Experimental film - Pulp Fiction

 Pulp fiction (Tarantino, 1994)

Close study of single film 

Key elements of film form 

context

representation 

Experimental film - additional specialist area 

Key features

- Fragmented narrative and narrative structures 

- Experimental cinema encompasses a range of film  forms within this category, directors and films 

- not all films within this category have all features 

- resist cohesive narrative style - deliberately 

Poses many challenges for the spectator who must work hard to put the overall narrative together 

Often beginnings and endings are enigmatic - beginnings picking up from previous moments unknown to the spectator 

Endings not leaving moral clarity or 'resolution' 

Narrative 

- At the extreme level experimental film can be a series of isolated 'moments' often impressions - like a painting 

- it will be empty of a conventional plot and story 

- It will resist creating characters with whom the spectator mat engage at any level 

- Creating meaning will be the spectators role 

Cinematic boundaries and paramaters 

- Not as rarefied as Jarman or Akerman 

- Recognisable story emerges 

- Strong focus on characters and their part

- uses both sound visuals to drive the narrative 

- Action and movement 

Experimental 

- Ground breaking in 1994 

- clear linear/ non-linear narrative 

- Multi-stranded narrative 

- four rooms 

He is writer and director 

Bruce willis -

- Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is an ageing boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his fight.

- Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is a boxer who's been approached by Marsellus and been told to throw his latest fight. When Butch ends up killing the other boxer, he must escape Marsellus. 

- Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is an ageing prizefighter who is being paid to "take a dive", but instead accidentally kills his opponent, and tries to flee town, but not before getting his dead father's lucky golden watch. These four seemingly unrelated stories are interwoven in a non-linear fashion.

Honey bunny & pumpkin 

- launches the spectator straight in to the 'narrative'

- Dialogue is everyday stuff just before they plan to rob the coffee shop 

- Voices, being nice - her voice changes when talking to waitress 

- (compare with jules says get into character)

Jules/Vincent 

intimidated guys who double crossed Marseilles

Vincent - Mia  - potentially Vincent could  have also double crossed Marsellus  

Opening sequence:

- No context 

- gives more questions than answered 

- shot reverse shot 

- slow paced cuts 

- shallow depth of field

- hyper real sound of kiss 

- center of the frame in the shots 

Butch and Marsellus scene:

- only see butch 

- no cuts 

- just off the center of the frame 

- only marsellus speaking for majority of the scene 

- over the sholder shot 

- No connections formed with anyone other than butch 

1) Why is there satanic references 

2) What inspired you to make this film in the way you did 

3) Which story arc is your favourite 

4) Why did u only show butch 

Seminar questions

With detailed references to your film sequence identify, analyse and evaluate the extent to which it can be considered experimental. Make reference to key elements of film form to support your presentation. 

Watch scene

- One timeline 

- Gives deeper understanding of butch 

- only time we see backstory to any character 

- spectator understands Buch's intention which lead to 3 narratives crossing over

- Misplaced patriotism 

- Serious theme delivered in serious way but also with humour   

- Holding memories to inanimate objects 

- Center frame 

- Point of view shot 

- Cinematography presents Walken as boring and less important as he blends in to the background - presenting him as uninspiring to butch 

- canted angle to show how the scene is satire - experimental narrative 

- butch looks uninterested and unemotional 

- says father died of dissantary which adds to the satire 

- Memory

Jimmy, Wolf and Marvin:

- Wolf-stressful situation-he is calm or panicky; done this before

- Confuses spectator

- Wolf's dialogue-very matter of fact/given subject matter

- Dark humour

- Mise-en-scene: domestic setting

Jack Rabbit Slims:
- Hear Mia, not see her-guess-don't formally meet

- We have expectations, but cuts to the car-resisting the conventional narrative trajectory

- Hyperbolic sound

- At Jack Rabbit-retro vibe and different generations

- 1960s twist-dance

- Five dollar shake-old Hollywood tropes

- Cultural references-pastiche

- Black jacket and white shirt-brought together hidden connotations

Butch and the watch:
- Cinematography-presents Walken as boring and uninspiring

- Ideas around patriotism-Walken as a vehicle to present ideas

- Tarantino's critique of US values/patriotism

- Veteran-presented in a non conventional way

- War and racism not needed for being patriotic

- Building up idea of the watch-what it symbolises

With detailed references to your film sequence identify, analyse and evaluate the extent to which it can be considered experimental. Make reference to key elements of film form to support your presentation. 

Jack rabbit slim 

- No formal meeting 

- Lots of sexual tension 

- Lots of references to other media 

- Kuleshov effect 

- Lots of shot reverse shots

- Nostalgia filled restaurant 

- Colourful setting 

- Long shots 

- hyperbolic sound when he drinks milkshake 

- he is wearing black and she is wearing white 

- resisting it being comprehension 

- Follows narrative structure 

Auteurs - developed a sufficient body or work being able to see what is typical of the director 

established conventions 

What does Tarantino challenge 

Auteurs 

- Tarantino an auteur because 

- Distinctive style - themes and filmmaking across a body of work which becomes recognisable 

- Specifically - dialogue, juxtaposition, reflection on America/ past/ present, certain actors - jackson e.g. Thurman   

Film conventions 

- Storytellings conventions - Unfamiliar = experimental 

- Narrative - deconstructs narrative structure

- Because this is/ was the classical hollywood style of narrative  

- Characterising - dialogue 

- Beginnings and endings 

- Genre conventions - his hybrid approach and refusal to follow generic film conventions 

- Multi stranded narrative and the non linear time frame 

Pulp fiction what genre 

- Hybrid generic elements 

 - Does not belong to one genre 

- Crime thriller elements/ Comedy/ dark comedy/ Gangster elements/ 

Power shifts 

Challenges to film conventions in pulp fiction 

Conventions 

- hybrid qualities/ Genre    -   A lot of aspects belonging to crime thriller mixed with comedy 

- Heroic portrayal of Us army - absent   -  Flashback to young butch (watch)

- Absence of a protagonist/ all villiains - we side with villains - antagonist Vincent dies 

Tarantino and new wave 

- Concept of an Auteur emerges in 1959 - Francois Truffaut 'cinema du papa' 

- Manifesto - new blood - new directors 

- French new wave 

- Goddard and Truffaut - innovative and creative 

You could argue that Pulp fiction is experimental as a result of Tarentino's being an auteur and therefore allowing him to challenge the established conventions from hollywood which can be seen an influenced from french new wave. Throughout the entire film, we get a fragmented narrative structure and follow no chronological order. This is unusual of Hollywood films however Tarantino chooses to challenge this with his fresh take on telling a story. this idea is reinforced in the scene in which we see butch get his fathers watch. we see Through how he represents themes such as patriotism which is widely seen as 'brave' and the right thing to do. Tarentino challenges this and puts forth his own ideals. He uses chritopher walkens character as a mouth piece for his thoughts on the subject presenting it as a joke and something that can't be taken seriously showing  how he percives patriotism as misplaced patriotism. He even goes further to critique it and exploit the racism hidden behind this brave vecade he uses the camera to express this idea with the close ups showing hoe butch is uninspired and even bored. That mixed with the long slow cuts makes the scene drag  and last mutch longer than needed