Attempt to stylistically analyze the film, Pulp Fiction Essay Example

dimly lit car. This is the audience's initial introduction to them, and the lighting doesn't offer any specific insight into their characters, remaining relatively neutral. Similarly, the costumes worn by the characters seem to have no particular significance at this point, but gain relevance in the subsequent scene. The camera shots and angles employed have a profound and subliminal impact on the viewer.

The scene opens with a shot of the two characters in the car, giving an initial introduction from a straight-angle profile view. The camera then shifts to a position between the men, making the viewer feel like a third party in the car. The camera is slightly behind the characters, creating a sense of detachment instead of encouraging identification. No judgments about the characters are suggested at this point, but that changes once they enter the block of flats.

Jules and Vincent are walking down a corridor, heading towards the murder of multiple individuals. The corridor is dimly illuminated, with light emanating from the ends. This lighting choice might symbolize the concept of a light at the end of a tunnel, often associated with death. The use of light in this scene has a biblical significance and hints at forthcoming events in the movie. As they enter the apartment where the boys are having breakfast, Jules is bathed in light from behind and above, creating a halo effect that gives him an angelic aura.

This text discusses how various cinematic techniques are used to enhance the impact of a biblical speech given by Jules just before he begins shooting at the boys. The lighting, camera angle, lack of sound, and costume all work together to

create a powerful scene. Jules is positioned alone in the frame, centered and without distractions, emphasizing the significance of his speech. The low camera angle adds to his intimidating and god-like presence, while the absence of sound intensifies the tension felt by the viewer during the delivery of his Ezekiel speech. The costume further contributes to the overall effect.

The opening scene features Jules and Vincent in black and white costumes reminiscent of priests' outfits, emphasizing the biblical undertones. These costumes, representing their roles as hit men, are altered only once in the film when they switch to shorts and t-shirts following a car accident. This change symbolically corresponds to Jules's realization in the diner scene. By shedding their priestly attire and adopting "nerdy" outfits, they metaphorically abandon their violent personas, particularly Jules.

Jules finds redemption by realizing that his job may not be as righteous as he once believed. The violence he carries out as retribution for Marcellus Wallace is not as noble as he initially thought and not worth his time. According to Bordwell and Thompson (1997), this use of costume as a representation of his epiphany is known as Metonymic mise en scene, serving as cinematic shorthand for something greater. The props themselves add an additional layer to the film's meaning.

Vincent is seen reading an old pulp novel called Modesty Blaise in both bathroom scenes, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "book containing lurid subject matter, being characteristically printed on rough, unfinished paper." The presence of this intertext in the film enhances our perception that this seemingly false and fantastical world is actually real. Tarantino strategically employs this specific intertext to draw

attention to moral dilemmas within American society. The movie delves into topics parallel to those explored in the old pulp books, such as sex, violence, and the absence of purpose in a consumer-driven world.

The film effectively uses costume in flashbacks to indicate the era, as seen in the part where Butch's childhood is shown during a dream. One notable scene in terms of costume is the one set in Jack Rabbit Slims, where the waiters and waitresses are dressed as characters from the fifties and sixties, when the pulp fiction movement was influential. Another intriguing prop in the film is the briefcase, which plays a central role by connecting Vincent and Jules's story with Hunny-bunny and Pumpkin's story.

The contents of the briefcase in the film "Pulp Fiction" are never revealed, but it has been suggested that it pays tribute to Robert Aldrich's 1955 movie, "Kiss Me Deadly." Another theory is that it holds Marcellus's soul, as he has supposedly sold it to the devil, hence the code 666 for the case. If this is accurate, it further underscores the theme of societal decay and immorality in the film. However, towards the end of the movie, Marcellus seems to regain his soul and redeem himself. The audience perceives this when he forgives Butch and frees him from his debt in the store's basement.

The film "Pulp Fiction" (Tarantino: 1994) features stereotypical characters such as cold-hearted contract killers, a hardcore mob boss, and hillbilly southerners. According to Jane Stadler (22. 07. 03), this use of "cinematic shorthand" allows for easy identification of the characters and comprehension of their behavior without the need for extensive backstory. Every character, even

the minor ones, is skillfully portrayed and elicits emotional resonance, effectively evoking the audience's response to the actors' emotional cues and making them emotionally convincing.

The film does not provide any background information about Vincent and Jules, the central characters, except that Jules resides in Inglewood and Vincent has recently returned from Amsterdam. The purpose of withholding this information may be to emphasize their constant embodiment of their respective personas. Interestingly, unlike other main characters, we are not shown their residential settings, which effectively distances us from them. Although some scenes in the film are excessively violent, they also contain moments of profound enlightenment.

The end scene in the diner when two of our stories converge and Jules discusses the cessation of killing people is a pivotal moment as it embodies the main occurrence of redemption (one of the central themes) in the film. Another instance of redemption occurs in the basement of a store where Marcellus and Butch have been imprisoned by Zed. Butch manages to escape and can save himself; however, he chooses to return and assist Marcellus, thereby redeeming himself for his earlier act of killing his opponent in the film. Even the violence portrayed in the film reinforces a thematic point; it conveys the idea that violence ultimately serves no purpose and is detrimental to one's well-being.

The final scenes of the film provide evidence that those who have redeemed themselves or had no need for redemption are the only ones who have not suffered. The editing in the film is exceptional and enhances the script perfectly. The cinematography adds to the film's overall polished quality. The temporal continuity of the film is deliberately

fragmented, causing viewers to miss important plot developments if they don't watch the last two scenes.

The last two scenes provide a cohesive explanation of the film. Throughout the entire film, the pacing of the cuts is relatively slow. However, in the transcribed scenes, the cuts are even slower. This deliberate choice highlights how Jules and Vincent remain calm when it comes to killing people. It conveys to the viewer that they are never nervous. Interestingly, the cuts in the first part of the transcribed scene are slightly faster compared to those towards the end. This difference suggests that these two men become more passionate about trivial matters, such as hamburger names, than anything else.

The film primarily uses fades and straight cuts for its editing. Fades are employed between different stories, with the screen going black before the action continues. On the other hand, straight cuts are used during dialogue-heavy scenes. This can be observed in the first transcribed scene. The purpose of using straight cuts is to maintain the film's pace and prevent the audience from getting bored with extended dialogue scenes, which lack other sounds.

Non-diagetic sound is limited to scenes featuring a character who is intoxicated or during transitions between scenes. The majority of the sound is diagetic, leading us to initially believe that the music is non-diagetic, only to discover it is actually part of the narrative. The moment when Vincent is en route to pick up Mia exemplifies one of the rare occurrences where the music is non-diagetic, serving to emphasize Vincent's altered mental state.

Throughout the film, the sounds mainly consist of traffic and birds, which are everyday sounds. This is

evident in the transcribed scene where Vince and Jules are in the car. Sound bridges are frequently employed to establish continuity, as exemplified midway through the credits when the music abruptly shifts as though tuned in on a car radio. There is a fade in, and we witness Jules and Vince driving in the car while listening to the same song on the radio.

The film effectively demonstrates the interconnectedness of each story through certain scenes. One such scene is the prologue, where we can observe Vincent heading towards the bathroom moments before Hunny-bunny and Pumpkin hold up the restaurant. Another example occurs after Butch's fight, when a news report informs us that the dance trophy has been stolen from Jack Rabbit Slims. As viewers, we are aware that Vincent and Mia possess the trophy, challenging our previous assumption that they had won it.

I have examined the various aspects of filmmaking used in Pulp Fiction (Tarantino: 1994), including mise en scene, editing, sound, and cinematography. I have connected these elements to the film's themes, especially redemption. Additionally, I have delved into how these cinematic techniques shape the audience's perception of characters and the overall narrative. It is the meticulous implementation of these techniques that has elevated Pulp Fiction to its status as a cult classic.