Plot in a nutshell: Two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster, his wife and a low rate Bonnie and Clyde intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
This is the filmโฆ
No.
Thatโs wrong.
This is the ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ that changed how you could view interaction between criminals in films. I remember the reviews, the news reports and interviews. It was a big deal at the time, coming off the back of RESERVOIR DOGS and how that also handled characterisation. So original and yet now we take it for granted. But here, youโre reminded of just how mesmeric and original it is. Really, just sit and enjoy listening to the characters talk. You can see them chatting and doing their thing. The script is so vivid, itโs impossible not to. And the stories they tell each other are fun too. Stories within the story. Leading you down path after path of other peoples lives. These characters are not interested in what theyโre doing next. Theyโre already doing it. This dialogue is just to kill time, till they get to what they have to do! And that is so freeing!
Part of the genius of Tarantino and Roger Averys writing on this is that their characters have an edge of madness about them. Not โOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nestโ mad, but definitely an acceptance of being able to function unhinged in a world with rules, that these characters couldnโt give a flying #%*$ about. There is a constant air of menace around the primary characters. It stems purely from the fact that they are all prepared to resort to extreme violence to make their points and sometimes all thatโs stopping them is the time of day or colour of a napkin.
Then thereโs the pace. This script moves along with a wonderful ease. A ratatatat, a beat of its own. You never get bored of reading it. The lines just roll and flow, the characters in complete control. The action directions support everything the characters want to do. They carry a lot of the characters action, which sometimes can affect the amount of freedom an actor has in performing. But here, they simply state the actions that help support the story and guide the actors in the right direction.
The detail that goes into the setting of each location is handled so solidly too. You get the feeling of the environment, the atmosphere and most importantly, itโs recognisable. Reasonable. Possible to find somewhere in the world.
So, letโs cut to the chase. What did I learn from PULP FICTION?
1. The biggest factor for me with this script is the timeline. I think something needs to be pointed out rather obviouslyโฆthere really isnโt one. There are events that are seemingly connected by people who meet each other at random times, during circumstances that escalate REALLY quickly. But never does it feel uncomfortable or judder you. In fact, the interweaving stories are so well connected, you could probably read the script backwards and it would still work. There is a brilliance and trust in the thought that Tarantino and Avery could have very easily written a group of individual scenes and just put them together where it suited them. Or that they wrote the story in a linear manner and then shook it up. Point is, whatever they did, isnโt to everyoneโs taste, skill level or preference. So beware when being tempted by this style. I suspect the damage when you get it wrong could be pretty messy. I look forward to testing itโฆ
2. P.29 has a really simple example of how to write the discovery of a note and the notes author reading out the note as a voice over in the background. Simple. Brilliant.
3. P.32 offers us the glorious description of Jack Rabbit Slims diner. This is a word perfect example of how to write the description for a location. It covers everything from decor and clientele, to atmosphere and just enough clever witticisms to keep it fun. Perfect.
I had so much fun reading this. The time flew. I already want to read it again. I will when I want to relax. I will went I want inspiration. I will when I just want to have some fun. What kind of a script can do that, I ask you? The best kind. Thatโs what.
Link to the script;
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