#SB2K15 — that’s right, Spring Break, baby! Cancun? PCB? The Bahamas? Wherever you went, I am sure it was great. I mean, these are the times when memories are made, right? The beach, friends, no worries for an entire week: it all makes for what can only be an unforgettable time…
Well, I certainly had an unforgettable week as well.
Unfortunately for me, it was a week I would probably rather forget. Four wisdom teeth extracted on Tuesday, swelling cheeks, and a limited supply of Vicodin all made for a week of ice packs (bags of frozen peas strapped to my face), time in bed, and a bunch of movies. In commemoration of this experience, I decided to review three of the many movies that I watched over break: “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Jackie Brown.” An astute observer would recognize this trilogy as the first three films of seminal director Quentin Tarantino. In chronological order, I cover these films and offer brief reviews. Bear in mind that I watched these films primarily under the influence of narcotic pain medication, and note that, in true Hillsdale fashion, I attempted to fight grade inflation. I enjoyed each of these movies tremendously, all of which are currently available for your viewing on Netflix. No spoiler disclaimer necessary: I highly suggest you go watch the movies in light of what I have to say. Just don’t watch them with your mother.
“Reservoir Dogs”: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen
In Tarantino’s directorial debut he tackles an age-old question: is there honor among thieves? More importantly, he asks hard questions about human relationships, justice, and the interaction of human codes of morality. He does this through rich and witty dialogue, incisive character development and a high-strung plot that leaves as many questions as it answers. For me, a good film always leaves you asking questions and “Reservoir Dogs” left me asking great questions. High Points: Classic Tarantino dialogue. The nuanced jargon of the thieves proves both entertaining and essential as Tarantino raises forceful moral dilemmas through profanity-riddled quips and nervous thievery lingo. The characters are developed wonderfully, as each seems to offer a notion of relationship and a moral code. The interaction of these codes of morality provides the central conflict of the film. The disjointed narrative allows for the film to come to an epic bravado in the final scene. I had only minor qualms regarding some of the acting. Conclusion: Tarantino’s first offering is generally considered a film classic, and I would have to agree with the consensus. “Reservoir Dogs” deals with a lot, asks hard questions and leaves the viewer shaking his or her head with a slightly disgusted smile.
Grade: A-
“Pulp Fiction”: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis
The disjointed narrative of “Pulp Fiction,” even more extreme than that of Tarantino’s first film, adds to the substantive content of the film in a major way. It seems at times circular, while at other times completely haphazard, leaving the viewer to wonder which way is up by the end of the film – to good effect. Although “Pulp Fiction” is an eclectic blend of dark humor, violence, profanity and real human struggle, I was able to see beyond the grotesque violence to something of fragmented substance. High Points: In addition to tantalizing dialogue, Tarantino’s screenplay is once again structurally ingenious. Bizarrely, after a bunch of (Vicodin-aided) consideration, it became clear to me how the script tells us something, whisks us somewhere else, skips around and doubles back to show, finally, how it all fits together. Travolta, Jackson and the rest of the Tarantino stalwart create the perfectly mixed barrage of 70’s LA, 50’s noir and modern fragmentary dilemma, producing a film that remains pastiche and cutting-edge even to this day. Conclusion: A couple of important notes. First, I need to watch this movie again to draw out more of the many nuances in dialogue, imagery, themes, etc., all of which are very much in play in creating a moral thrust to be left considering. Second, critiquing one of the most critiqued films of all time was a more intimidating task than I originally considered. Finally, “Pulp Fiction” has phenomenal entertainment value, important significance, and is well worth your time if you can sit through it. I took marks for off for so many Jungian interpretations and the fact that it took me quite a while to write this say-nothing review.
Grade: B+/B
“Jackie Brown”: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro
Tarantino’s third film departs notably from the violence of his prior two hits. In “Jackie Brown,” the dialogue takes center stage. As you might expect, it is both riddled with profanity and ironically literate, with the characters communicating in hilarious back and forth gabs of anything and everything. The central conflict might be considered the dilemma that faces Jackie Brown in her attempts to escape her own form of poverty, but she is portrayed in a neo-noir manner, highlighting her cool intelligence and sex appeal. Along with the hilarious prattle of Jackson and De Niro and the strangely astute bail-bondsmen portrayed by Forster, the characters are played to a T. High Points: One critic says Jackson’s Ordelle Robbie has “murder in his eyes and funk poetry on his lips,” which does his character a tremendous amount of justice. He is pure entertainment. While posing some important questions regarding the stasis of moral life and man’s ability to rationalize any sort of action, the movie entertains to the very end. Conclusion: Many mistake the slow moving and relatively linear narrative in Jackie Brown for a departure from classic Tarantino screenplay, I think not. It delivers an incredibly entertaining tale of misfortune and moral ambiguity that pulls the viewer in many directions at the same time. With this said, the moral conflict could have been hit harder and more comprehensively and the story would carry more weight.
Grade: B
There you have it, my take on these three classic films. Again, I really did enjoy each of these films and if you watch them and don’t like them, watch them again with bags of frozen peas strapped to your face after having taken a couple of Vicodin!
Landon Peterson is a senior studying English from Willmar, Minnesota.
