When Pulp Fiction hit theatres in 1994 it was a life-altering film for me. It not only made me realize that I wanted to become a filmmaker, but also opened my eyes to all the films and filmmakers that writer-director Quentin Tarantino was paying homage to and made me hungry to find them and watch them all. Over the years I have probably watched the film more than other film in my collection. I own it on LaserDisc, VHS, and have a few versions of it on DVD. You can argue that it’s not a perfect film, but it is an important one within recent film history and definitely one that set Tarantino’s career in motion.
The Movie
Tarantino breaks all conventional storytelling with Pulp Fiction and presents a film full of characters in situations and a mysterious suitcase that ties them all together. There’s two hit men (Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta), a couple robbing a diner (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer), a boxer (Bruce Willis), a mob boss (Ving Rhames) and his wife (Uma Thurman). There’s also smaller parts like the drug dealer (Eric Stoltz), the ‘fixer’ (Harvey Keitel), and Zed (Peter Greene). Christopher Walken also appears in a very tiny yet memorable cameo. All of these actors deliver amazing performances and with Tarantino’s cunning dialogue, the movie is an amazing feat that is brilliantly executed.
Picture
The 1080p high-def transfer for the Blu-ray release was supervised by Tarantino and it looks absolutely gorgeous. As I mentioned above, I have the film in many different formats and I have never seen it look as good as I have on this release. The contrast and the blacks are stunning, and the overall vibe of the film is enhanced by such a great image.
Sound
Pulp Fiction is a dialogue-heavy film, but with a 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix it is aural bliss. Music also plays a huge role in the film and it is presented wonderfully. And of course, when the guns are blasting it sounds crazy. Play this loud and you will be blown away.
Special Features
Along with a lot of previously released special features in standard-defintion (deleted scenes, marketing galleries, Tarantino on the Charlie Rose Show, etc.) are two brand new high-def featurettes. The first, Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat, runs for about 40 minutes and includes members of the cast and crew discussing the film and what it meant to be a part of it. The second is a roundtable of critics talking about the film. Both are great additions for diehard fans of the film.
Overall
If you’re a Pulp Fiction fan you need to see it on Blu-ray and add it to your collection today. If you’ve never seen the film, there is no better time than now to check it out.
Film ***** / Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars)
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Top image: A scene from Pulp Fiction. Courtesy Lionsgate.
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