from beginning to end, but at the same time still enjoy it.



In keeping with writer-director Quentin Tarantino's trademark of nonlinear storytelling, the narrative is presented out of sequence. With every movie that he has done the set-up is always the same, which actually makes his movies stand-out and be unique. Pulp Fiction is no different, its structured around three distinct but interrelated storylines—in Tarantino's conception, mob hitman Vincent Vega is the lead of the first story, prizefighter Butch Coolidge is the lead of the second, and Vincent's fellow contract killer, Jules Winnfield, is the lead of the third.

The one unique thing about this movie is that it has an abnormal sequence that actually gets you from point A to point B. This is where it is important to pay attention to the scene changes because although it appears confusing, everything works and ties together. In the film, there are a total of seven narrative sequences—the three primary storylines are preceded by identifying intertitles on a black screen:

1. Prologue—The Diner (i)
2. Prelude to "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
3. "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
4. Prelude to "The Gold Watch" (a—flashback, b—present)
5. "The Gold Watch"
6. "The Bonnie Situation"
7. Epilogue—The Diner (ii)

If the seven sequences were ordered chronologically, they would run: 4a, 2, 6, 1, 7, 3, 4b, 5. Sequences 1 and 7 partially overlap and are presented from different points of view; the same is true of sequences 2 and 6. There are many films now that are edited out of sequence and have multiple plots etc but this is the one they all want to be, or all want to beat, but never will.

The great thing about this film was that it was, and still is, a major critical and commercial success. At any point, one can pick up this movie and watch it over and over still getinng the same excitement if not more. Matter fact, it revitalized the career of its leading man, John Travolta, who received an Academy Award nomination, as did costars Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman.

Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema.

This was literally an all-star cast that proved they can get the job done by giving us a successful and enjoyable film. Pulp Fiction is by far one of the best film of the 90s and to be honest no Tarantino film has surpassed the quality of this movie, although Kill Bill does come very close. Pulp Fiction is a modern classic and a must-see!!

Check out some of the classic scenes of the film: