Being Quentin Tarantino: From ‘Pulp Fiction’ to ‘Kill Bill’

Quentin Tarantino did not define the noir crime film, but he certainly has added to the history of it. With noir films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” and “Kill Bill,” Tarantino is widely considered one of the better American directors in recent memory. Often the blood splatters, the woman are scantily clad if dressed at all, and language can be consuming in its severity. Tarantino is not the most prolific of directors, but every few years he brings out a genre classic-creating interrelated stories with vigor. This article defines what it means to be a Tarantino fan.

“Pulp Fiction” put Quentin Tarantino on the map. This homage to crime drama did not take itself to seriously, but set about the director’s career, as well as bringing John Travolta back to stardom. The story works as crime drama: The killings and blood are frequent, the actors on the edge of drugs and power, and the scenes themselves as deep as possible. It not only saved John Travolta’s career and began Tarantino’s, but put Samuel L. Jackson on the road to a career in acting. Tarantino wrote and directed the story of multiple characters living on the verge; it included a boxer who wouldn’t take a fall, thugs who had amusing conversation as they killed, and all in the midst of a drug infested world.

The “Kill Bill” films played upon similar things as “Pulp Fiction.” The concept of revenge was even greater in “Kill Bill.” But the excessive violence played out in both films, as did the comedic elements Tarantino seems to love playing on-usually found in dialogue. The film starred Uma Thurman, who was also in “Pulp Fiction,” and her intent for revenge against a former lover named Bill. Bill had sent a hit team to kill Thurman just as she was getting married. She lived through it, but lost a child and a husband. She sought out revenge. It turns out Thurman’s character is a deft fighter, and she hunted down those responsible for the attack-including Bill-and found a variety of fighters along the way. “Kill Bill” featured the biggest fight sequence Tarantino ever used; Thurman’s character was attacked by close to a hundred Japanese fighters in one scene.

Other films to note by Tarantino include “Jackie Brown,” and his first film “Reservoir Dogs.” Both films showed Tarantino’s touch for dialogue. But “Jackie Brown” had less violence than most of the director’s films; likely because it was based on a book by Elmore Leonard. “Reservoir Dogs” has all the violence typical to Tarantino films, but it worked best because of the dialogue.

Quentin Tarantino works because of his ability to find the disturbing, the noir, and the action of films that is used so much. Yet with films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill” he also showed an ability to handle a complicated narrative-even with the dialogue and violence being the focus. It seems a career of this director is only just beginning; but it waits to be seen if he will be considered as talented as the likes of Stanley Kubrick.