"Come on. Let's get into charachter!"

Pulp Fiction - one of the most influential and original movies of our time. The screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary went on to win the Academy award for Original Screenplay. In Quentin Tarantino's trademark style most scenes deviate from our expectations, the dialogue has a life of its own and is often directed away from the plot. This makes the movie anything but predictable and refreshingly original.

Most gangster movies are primarily plot driven and the characters seem to fade into the background. Pulp fiction is a character driven movie and we get to know them better as they move along the plot's guidelines. The dialog in conventional movies would serve to further the plot or clarify it. Here, the writers have effectively used well-written dialogue to infuse humor and offer insights into the personalities of these characters. In one of the earlier scenes at the apartment Jules and Vincent debating about the sensuality of foot massages as they wait to begin their work is one of the examples of humor diffusing the gravity of the situation. The conversation ends with Jules saying “Lets get into character” and they walk back to the apartment door. This is ironic since the conversation would not conform with the sterotypical gangster characters in fiction but he is probably more true to his character while he is making genuine conversation.

This was one of the first movies to use non chronological structure which has now been used repeatedly with varying levels of success. The movie is structured in a circular fashion as it starts and ends with the same scene in the diner at which Ringo and Honeybunny stage a hold up. This technique is very effective as it keeps the audience alert. The questions keep piling up until 'a moment of clarity' towards the end of the movie clarifies everything. The disordering of the movie is not just intended to complicate the plot, the dialogue makes more sense in the way it is viewed. All three of the main characters – Jules, Vincent and Butch are faced with difficult moral situations, make decisions and are either redeemed or face the consequences. It is apt that the last scene shows Jules saving lives and his transformation is complete.

All three stories revolve around moral decisions. Butch going back to save Marcellus is a decision he makes and he is indeed redeemed for it. At the apartment, all the bullets miraculously escape Jules and Vince; Jules looks at this as divine intervention and decides to 'quit the life.' This is the reason why he spares Ringo and Honeybunny at the diner. Vince on the other hand has to make a hard decision when he is out on a date with Mia and he tells himself that loyalty is most important. All the charachters have many layers to them and are well rounded. Butch's devotion to his wife, the attachment to his father's gold watch showcase facets of his personality which could have been easily overlooked in any other movie. There are links between the many scenes such as the book that Vincent is reading that help us put all of them together.

The movie is often associated with a lot of violence but an interesting point to note is that a lot of the violence is off screen. The camera is on the person using the gun in most cases. We hear gunshots as we watch Vince and Jules shoot down Brett at the apartment. The drug injection scenes are shown in extreme close up though. This is done to show what the director wants us to focus on or see. Many unorthodox camera angles and movements are used effectively to convey the mood and focus of the scene. When we see Jules and Vincent the camera is steady and there are few cuts, conveying the calm and composed nature of the two characters. In traditional shots of people raiding an apartment, the camera follows close behind the person entering making the operation look dangerous and tense. Tarantino does the exact opposite with the camera moving steadily and getting a good shot of the two people. The other interesting scene is when we hear Marcellus talking to Butch. The camera is on Butch all the time as he is being talked into losing the match. This again emphasizes the authority of Marcellus and the seemingly sold-out Butch. The movie is filled with references to other movies and characters. The Jackrabbit Slim's restaurant concept is in itself is a tribute to the filmmakers of yesteryears. The TV dialogs and music playing in the background are often very relevant to the situation.

Another theme that runs through the movie is the reference to Satan. The suitcase that Vince and Jules retrieve from the apartment opens with 666. The band aid on Marcellus's neck is also related to similar Satanic beliefs. Though the writers may not have intended this;the script has succeeded to raise questions and doubts regarding the same, which I think was the real intention. The same theory applies to the contents of the suitcase – all we see is a golden glow on Vincent's face. There is nothing more intriguing to the human mind than the unknown. The writers have used this effectively to their benefit.

In conclusion, pulp fiction has well rounded characters who speak meaningful, witty dialogue and each scene seems to steer the story further away from predictability. The movie has multiple references to old movies and characters that people can relate to and there is a lot left for the audience to decide or infer. The non-chronological structure is very effective and the multiple chapters have intricate links. There are many common underlying themes in each of these chapters which lead to a point of comprehension at the end of the movie. One can glean something more from the movie with each viewing. This in my opinion is what makes a brilliant movie and something that makes watching it multiple times meaningful, if not necessary.