Introduction
Quentin Tarantino can be seen as a unique and entertaining figure in cinematic history. The power he has wielded within the film industry comes from writing about all he knows – from old and obscure films to fast food and popular television shows – pop culture and genre traditions will continue to be Quentin Tarantino’s life within his works, but what is interesting to see is how he feeds these elements of life back into those very same traditions. The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal some of what lies beneath the surface of Tarantino’s work explaining some of the images and techniques that have become his hall mark. There has been much criticism over the years about the work of this ex video store clerk, yet I would argue that he could be seen as one of the most charismatic voices in cinema today. This is due to his daring style, which is characterized by the use of witty dialogues, his unique structures and generally making movies about the movies.
From this I feel a need to prove through a lengthy discussion of his recognized qualities that Tarantino’s works are not necessarily artless and that they do function on an entertaining level. What I aim to do in Chapter One is discuss the formal traits of this director’s work. I will examine and identify the key concerns of Tarantino’s main texts: how he revitalized the art of film dialogue, rejected linear narrative style and his use of repeated images and motifs.
Chapter Two will then take a closer look at the underlying social discourses and debates within Tarantino’s productions. I want to find out through a discussion of gender and race whether he is just using such issues to entertain or if this director is actually talking about the outside world of cinema through his works. I will endeavour to find out whether he wanted simply a reaction from his audience, usually one of disgust, or if he presents issues that cause reactions for their own sake.
THE WORLD TARANTINO LIVES IN: PLOT, STORY AND STYLE
Popular cinema of the nineties saw some radical and interesting experiments with predictable notions of narrative, time and logic. What first became apparent when watching any of the Tarantino films being looked at in this dissertation is the stress placed on the chosen plot, story and style in each one. This chapter shall look into the formal aspects of how Tarantino expanded upon the ideas of this postmodern era, the director is seen to redeem and recast the pulp of postmodernism by embedding in the texts, narratives of re-invention and re-birth. Tarantino is definitely regarded as a director with something to say. He is very cinematically literate and familiar to the limits of screen tension. He is so certain of how far to stretch a sequence’s credibility without losing the audience that he can keep violence funny, produce honour amongst criminals and turn the bad guys into the good guys thus resulting the ability to get rid of a good character all together. I believe that he is not a visual cinematic genius, yet he does keep the viewer on their toes because of the way he places the camera or the way he moves it. Film analysis centred on the director has been around since the beginnings of the auteur theory in the fifties. The main focus on this theory is on visual style on the way in which films are composed and constructed for the viewer As I will discuss further in this chapter, since it seems to be nearly impossible to name a genre for Tarantino’s films, the director’s name is being used to indicate a certain style in cinema, a genre of his own even, Tarantino-esque. It is obvious indeed that Tarantino’s style has a certain flavour to it; a common cinematic style, common story elements and perhaps an image that is characteristic to his films. It is within this section of the assignment that I will discuss the aspects of Tarantino’s work that could perhaps make him one of the greatest contributors to contemporary cinema.
Toying with Chronology and Narrative Structure
A striking and popularly noticed feature within the films of this highly acclaimed director is his chosen method of narrative structure, the chronology of the film’s story from start to finish. Within the postmodern world the approach towards narrative is well known. Foucault, who believed that a narrative with a beginning middle and an end was no longer satisfactory, made an analysis of narrative structures, Narrative, which posits an enabling beginning point and a vindicating goal, is no longer adequate for plotting the human trajectory in society. There is nothing to look forward to: we are stuck within our circle I believe that Tarantino thought along these lines too. The rotating mini narratives that he adopts do not have this basic set of implications. Pulp Fiction is his finest example of this as it has a very clear circular path, the film does not conform to mainstream narrative structure, and it is only comprehensible because we as viewers hold on to an understanding of narrative and formal conventions through our experience of the mainstream. It is rebellious in the way that it manipulates all usual plot structures by twisting time to satisfy its own organization. The segmented structure is Tarantino’s way of playing with the audience’s perceptions. Due to the large amount of entertaining content throughout the film, the audience is forced to piece together the segments in order to form one complete story. It is constructed in such a non-linear way that you could see it a dozen times and not be able to remember what comes next. It doubles back on itself telling several interlocking stories about characters that inhabit a world of crime. Placing the scenes out of chronological order is a very postmodern idea, it could be said that the end product also creates an alarm in the audience because the totally irrational happens and the audience is left to deal with that, Postmodern society is characterized by instantaneity which makes it difficult for individuals to set events in their context; it is if everything is here and now. In the one scene John Travolta’s character, Vincent Vega is shot and in the very next scene that same person
Tarantino shows us within his films that life can be compelling, enjoyable and utterly fulfilling. He includes elements that run close to life, if an audience wants to draw a social message from them (it is within my second chapter that I have shown it to be possible) then all the more beneficial for Tarantino as a film director. Such social criticism can only heighten his media persona, creating great interest from an audience who will long to return and be entertained once more.