(Content Warning: Mention of drug usage and overdose)
When talking about old classics, it’s impossible not to bring up Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Released in October of 1994, this film became one of the most influential American movies of all time, specifically for its screenwriting. 30 years later, it’s still as popular as ever.
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Uma Thurman, the film follows three different stories out of chronological order that all end up connecting to each other.
I’ll be honest, the first time I watched this movie, I was confused. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big fan of action movies, but I had to stop, pause, and really think about what was going on for any of it to make sense. With so many story lines and so many quick changes to the plot, it was hard to keep up with. However, once you start to see how each story intertwines with the other, it becomes a really fascinating film.
My absolute favorite scene from this film was with Mia Wallace, played by Thurman, and Vincent Vega, played by Travolta. Vincent is ordered to take Mia out for the night by Mia’s husband Marsellus Wallace, who also happened to be Vincent’s boss. Mia finds a bag in Vincent’s coat that she mistakes for cocaine. As Vincent is in the restroom, she snorts some and immediately overdoses. The bag was actually full of heroin. Vincent rushes her to the house of his dealer where he injects adrenaline into her heart, ultimately reviving her. This scene is all around chaotic. From Vincent yelling at his dealer, to the suspense of what will happen to Mia, it’s easily one of my favorite scenes. Everything happened so fast, keeping me on my feet until the very end. Uma Thurman is an incredible actor, the smug yet powerful personality she brings to her character truly brings her scenes to life.
You can’t watch this film and not be gagged by Jackson’s performance. He plays the role of Jules Winnfield, Vincent’s partner,Vincent is a hitman, along with Jules. The two are set out to find a briefcase for Marsellus, which is entirely its own story that I don’t know how to summarize. I’d like to specifically point out Jackson’s acting in this film. His raw emotion and badass personality ties this movie together. Every scene with him is insanely memorable, from his acting to his expressions, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by each thing he did or said. Jackson is a well known actor across many movies, but this film has got to be my favorite of his.
As confused as I was in the beginning, I finished this movie with a new look on thriller movies in general. All of the films that I thought were amazing we’re now shadowed by Pulp Fiction. As great as all of the actors are in this film, I really adored the way everything tied into each other at the end. I don’t want to spoil everything that happens, and honestly I don’t think I have the skill to fully summarize a film as complex as this one, so I highly suggest you watch this movie for yourself and experience the confusing yet intriguing scenes that I did.
