Pulp Fiction

You should know all the info by now

Yes, this movie is in fact great:

In the past 25 years, it is hard to think of a more influential movie than Pulp Fiction. It made a lot of money for an independent film, made Tarantino known around the world, started John Travolta from years of obscurity, made stars of a few people (Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames), made independent cinema a viable alternative to big studios, and helped launch the careers of the Weinstein Brothers... which in hindsight wasn't good, but in the decade after this movie came out, it was filled with Tarantino clones-imitation movies that tried to match its juggling of a non-linear timeline, used rapid fire (and usually R-rated) dialogue, the usage of somewhat obscure old music cues, etc.; generally, people say that most of the clones were pretty bad and above all else were just obnoxious.

Even with hindsight and knowing not just the actions of Harvey Weinstein but also how Thurman has accused QT of literally putting her life on the line during the filming of Kill Bill and being incredibly callous about it (not to mention the other controversies surrounding him) I was able to put that out of my mind as I saw this again; I have watched it a few times in my life, and even like 10 or so years ago I got to see it on the big screen in a revival screening. We all know the plot and how it follows a bunch of shady characters that are on the periphery of the major criminal scene in Los Angeles. The story is lurid and has some shocking moments; then again, I understand the original pulp novels of decades past-which I have sadly never read-were like this. The character that Bruce Willis plays (boxer Butch Coolidge) is straight out of a film noir, as I remember that is not the first time on film you see a boxer be asked to take a dive in a match but whether by accident or on purpose, they end up winning. As Tarantino did cast Willis because he looked like an actor from the 1950's, it was perfect.

Seeing this again, I realized I remembered the film pretty well. I was happy that even with those aforementioned things involving some people involved behind the camera, I can still say this is great and the enjoyment level hasn't diminished. There are so many memorable performances and unforgettable characters, from the major ones to Christopher Walken's one scene and small yet important roles from the likes of Eric Stoltz as Lance and Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe the cleaner. Besides QT there were plenty of other talented people behind the scenes, from the late editor Sally Menke to cinematographer Andrzej Sekula. Other people on the Internet have written great articles (and lengthy ones, too) about the film and such aspects as it being classified postmodern by some, all the old works of entertainment that were homaged, etc. No way could I do that as well, so I'll leave it up to the reader to find those if they so desire.

I understand how not everyone would love this. After all it's a decidedly adult movie filled with drug use, almost non-stop vulgar language, and several moments that are graphically violent. Plus, Tarantino has a small role and I am not sure why he wrote himself to drop the N-bomb often, but a person being turned off by that is a valid reaction. Even with those talking points, I can still give this my highest rating due to its impact in the movie-making world and how captivating it still is, and how many moments/lines are still fondly remembered today.