Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction is bizarre, violent and spectacularly entertaining. With it's popular
cast of characters, non-chronological sequences and continious referrence of pop culture,
youmay ask, what is this film about? It's about the loss of all meaning and the loss of
values in our lives. It's specifically about the life changing events of two characters,
Butch (Bruce Willis) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson).
The film starts with Vincent (John Travolta) returning from Amsterdam. While
riding in a car with Jules they talk about what quarter-pounders and big macs are called
in Europe. They also mention characters from Happy Days and Green Acres, a band
called Flock of Seagulls, many TV plots and other such topics. when veiwing the film,
the audience my see these references used as only comic relief, but thats not only why the
director (Quentin Tarantino) used these references in the film. The topics they were
discussing were pop-culture symbols and icons that provided reason for the way Jules
and Vincent made since of there lives.
In another era, Vincent and Jules would have been connected to religion or
something else larger than themselves that could provide reason and meaning for there
lives. All they have in this movie to determine the value of things is their pop-culture.
The director shows that the formal teachings of value is not just missing in their lives but
in all of 90's America. This explains why the film is so full of all these pop icons. These
icons are empty of real value and are now reference points to our understanding society.
A good example of the this is when Vencent and Mia (Uma Thurman) go to Jack Rabbit
Slim's, where all the waitresses and singers are imitations of pop-icons such as Buddy
Holly, Ed Sullivan and Marilyn Monroe.
In contrast to...
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