It's easy to forget just how very good a movie "Pulp Fiction" is; in the eight years since its release, the film has become such a cultural standard that we tend to take it for granted. The snappy dialogue? The juxtaposition of images? The innovative use of time? Oh yeah, been there, seen that. Yawn.
But "Pulp Fiction" isn't any weaker for our ready acceptance of it--quite the opposite. We like it so much because, rather than being the bloated offspring of the traditional hype machine, "Pulp Fiction" is a good movie. One crafted will skill and purpose, designed to be a rewarding experience. With the release of this Collector's Edition, Miramax invites us to relearn why "Pulp Fiction" is so very good.
movie
"Pulp Fiction" is the story of... well, three stories. A hitman instructed to take his crimeboss' wife out on the town, a boxer struggling with being in a fixed fight, and a criminal looking toward the straight and narrow. None of these are new ideas, but the beauty comes in how they are used and portrayed.
Like Orson Welles premiering "Citizen Kane" to an unsuspecting audience, Tarantino managed to drastically rewrite the cinematic lexicon. There have been many movies nursing a Tarantino-esque vibe in the intervening years, copying the flash and style, but only a handful really come close to the actual substance of the work.
It's been said (and it's true) that Tarantino lifted many elements of plot and composition from various other films, but he hung them on the frame of his non-linear storytelling and made them his own. He copied older directors just as newcomers copy him; he just did so with a bit of innovation.
Dialogue (laden with four-letter words as it is) is also a major strength of the film; the conversations are all "real." When characters interact, they talk about their work, about restaurants they've visited, about the things that anyone else discusses; it's just that when the conversation ends, it's usually time to draw a gun or get medieval on someone.
"Pulp Fiction" is often criticized as glorifying violence (though there isn't as much on-screen violence as people like to remember there was), but it is really only following in the footsteps of Hollywood classics like "Psycho," "Bonnie and Clyde," and "A Clockwork Orange"--all films that used violence elegantly to tell their story.
Yes, "Pulp Fiction" is violent; it's a story about thugs, hitmen, and thieves. But the violence mostly takes place off-screen, hidden by skilled editing. This isn't gratuitous gore, it's simply a part of the lives these characters lead. Assassinations, roaming street brawls, a needle in the chest... Tarantino could have gone the John Woo route of highly stylized movements and posturing, but that would have removed any shred of realism: the violence is characturized, but not cartoony.
Real characters, real dialogue, real violence; for a movie with "fiction" in its title, there's certainly been a concentrated effort to keep things grounded. The film certainly won't appeal to everyone--there's violence, drug use, sexuality, and foul language a plenty. However, "Pulp Fiction" a nicely stylized crime drama, with a few hints of humor mixed in to keep the tone bearable and the pace cracking.
packaging
The slipcase is dark, with just the eyes of Mrs. Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) peeking out. The tray inside features the familiar "tattered book cover" image, and folds open to reveal images from the film. In a pocket on the left you'll find a booklet detailing the discs' content and reprinting "Pulp"-related articles from Time and Entertainment Weekly. There's also a replica Jack Rabbit Slim's menu, though it's lacking the authentic 50's throwback references.
content
Disc One--with hitman Vincent Vega (John Travolta) pictured--has the film itself, sneak peeks of "Jackie Brown" (also available this week) and the new movie soundtrack, an option to jump to a scene based on what music is featured, and dvd-rom functions such as a screenplay viewer and the chance to record your own commentary over the internet. While there is no director's commentary (Tarantino has said that he hates being forced to sit through one of his own films), there is optional on-screen trivia, which is a truly fascinating feature and just as informative as any commentary.
The set offers DTS and Dolby Digital sound, a Spanish language track, and is closed-captioned. The colors are handled well, from Jules and Vincent's dark black suits to the bright dorky volleyball outfits Jim offers them. The disc is presented in widescreen format, and is enhanced for widescreen TVs. The main menu features an animation of that infamous glowing briefcase snapping open and no, we still don't get to see what's inside.
Disc Two--beneath Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)--contains a whole slew of special features: "Pulp Fiction: The Facts" documentary, an interview with Quentin from 'The Charlie Rose Show,' a piece on production design, behind-the-scenes video footage, Siskel & Ebert's "The Tarantino Generation," several deleted scenes, theatrical trailers, 13 original television ads, Quentin's Palme d'Or acceptance speech from the Cannes Film Festival, interviews from the Independent Spirit Awards, eight photo galleries, and a section of reviews and articles about the film.
The half-hour documentary is comprised of promotional and on-set interviews with the actors and production staff, discussing characters, storytelling, and even what it was like to work on such a seminal film. The afore-mentioned pieces from Charlie Rose and Siskel & Ebert compliment one another nicely, covering both personal and professional aspects of the film (respectively).
The five deleted scenes were previously only avilable on the Canadian copies of the standard "Pulp" DVD, but it was a wise choice to have them included in this set: there's an extention of the initial scene between Vincent and his drug dealer (which drags on a bit and isn't missed in the final film); a diferent meeting between Mia and Vincent which used a camcorder interview to infodump character background on the audience; an extended scene in Jack Rabbit Slim's with a fairly entertaining discussion about THE place to go in Amsterdam; a lot of extra time spent at the junkyard where Jules and Vincent disposed of a body, mainly focussing on Monster Joe (the owner) and The Wolf (the professional cleaner); and a longer, duller taxicab confession with Butch the Boxer.
Michael Moore ("Roger and Me") conducts the interviews for the Independent Film Channel, and it's nice to see he's familiar enough with the work of all involved to ask intelligent questions. There are a wide variety of topics covered in the reviews and articles, examining and dissecting "Pulp Fiction" from every angle.
so?
Until now, what was arguably the best film of the 90s has had only second-rate presentation. Now we have "Pulp Fiction: The Collector's Edition," and it is well worth upgrading your old copy. Running 154 minutes (plus untold time for the extras), "Pulp Fiction" is rated R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language, and some sexuality.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age
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