Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence in Los Angeles, California. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Tarantino wrote Pulp Fiction in 1992 and 1993, incorporating scenes that Avary originally wrote for True Romance (1993). Its plot occurs out of chronological order. The film is also self-referential from its opening moments, beginning with a title card that gives two dictionary definitions of "pulp". Considerable screen time is devoted to monologues and casual conversations with eclectic dialogue revealing each character's perspectives on several subjects, and the film features an ironic combination of humor and strong violence. TriStar Pictures reportedly turned down the script as "too demented". Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein was enthralled, however, and the film became the first that Miramax fully financed. Pulp Fiction won the Palme d'Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and was a major critical and commercial success. It was nominated for seven awards at the 67th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Best Original Screenplay; Travolta, Jackson, and Thurman were nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress respectively. As a result of the film's success, Travolta's career was reinvigorated, and the previously unknown Jackson and Thurman became household names. The film's development, marketing, distribution, and profitability had a sweeping effect on independent cinema. Pulp Fiction is widely regarded as Tarantino's magnum opus, with particular praise for its screenwriting. The self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a touchstone of postmodern film. It is often considered a cultural watershed, influencing films and other media that adopted elements of its style. The cast was also widely praised, with Travolta, Thurman, and Jackson earning high acclaim. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named it the best film since 1983 and it has appeared on many critics' lists of the greatest films ever made. In 2013, Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
- Vincent. - [ Wolf ] Okay, gentlemen. You both been to County before, I'm sure. Here it comes. - Goddamn! The water's fuckin' cold! - Yo! Yo! Yo! Better you than me, gentlemen. [ Chuckling ] - Don't be afraid of the soap. Spread it around. - [ Yelling Continues ] - Get 'em there a little bit. Vincent's hair. - Hey, get out of my hair! - Come on. Do it, goddamn it! Do it! - Uh, um- Towel.
Pulp Fiction
[ Wolf ] You're dry enough. Toss 'em their clothes. [ Wolf Laughing ] Perfect. Perfect. We couldn't have planned this better. You guys look like- What do they look like, Jimmie? - Dorks. They look like a couple of dorks. - [ Laughing ] - [ Both Laughing ] - Ha-ha-ha. They're your clothes, motherfucker. Come on, gentlemen. We're laughing our way right into prison. Don't make me beg.
Pulp Fiction
Okay, gentlemen, let's get our rules of the road straight. We're going to a place called Monster Joe's Truck and Tow. Monster Joe and his daughter Raquel are sympathetic to our dilemma. The place is North Hollywood, so a few twists and turns aside, we'll be goin' up Hollywood Way. Now, I'll drive the tainted car. Jules, you ride with me.
Pulp Fiction
Vincent, you follow in my Acura. Now, if we come across the path of any John Q. Laws, - nobody does a fuckin' thing 'til I do something. - Right. - What did I say? - Don't do shit unless. - Unless what? - Unless you do it first. Spoken like a true prodigy. How about you, Lash LaRue? Can you keep your spurs from jingling and jangling? The gun went off. I don't know why. I'm cool. I promise you. Fair enough. Now, I drive real fuckin' fast, so keep up. If get my car back any different than I gave it, Monster Joe's gonna be disposing of two bodies. - [ Metal Door Slamming ] - [ Engine ldling ] Outta my way, Rex.
Pulp Fiction
- We cool? - Like it never happened. - [ Vincent ] All right. - Boys, this is Raquel. Someday all this will be hers. Hi. So, what's with the outfits? - You guys going to a volleyball game or something? - [ Wolf Laughs ] I'm takin' milady out for breakfast. Maybe I could drop you two off. Where do you live? - Redondo. - Inglewood. It's- It's your future. I- I see a- a cab ride. Move outta the sticks, fellas. Say good night, Raquel. - Good night, Raquel. - I'll see you guys around. Stay outta trouble, you crazy kids. Mr. Wolf, I just wanna tell you it was a real pleasure watching you work. Yeah, really. And thank you very much, Mr. Wolf. Call me Winston.
Pulp Fiction
I don't know why, I just thought he'd be European or something. - Yeah, he's about as European as fuckin' English Bob. - I know that now. - But was he cool or what? - Thank you. Totally fuckin' cool, in control. Didn't even really get pissed when you were fuckin' with him; I was amazed. - [ Chuckles ] - Want some bacon? No, man, I don't eat pork. - Are you Jewish? - I ain't Jewish; I just don't dig on swine, that's all. - Why not? - Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals. Yeah, but bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good. Sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know... 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherfuckers. Pigs sleep and root in shit. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eatin' nothin' ain't got sense enough to disregard its own feces. - What about a dog? Dog eats its own feces. - I don't eat dog either. Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy, but they're definitely dirty. - But a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way. - Ah, so, by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. - Is that true? - We'd have to be talkin' about one charming motherfuckin' pig. I mean, he'd have to be ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres. [ Both Laughing ]
Pulp Fiction
Oh, man, that's good. That's good, man. You're startin' to lighten up. You've been sittin' there, all serious and shit. - I just been sittin' here, thinkin'. - About what? - About the miracle we witnessed. - Miracle you witnessed. - I witnessed a freak occurrence. - What is a miracle, Vincent?
Pulp Fiction
But this morning... - I don't think qualifies. - Hey, Vincent. See, that shit don't matter. You're judging this shit the wrong way. It could be God stopped the bullets, changed Coke to Pepsi, found my car keys. You don't judge shit like this based on merit. Now, whether or not what we experienced... was an according-to-Hoyle miracle is insignificant. But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God. God got involved. But why? Well, that's what's fuckin' with me: I don't know why. - But I can't go back to sleep. - You're serious. You're really thinkin' about quittin'. - For life? Most definitely. - Yeah. Fuck. What you gonna do then?
Pulp Fiction
Well, that's what I been sitting here contemplating. First I'm gonna deliver this case to Marsellus. Then, basically, I'm just gonna walk the Earth. - What you mean, "walk the Earth"? - Like Caine in Kung Fu. Walk from place to place, meet people, get in adventures. And how long do you intend to walk the Earth? - 'Til God puts me where He wants me to be. - What if He don't do that? - If it takes forever, then I'll walk forever. - So you decided to be a bum. I'll just be Jules, Vincent. No more, no less. No, Jules, you decided to be a bum, just like all those pieces of shit out there who beg for change, who sleep in garbage bins, eat what I throw away. They got a name for that, Jules. It's called a bum. And without a job, a residence or legal tender, that's what you're gonna be, man. You're gonna be a fuckin' bum. Look, my friend, this is just where you and I differ. Gar�on! Coffee! Jules, look, what happened this morning, man, I agree it was peculiar. - But water into wine, l- - All shapes and sizes, Vincent. - Don't fuckin' talk to me that way, man. - If my answers frighten you, then you should cease asking scary questions.
Pulp Fiction
Let me ask you something. When did you make this decision? When you were sittin' there eatin' that muffin? Yeah. I was sittin' here eatin' my muffin, drinkin' my coffee, replayin' the incident in my head, when I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity. Fuck. To be continued.
Pulp Fiction
- I love you, Pumpkin. - I love you, Honey Bunny. - Everybody be cool! This is a robbery! - [ Customers Murmuring ] Any one of you fucking pricks move, and I'll execute every one of you motherfuckers! - You got that? You just be quiet over there! - Waitresses on the floor! Get on the fuckin'- Get the fuck down! You're in a blind spot. Take your dames over to that booth, on the count of ten! - Mexicans, out of the fucking kitchen! - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8- What the fuck are you doing, you fucking yuppie? Get down! - Get down! - Throw those bags! - Fucking move! Move! - [ Ranchero ] - [ Cooks Speaking Spanish ] - Move! Get the fuck- Get down on the fucking floor! Grandpa! Down! I'm the manager here, and there's no problem. No problem at all. - You gonna give me a problem? - No, sir, I'm not. Thought you said you were gonna give me a fucking problem! - I think we got a hero here, Honey Bunny. - Well, just execute him! - [ Panting ] - I am not a hero. - I'm just a coffee shop manager. - Get the fuck down! The restaurant's ours! - Just take whatever you want. - [ Panting ] - You talk to the customers. - Yeah. You tell them to be fucking cool and everything will be over. - You understand me? - Yes!
Pulp Fiction
All right, now, people, gonna come around and collect your wallets! You don't fucking talk. You just throw 'em in the bag! Are we clear? I said, are we fucking clear? Good! Now, wallets out! [ Pumpkin ] That's it. Get the fuck down. In the bag. - In the fucking bag! - [ Customer ] I don't have nothin' on me, man. In the bag. What am I waiting for? ln the fucking bag. Laura. Laura. Tips. In the bag. - Is that a cellular phone? - Yeah. In the fucking bag.
Pulp Fiction