Component 2d: Experimental Film – Aaron Bruce's Film Studies Blog

20th Jul 202012th Mar 2021 aaronbrucesfilmstudiesblog Component 2d: Experimental Film

Component 2d Essay – Auteur Challenging Established Conventions

“Experimental film is often the result of an auteur challenging established conventions with fresh ideas.” With reference to your chosen film option, how far do you agree with this statement?

Plan

Intro – Define auteur, who is Bazin and what does he say, introduce QT and PF

1st Paragraph – Dialogue heavy

2nd paragraph – over the top violence

3rd paragraph – mise-en-scene

Conclusion – easily identifiable

Essay

An auteur describes a director that has such a dramatic influence on the style of their film that it could be immediately identified as a film that director had worked on without any prior knowledge of the credits of the film. André Bazin, a film critic and philosopher working largely in the mid-1950’s opposed the expressive aspects of cinema such as German expressionism and Soviet montage, believing it to remove the realism from the scene, but was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director. Bazin’s belief played a vital part in the development of the auteur theory after the publishing of an issue of his magazine ‘Cahiers du cinéma’ in 1954 which was hugely influential for French cinema and would later become a talking point for the rest of the world. Quentin Tarantino is an American director, quintessential of the idea of an auteur, expressed throughout all his films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and his earliest film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992), where his unique and captivating style of filmmaking gives his films a fresh and exciting appearance that engages the audience.

One of the most recognisable auteur-like features that Tarantino utilises within his films is the extended and heavy dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, most modern film directors will naturally avoid having a long drawn out scene of dialogue as it is often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining manner as exposition is given in an unengaging and boring style that doesn’t make an audience express any emotions towards a character/s. In theory, using dialogue heavy scenes to relay information would be an unwise decision when writing based on a large majority of examples that make a film uninteresting but Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking aids the dialogue choices he makes in creating an interesting scene and character/s. Many examples are present within Pulp Fiction but the prime example for how Tarantino’s auteur style is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue can be found in the second scene, located in a car driving along a motorway before moving into an apartment building as Jules and Vincent head towards their target, a group of young associates of their boss, Marcellus Wallace, who isn’t happy with how they tried to double-cross him. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst remaining relevant to the plot and the story of the narrative. As Jules and Vincent drive towards the apartment, there discussion revolves around cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system so there is no such thing as ‘quarter pounder with cheese’. The two characters can be first heard discussing a ‘hash bar’, a drug that is legal in Amsterdam which Jules expresses that he want to move there because they cant search you if you are in possession of it, giving the audience an immediate look into how the two men think regarding their unsavoury business but then Tarantino switches the dialogue on its head by talking about something trivial that any ordinary American would discuss having come back from Europe, humanising the two men, portraying them as less of ruthless killers and making them more relatable people, going against traditional ideas of writing killers in film and further enforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style having a positive effect on the outcome of the film.

Violence can often be the difference between deciphering whether a film has been directed by Tarantino with his over the top and exaggerated use of it becoming one of the staples of his auteur filmmaking style. Tarantino carries this aspect of his style throughout all his films, with examples such as in Django Unchained (2012) where excessive amounts of blood is used during the shootout between Django and the slavers whilst gory scenes involving a slave having his arm ripped off and another where they are being whipped is used to show the horrors of slavery for black people in the 19th century antebellum south. In Pulp Fiction, the same exaggerated violence can be seen when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face and when Butch saves Wallace from the rapist and he is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films but never to the extent that Tarantino uses it, going against the idea that when it comes to the theme of violence, it must appear realistic, instead electing to utilise it to either entertain or to show or represent a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that the violence is over the top to simultaneously entertain and show the violent and crime filled lives that the characters live in sunny LA.

According to Bazin, mise-en-scene within film shouldn’t be expressive, instead being realistic of the world that we live in. Tarantino doesn’t entirely conform to these ideals as an auteur with the mise-en-scene of his films often being manipulated in favour of visuals rather than realism. In the film ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’, the films climax depicts a fight between ‘The Bride’ and O-Ren outside in Japan with the two facing off as the snow starts to fall just as they begin to clash swords. Tarantino’s auteur style mise-en-scene is present in Pulp Fiction also, most noticeably during the chapter “Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s Wife” when focusing on the 50’s style diner ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s’. The interior of the restaurant is filled with, light up signs bearing the names of famous brands, pedestal seating, large dance floor, posters, old vintage cars and waiters dressed in the outfits of famous icons from years past such as Marilyn Monroe. Whilst the mise-en-scene isn’t revolutionary by any means, it varies very differently from crime genre films coming out at the same time and presents his authorship in how he wants to construct the look of the film. It could be that Tarantino was influenced by surrealist films that he watched growing up such as ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ which can be seen depicted on the wall of the restaurant.

There are very few filmmakers that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of the word ‘auteur’ as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals that other filmmakers are so keen to follow and his use of specific features such as exaggerated violence has made him easily recognisable and an iconic filmmaker. These along with other features he makes use of such as his episodic storytelling, continual use of actors that he trusts and wide varying camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles that make his films so appealing to an audience.

Re-draft Essay

An auteur describes someone working within the film industry such as a cinematographer or director that has such a dramatic influence on the style of the films they work on that when viewed, it could be immediately identified as a film that person had worked on without any prior knowledge of the credits of the film. Quentin Tarantino is an American director, quintessential of the idea of an auteur, expressed throughout all his films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and his earliest film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992), where his unique and captivating style of filmmaking gives his films a fresh and exciting appearance that engages the audience. This auteur theory spoken of was devised by André Bazin, a film critic working in the mid-1950’s who opposed the expressive aspects of cinema such as German expressionism and Soviet montage, believing it to remove the realism from the scene, but was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director, something which Tarantino demonstrates an abundance of.

One of the most recognisable auteur-like features that Tarantino utilises within his films is the extended and heavy dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, most modern film directors will naturally avoid having a long drawn out scene of dialogue as it is often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining manner as exposition is given in an unengaging and boring style that doesn’t make an audience express any emotions towards a character/s. In theory, using dialogue heavy scenes to relay information would be an unwise decision when writing based on a large majority of examples that make a film uninteresting but Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking aids the dialogue choices he makes in creating an interesting scene and character/s. Many examples are present within Pulp Fiction with the prime example for how Tarantino’s auteur style is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue can be found in the second scene, located in a car driving along a motorway before moving into an apartment building as Jules and Vincent head towards their target, a group of young associates of their boss, Marcellus Wallace, who isn’t pleased with how they tried to double-cross him. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst remaining relevant to the plot and the story of the narrative. As Jules and Vincent drive towards the apartment, there discussion revolves around cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system so there is no such thing as ‘quarter pounder with cheese’. The two characters can be first heard discussing a ‘hash bar’, a drug that is legal in Amsterdam which Jules expresses that he want to move there because they cant search you if you are in possession of it, giving the audience an immediate look into how the two men think regarding their unsavoury business but then Tarantino switches the dialogue on its head by talking about something trivial that any ordinary American would discuss having come back from Europe, humanising the two men, portraying them as less of ruthless killers and making them more relatable people, going against traditional ideas of writing killers in film and further enforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style having a positive effect on the outcome of the film.

Violence can often be the difference between deciphering whether a film has been directed by Tarantino, with his over the top and exaggerated use of it becoming one of the staples of his auteur filmmaking style. Tarantino carries this aspect of his style throughout all his films, with examples such as in Django Unchained (2012) where excessive amounts of blood is used during the shootout between Django and the slavers whilst gory scenes involving a slave having his arm ripped off and another where they are being whipped is used to show the horrors of slavery for black people in the 19th century antebellum south. In Pulp Fiction, the same exaggerated violence can be seen when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face and when Butch saves Wallace from the rapist and he is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films but never to the extent that Tarantino uses it, going against the idea that when it comes to the theme of violence, it must appear realistic, instead electing to utilise it to either entertain or to show or represent a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that the violence is over the top to simultaneously entertain and show the violent and crime filled lives that the characters live in LA.

There are very few people that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of the word ‘auteur’ as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals followed by most while his use of specific features such as exaggerated violence has made him easily recognisable. These along with other features he makes use of such as his episodic storytelling in which he divides his films into chapters to establish structure, continual use of actors that he trusts with stars such as Samuel L.Jackson and Leonardo Di Caprio becoming familiar faces on his set as they each bring their own unique traits to their characters and a wide variety of camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles that make his films so artistically and entertaining to an audience as everyone expects a violent and tense film when watching Tarantino.

Essay Re-draft

An auteur can be defined as a filmmaker that has such a dramatic influence on the style of a film that it can be immediately associated with that specific person without any prior knowledge. This person is most commonly the director but can also include actors, cinematographers and others working within a film that add their own unique style to it.

André Bazin was a film critic and philosopher working mainly in the mid-1950’s at a time in which the French New Wave pushed the boundaries of cinema and was vital in the development of this auteur theory. He opposed expressive aspects of cinema, believing it to remove the realism from a scene and was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director and this belief helped push the auteur theory which was hugely influential for French cinema after its publishing in the magazine ‘Cahiers du cinema’ in 1954.

Quentin Tarantino is an American director that is quintessential to the idea of an auteur director, expressed through his unique and captivating style of filmmaking which provides a fresh and exciting viewing experience for an audience. This style of filmmaking is present throughout his work such as Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) but his arguably most well regarded film is Pulp Fiction (1994).

One of the most auteur-like features utilised by Tarantino within his films is extended dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, modern film directors will avoid long drawn out conversations as its often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining way for the viewer as exposition is given in an unengaging manner that doesn’t promote feelings of emotion from an audience towards a character or event. Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue that allows for an audience to engage with the characters on screen. One example includes a scene in which Jules and Vincent are in a car driving along a motorway towards their target, a group of young men working for their boss. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst still remaining relevant to the plot and the films narrative. As the pair drive, the discussion revolves around topics such as cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system. The two characters also discuss a ‘hash bar’, a drug legal in Amsterdam causing Jules to express interest in moving there, giving the audience an intimate look into how the two men think, presenting them in one light as gangsters and juxtaposing this by making them appear as almost normal American citizens. Tarantino manipulates the dialogue from being something mundane and trivial, humanising the two men in comparison to their gangster profession, going against traditional ideas of writing gangster characters in film and further reinforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style to make an engaging film for the audience.

Perhaps the most noticeable trait in Tarantino’s films however is his graphic use of over the top, exaggerated violence that has become a staple of his auteur style. In Pulp Fiction, this exaggerated violence can be seen during the scene in which Vincent shoots Marvin after recovering him and a suitcase from their bosses ex-associates and is also present when Butch saves Wallace from a rapist who is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films due to their nature of murders and gore but Tarantino goes against the idea that when it comes to violence it must appear to be a realistic representation, going against Bazin’s ideas and instead electing to use violence as a method of entertainment for an audience or to show a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that violence is exaggerated to both entertain and show the violent lives that the characters lead as gangsters in LA.

According to Bazin, mise-en-scene within a film shouldn’t be expressive, instead remaining realistic to the world we live in without manipulation. Tarantino doesn’t conform to these ideals as an auteur as he often manipulates the mise-en-scene as he favours visuals over realism. The most notable example of this style is when Vincent takes his Mia Wallace out for dinner, driving to to a 1950’s style ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s’ diner. The interior of the restaurant contains light up signs bearing the names of famous brands, pedestal seating, a large dance floor, posters, old vintage cars and waiters dressed in the outfits of famous icons such as Marilyn Monroe. The mise-en-scene isn’t revolutionary in terms of its style but it varies very differently from typical crime genre films coming out at the same time and presents his autership in how he constructs his films as out of the ordinary to immerse the audience in the characters’ world.

Tarantino is also known for his repeated use of specific actors that he trusts. Prominent actors in Pulp Fiction such as Harvey Keitel and Samuel L. Jackson are also in films such as Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Django Unchained (2012). Other directors do use actors they are familiar with but Tarantino uses a recognisable group of actors continually in his films with Samuel L. Jackson appearing in 6 of his films.

There are few filmmakers that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of being an auteur as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals established by filmmakers with his use of violence, dialogue and mise-en-scene making his films instantly recognisable. The implementation of auteur-like features is extensive in his filmmaking, with further examples of his style including his episodic storytelling present in Pulp Fiction and other films such as The Hateful Eight and his varying use of camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles which all contribute to a unique and entertaining viewing experience for an audience.

16th Jul 202011th Nov 2020 aaronbrucesfilmstudiesblog Component 2d: Experimental Film

Component 2d Essay- Pulp Fiction Narrative

“Unfamiliar approaches to narrative can be both difficult and exciting for the spectator.” Discuss this comment in relation to your film study.

Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a comedic and yet brutal take on the crime genre of film that promises to be engaging right from the start with an unconventional narrative structure that actively involves the viewer to think about how the plot and story are developed. Tarantino’s unique style of storytelling through his varied use of narrative structure gives Pulp Fiction a far more tense and exciting atmosphere than if the film had gone about telling the story of several hitmen, a crime boss and a boxer who all intersect each others lives but in a linear fashion.

Narrative structure in Pulp Fiction differs greatly from other traditional films emerging at the time because of Tarantino’s creative narrative choices, but this isnt to say that he goes completely against narrative convention. Propp, a Russian scholar, devised 7 character roles most associated with storytelling that are all present within the film and given a modern Tarantino spin for the setting of 1990’s America. For example, the princess role is best assigned to Mia Wallace, wife of the hitmen’s crime boss, however unlike in more traditional films, she is given a more independent role rather than being based around the hero’s prize. When her husband asks Vincent to look after her for an evening, she is more than capable of handling herself such as when she willingly volunteers to dance in front of people in stage but ultimately it’s Vincent who acts as the hero character when she overdoses and he has to inject her with adrenaline, saving her life. The modernisation of Propp’s theory of character roles is more culturally appropriate in 1994 at the time of the release of Pulp Fiction as American society had converted from the western loving country in the 1960s to a crime ridden place due to the increasing easy access to weaponry such as guns. Therefore, Tarantino is able to better reflect the social aspects of society whilst delivering a more entertaining experience for the audience who are able to resonate and understand the characters’ personalities and motivations in the film.

Tarantino however ignores Propp’s theory that a story has 31 narrative functions but not in its entirety, as he often uses some of these narrative functions just not in there traditional chronological pattern. The non-linear structure of Pulp Fiction means that there is no absentation, where somebody goes missing at the beginning or a wedding after the villain is defeated at the end according to Propp’s ideas, instead Tarantino completely ignores this chronological structure, beginning and ending in the same place during the same event. The film opens with Honeybunny and Pumpkin, two amateur robbers set on robbing the café they are dining at. Both characters stand up and begin to threaten the customers and staff before there is a cut away from the action to an intertitle before cutting to a completely different location at a different point in time where Vincent and Jules are en route to retrieve a briefcase. This has a huge impact on the audience as it leaves them wanting to know what happens to the robbers, which isn’t answered until the very end scene, when Jules and Vincent are in the same café whilst the robbery takes place. This is incredibly exciting for an audience as they are made to wait to find out what happens so that when they do, they are aware of the ruthless and brutal traits of the two hitmen that has been shown across the film, content with killing their boss’ enemies and even their own partner, they will surely take down two amateur robbers in over their heads, but Jules’ enlightenment that happened just beforehand in the plot but long before in the story creates an understanding as to why he has mercy for them. Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction conforms to a non-linear structure to great effect, creating tension in a scene as the impact on the viewer is far greater now than if they had started off with the hitmen driving as there is an established sense of direction to the film that is all the more thrilling for the viewer.

Tarantino has never conformed to tradition rules which is why his films are so entertaining for the audience. On occasion though, his films conform to certain narrative ideas such as Levi-Strauss’ Binary Oppositions Theory where the basis of a story is built on to become engaging because two or more characters are in opposition to one another. This is most noticeable in Pulp Fiction in the performances of the characters. There is an established set of positive vs negative forces in the film or good vs evil that can be identified, with the dialogue of the characters creating the perception that Vincent and Jules are the positive forces despite being killers, whilst people such as Pumpkin and Honeybunny are the negative forces. On screen, the audience only see Pumpkin and Honeybunny for a brief amount of time, in which time they discuss threatening civilians and robbing them, making it difficult to sympathise with them. On the other hand, Jules and Vincent can often be seen discussing trivial matters such as cheeseburgers and taking a lady out to dinner which is far more relatable to the audience and so its more likely that the audience will be invested in what the two hitmen are discussing as the mundane conversations are entertaining because they are a breath of fresh air away from the violence involved in their jobs.

Todorov’s equilibrium theory can be applied to Pulp Fiction, but rather than as a whole, it can only be applied to the story and not the plot. Looking closely at one chapter imparticular, ‘The Bonnie Situation’, this equilibrium can be seen functioning in terms of the story but the plot differs from that of a tradition film. The established equilibrium is when Vincent, Jules and Marvin are all in the car after they successfully retrieve a briefcase, but then Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face, forcing them to go to a friends house and call for help. The equilibrium is disrupted here and they recognise this and attempt to resolve the problem before there is a new equilibrium established where Jules and Vincent are no longer in danger from the police but Marvin remains dead. The story aspect of Todorov’s theory fits perfectly into this chapter but the plot differs slightly as the non-linear structure of the narrative means that the audience are aware that Vincent has already been seen to be killed by Butch but it hasn’t happened in the story yet which is a thrilling revelation for the audience as creates intrigue as to what sequence of events led to his downfall.

Typically, traditional films will have an established narrative perspective set out from the beginning of the film, whether that be from a first person viewpoint or a limited third person, it is clear from the start who the audience are encouraged to follow and therefore sympathise with so it is key to the enjoyment of the audience that the main focus or perspective viewpoint of the film is someone who is actively engaging. Pulp Fiction’s first person restricted view throughout conforms to typical narrative structures used within film, but the focus on the experiences of Jules, Vincent and Butch rather than just one perspective adds a greater depth of understanding as to what is happening within a short space of time, allowing for a larger flow of information to the audience as we are left to piece together how each individual story coincides with the others such as when butch shoots Vincent, seen through the first person view of Butch. The effect of this is that having three perspectives gives more information to the audience but doesn’t overload them, allowing them to infer key elements of the story.

Pulp Fiction doesn’t conform to traditional ideas about narrative structure, causing the film to be far more engaging and entertaining for its audience than it would have been should it have blindly followed traditional narrative structure theories. Tarantino’s unique and modern twist on how a story can be structured creates an exciting and tense experience for the audience who are challenged to think about what they are watching.

Re-draft Essay

Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a comedic and yet brutal take on the crime genre of film that promises to be engaging right from the start with an unconventional narrative structure that actively involves the viewer in terms of considering how how the plot and story are developed in a innovative manner for effect. Tarantino’s unique style of storytelling through his varied use of narrative structure gives Pulp Fiction a far more tense and exciting atmosphere than if the film had gone about telling the story of several hitmen, a crime boss and a boxer who all intersect each others lives in a linear fashion that left no room for audiences to piece the films story together.

Narrative structure in Pulp Fiction differs greatly from other traditional films emerging at the time because of Tarantino’s creative narrative choices, but this isnt to say that he goes completely against narrative convention. Character roles are a key part of all narrative films as is the case with Pulp Fiction. When looking at a character such as Mia Wallace, wife of Joules and Vincent’s boss, her assigned role is that of the princess character as devised by Propp, a Russian scholar who conceived of 7 character roles most associated with storytelling that are all present within film. Unlike in mOre traditional 1990’s crime films, a modern Tarantino spoon allows for Mia to have a more independent role in the film rather than being just a prize to the hero. When Mr Wallace asks Vincent to look after her for an evening, she is more than capable of handling herself despite her constant substance abuse, volunteering to dance on stage despite Vincent’s lack of enthusiasm, but ultimately it’s Vincent who acts as the hero character, characterised by Propp as being the one to save the princess as she overdoses and it falls to him to save her life. Mia is a modern example of the changing ‘princess’ role within film that better reflects the time the film was produced in comparison to 1960’s and 70’s as 3rd wave feminism became a growing movement. Although not upheld by everyone, such morals as greater women’s rights was a popular belief in America, shared by both men and women and therefore Tarantino is able to better reflect the social aspects of society during the period whilst maintaining an interesting story that excites audiences and appeals to many inner desires of law-breaking and an audience that are able to resonate with the characters’ motivations in the film such as Mia as people know that whilst they may not be married to a crime boss, the characters’ attitudes aren’t something from an inconceivable fairytale.

The non-linear format of Pulp Fiction creates great challenges but allows for some interesting storytelling viewpoints that help make the film even more engaging to an audience. The film begins and ends in the same location, opening with two robbers, Honeybunny and Pumpkin, threatening customers and staff at a cafe before there is a cut away from the action to several days beforehand when Vincent and Joules are en-route to retrieve a briefcase. Tarantino disregards Propp’s theory that a story must contain 31 narrative functions which has a huge impact on the audience as rather than an absentation at the beginning where somebody goes missing and the hero must find them, the audience are left wanting to know the result of the robbery, with Tarantino promising to show them in the final scene which creates dread and tension for the innocent customers. Tarantino’s master stroke comes when its revealed that Joules and Vincent are in the same cafe later on, in which Tim the audience have seen what the two men are capable of and therefore dread and fear shifts away from the customers and to the robbers. Propp states that at the end of the story the villain must be defeated and whilst the two robbers back down, they are both allowed their freedom as does other villain characters such as Mr Wallace who is freed by Butch from a rapist. Tarantino’s lack of a chronological structure has a positive impact on the tension of the film as by ignoring Propp’s set narrative functions and providing reason as to why we should fear for a group of characters as it establishes a sense of direction that is thrilling for the viewer and allows for a greater understanding of the plot and the characters that makes the audience form a motivation for wanting someone to see bad done to them or succeed.

To say that Pulp Fiction goes completely against narrative theory would be incorrect but doesn’t mean that the film loses any of its entertaining qualities. Within Pulp Fiction, the performances of the characters establish positive vs negative forces that can be identified, such as dialogue from Vincent and Joules discussing mundane topics such as cheeseburgers creating the illusion that they are good men despite the fact they are both killers, whilst people such as Honeybunny and pumpkin are portrayed as being negative forces as on screen they only discuss threatening innocent people and robbing them, making it difficult for an audience to sympathise with them. This narrative idea is in line with Levi-Strauss’ Binary Oppositions Theory where the basis of a story is built on two or more characters being in opposition with each other. Tarantino’s characters aren’t positive in that they seek to do good, rather that characters so far from the reality of the viewer such as Joules and Vincent are able to be relatable, makes an audience find what they say more entertaining and engaging than if two store owners discussed the same mundane topic.

Lookin closely at one chapter, “The Bonnie Situation”, Joules, Vincent and Marvin are all driving in a car after retrieving the briefcase, but suddenly Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face, forcing them to go to a friends house and call for help so as not to be spotted by the police. Narrative theory is both present here and disregarded when considering Todorov’s equilibrium theory, which can fit the story but not the plot. The established equilibrium is when they are driving but the equilibrium is disrupted when Marvin is killed and they recognise they need to fix the situation before a new equilibrium can be established where they aren’t in danger of the police because the car is clean and the body is gone. The story aspect of the theory fits perfectly but the plot differs as the non-linear structure of the narrative means that the audience are aware that Vincent is killed later on by Butch but it hasn’t happened in the story yet which is an intriguing revelation for the audience as it leads to questions as to what led to his downfall which keeps the audience engaged with the film.

Pulp Fiction contains a first person view throughout which follows traditional film narratives where there is an established narrative perspective from the beginning. Which makes clear who the audience are encouraged to side with and so its key that this person is someone who is actively engaging so that the audience remain entertained and encouraged to side with them. Pulp Fiction differs from this set structure as the viewpoint shits between three characters, Joules, Vincent and Butch rather tan just one which adds a greater depth of understanding as to what events are taking place and at what point in time which allows for a larger flow of information to the audience who are left to piece together how each story coincides with another, such as when Butch shoots Vincent which is seen through the perspective of Butch. By using three perspectives, Tarantino allows for a lot of information to be passed to the audience in small chunks that doesn’t overwhelm which creates a sense of mystery for the audience as they desire to know what happens next and how other events occurred.

10th Jul 202011th Nov 2020 aaronbrucesfilmstudiesblog Component 2d: Experimental Film

Theorising About Narrative

Its clear to see that Tarantino uses many if the Narrative techniques previously discussed in Pulp Fuction to create an impactful plot, story and characters that engage the audience.

Roland Barthes devised narrative codes such as the action and enigma codes. The action code is when something happens to make a viewer want to know what happens next, thereby creating suspense whilst an enigma code is a hook ornunanswered question that makes the audience desire to know what happens. Tarantino most evidently uses these devices at the beginning of the film, with the initial words “forget it it’s too risky” immediately hooking the audience into wanting to know what they intend to do and then cutting just as the action starts leaves the audience wanting to know what happens to them and the people in the cafe.

Claude Levis Strauss’ theory on binary opposition is present in the manner in which characters dress. The two hitmen wear smart suits to show they are professionals whilst the people they interrogate are wearing casual clothing, suggesting they lack professionalism and therefore come into conflict with the hitmen.

Todorovs equilibrium theory doesnt sit as comfortably into Pulp Fiction as it would with other films but there are elements that remain the same. The 5 stages dont run chronologically but rather are split into different sections.

Propp devises 7 character roles in a story which are all present in Pulp Fiction although there are multiple that can be left to interpretation as characters appear different from a different perspective:

The Hero – Jules/Butch

The Villain – Marcellus Wallace/Pawn shop owner/security guard/Honeybunny and Pumpkin

The Princess – Mia Wallace

The Princess’ Father – Marcellus Wallace (husband)

The Donor – Jimmie

The Dispatcher – Less of a clear character that would identify with this category but Marcellus Wallace would seem appropriate as he dictates the majority of people’s actions

The Helper – The Wolf

How is time manipulated in the film?

The film doesnt follow traditional chronological storytelling techniques, instead being comprised of separate events that when combined together form a coherent story that would make sense linearly.

How is the story told through narrative techniques?

There are several narrative techniques used in the film such as the focus on specific items like the briefcase and the watch which work in cohesion with the development of character. The enigma of the briefcase is compelling for the audience as its never revealed what its contents is, the only implication made is that it is something worth far more than any ordinary person could dream of, with Jules and Vincent both aiming to retrieve it on behalf of Wallace, Wallace’s partners betraying him for it and the robbers shock at what’s inside.

Who are the audience encouraged to identify with/ dislike?

The audience are encouraged to like the bad guys. Vincent and Jules are in no way saints. They smoke, kill, interrogate without second thought in a manner often cruel enough to cause hatred for the character. The reason we dont hate them is because we understand them as people rather than as hitmen. The conversations about matters such as cheeseburgers and taking Marcellus Wallace’s wife out for a night present their personalities as being very normal in terms of what they discuss rather than the unfamiliar to the audience kind of work that is being a hired killer.

The audience is encouraged to hate characters such as the two robbers at the start as they plan to rob the cafe and Marcellus Wallace, who is painted as being a cruel and manical psycho but in actuality is very human, shown after he is raped and the audience is forced to feel compassion for him.

Is the film linear/non-linear/multi-strand/chronological?

The film is non-linear and multi-strand. The events that take place in the film are not shown chronoligically, instead shown in chapters that are combined together to form a linear story. Its Also multi-strand becausenit shows the events from multiple perspectives.

Does the film follow the conventional equilibrium theory, or does it do something unconventional?

The film does follow the equilibrium theory albeit in unorthodox fashion due to its non linear structure when considering each story and character independently from the structure of the film but the story overall does not follow Todorov’s theory.

How does narrative structure affect drama and tension?

Tension and drama is often mainly created within film due to the risk to a characters life. Despite being a bad person, the audience are convinced to like Vincent as a character in the story so his death halfway through the film comes as a shock as it was very unexpected. Tension is nevertheless created at the end of the film however due to the non linear structure of the film, so when we see Vincent alive and well before the event of his death, Tarantino places him in a hostile environment which still makes us fear for the outcome.

Does the films genre shape its narrative?

Partly, yes. The crime genre of the film allows for characters such as gangsters and hitmen to thrive in the world created but by going against narrative and genre conventions, Tarantino creates a world in which tension, drama, fear etc. are all present even without the addition of a world ending plot while the genre of crime is deconstructed in such a way that adds absurdity and hilarity without the expense of the traits that make crime genre films so thrilling.

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Narrative Theorists

Roland Barthes (1915-1980)

He established narrative codes such as:

Action Codes – “Something happens that makes the viewer want to know what happens next. This code contains consecutive of action in film and helps to add suspense to a sequence.”

Enigma Codes – “Narrative hooks that engage the audience. Unanswered questions usually make the audience frustrated.”

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908 – 2009)

Established a theory on binary opposition that it is the basis of being able to understand a story as the hero and villain are in opposition of one another such as in the way they dress

Tzvetan Todorov (1939 – 2017)

Established a theory known as the equilibrium theory in which he proposed that a story has 5 stages

Equilibrium – “a happy start where everything is as it should be.”

Disruption to equilibrium – “Something disrupted the happiness”

Recognition of equilibrium

Attempted resolution of disruption to the equilibrium

Restoration of equilibrium/New equilibrium is a established – Return to life before the equilibrium was disrupted

Vladimir Propp (1895 – 1970)

There are 7 character roles:

The Hero – (“Can be the initial victim”)

The Villain/False Hero – (“Originally perceived as good but turns out evil”)

The Princess – (“The hero’s reward and much sought after”)

The Princess’ Father – (“Gives sometimes metaphorically the princess to the hero”)

The Donor – (“Provides the hero with help on their quest”)

The Dispatcher – (“Sends the hero on the quest”)

The Helper – (“Aids the hero in the quest”)

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Pulp Narrative Fiction

How does the film make use of the various narrative devices you have researched?

Tarantino uses a circular narrative structure in Pulp Fiction which provides closure to where the story originated from by going through events one at a time. He will often use intertitles as chapter headings in order to separate the different stories of various characters. They allow the audience a break from the action and signifies that there will be a shift in the focus point, transitioning from either the place, character, time or a combination of many that results in the plot of the film becoming less conflicted than it would have been due to Tarantino’s unique non-chronological narrative.

What is the narrative viewpoint in Pulp Fiction?

The narrative viewpoint utilised throughout Pulp Fiction is a first person restricted view, focusing mainly on the personal experiences of Jules, Vincent and Butch. These three characters are used as they provide important plot information to the audience and experience conflict that often coincides with the events that others go through such as when Butch shoots Vincent seen through the perspective of Butch.

How is the audience positioned by the film? With whom is the audience manipulated to empathise or sympathise?

As an audience we should despise these characters as they are brutal criminals with the exception of Butch, who coincidentally is probably the least likeable out of all the characters. Tarantino uses simple and yet effective dialogue by having the characters discuss trivial matters such as cheeseburgers and even in nomneys of high stress such as when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face, they both have to clean up the mess with a cloth in the blood splattered car (an experience that the audience should hopefully have never gone through and yet humorous as they are supposed to be killers). Empathy is therefore created for characters such as Vincent and Jules as we understand their personalities and experiences so when Butch shoots Vincent despite him being the good guy out of the two, we feel empathetic towards Vincent who had intended to hurt Butch because we have as an audience are aware of what he has been through and who he is as a person.

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Pulp Story, Fiction Plot

A useful overview of the events that occur in Pulp Fiction, created by Noah Smith

Story

Two hitmen, Jules and Vincent drive towards an unsuspecting partner of they’re boss, Marcellus Wallace, intimidating the men so that they give up the whereabouts of a black case and its contents and are shot for crossing Wallace.

After they drive back with a twitchy Marvin who was undercover in the apartment of the two victims, Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face and so they are forced to seek help from someone Wallace knows at his dismay. The Wolf is called in to fix the situation so that the mess is cleaned up before Bonnie gets home.

Pumpkin and Honey Bunny plot to rob the diner they are in after coming to the conclusion that it would be far easier as no one expects a diner to be robbed. After threatening the customers and staff, Jules, who is also eating at the diner has a stand off with the two robbers and Vincent comes to support him after he returns from the bathroom. Jules, after being sent what he believes to be a message from God, decides not to kill the two robbers and instead lets them take the money but not his case and the hitmen both calmly walk out.

Butch, an ageing boxer agrees with Marcellus Wallace to lose a fight and is now in the middle of the fight, resting between rounds as he prepares to enter the ring once more. He leaves the room in an enthusiastic manner.

Vincent agrees to take care of Wallace’s wife for a night where they go to a 50’s style restaurant and take part in a dance competition. After they leave the restaurant, Vincent is in the bathroom persuading himself not to sleep with her whilst she is overdosing on cocaine in the other room, forcing him to drive her to the home of his dealer where he has to inject her with adrenaline straight to her heart, saving her life and leaving for the night.

Butch is shown to have killed his opponent against the wishes of Wallace and so he sets out to find him. After his girlfriend leaves his watch at home, he sets out to retrieve it, only to find Vincent in his house and shoots him, leaving soon after before being stared down by Wallace and attempting to run him over. The two men run into a pawn shop where Butch almost kills Wallace but the shop owner stops him from doing so, calling a friend, a local security guard who rapes Marcellus. Butch escapes from his restraints and goes to leave before deciding to help Wallace, taking a katana and brutalizing his captors, leaving on a motorcycle and driving off with his girlfriend while Wallace is left to torture the security guard.

Plot

Pumpkin and Honey Bunny plot to rob the diner they are in after coming to the conclusion that it would be far easier as no one expects a diner to be robbed. They stand up and begin to shout at the staff and the customers.

Butch, an ageing boxer agrees with Marcellus Wallace to lose a fight for money.

A young butch sits in front of the television, turning it off at the arrival of Captain Koons, a military man who served with his now deceased father and is tasked with gifting him a golden watch that has been in his family’s possession for generations. Now in the middle of the fight, Butch prepares himself to enter the ring once more. He leaves the room in an enthusiastic manner.

Jules believes to have received a sign from God after he survives when he should have been easily killed. The two hitmen drive away and Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face so they have to call in ‘The Wolf’ to get the mess cleaned up before Bonnie gets home.

Now returned to the diner scene where the film began now in the knowledge that Jules and Vincent are present when the robbery occurs. Jules, eating at the diner has a stand off with the two robbers and Vincent comes to support him after he returns from the bathroom. Jules, after being sent what he believes to be a message from God, decides not to kill the two robbers and instead lets them take the money but not his case and the hitmen both calmly walk out.

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Key Narrative Concepts

Story, Plot and Narrative

Story – “Everything that happens in the fictional world between the beginning and the end, including events that viewers infer or presume to have happened“

Plot – “What viewers see on screen and hear on the soundtrack to allow them to construct a story in their heads. Plots can begin anywhere on the chain of story events and can leap backwards and forwards in time and space“

Narrative – “Flow of story information constructed by the plot at any moment. Narrative implies a point of view, which may be that of one of the characters or of an omniscient narrator“

The difference between a story and the plot is that a story is a series of events that occur at any given time but the plot can be manipulated to have an emotional impact on the audience by rearranging when these events are shown.

Narrative Viewpoint

Narration (Often omniscient)

Third person (Limited point of view)

First Person View

Narrative Structure

Act 1 – Inciting Incident

Act 2 – Rising Action

Act 3 – Climax

Linear – Presented in a chronological manner

Episodic – “A story composed of separate incidents tied loosely together”

Circular – “Goes through the story one event at a time to end back where the story originated from, providing closure”

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Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

A non linear film that focuses on the lives of two hitmen, a boxer, their gangster boss and his wife and how their lives intertwine in a spree of violence. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin plot to rob a diner which Vincent and Joules are eating after Jules has an enlightening experience which results in him negotiating with the two robbers rather than killing them. Meanwhile, Butch is a boxer of yesterday who takes a payment to throw a fight for Marcellus Wallace but chooses instead to beat his opponent, fleeing from him before trying to flee the country. Butch is forced to return to his apartment after his fiancé forgets his fathers watch which causes the death of Vincent after he leaves his gun in the kitchen and is shot by Butch after coming out the bathroom. In another scene, Vincent has to take out Wallace’s wife, who overdoses after a night out and has to rush to his dealers house to inject her with insulin to save her life so that his boos wont kill him.

There are a great number of admirable aspects of this film that really shine through whether your watching it for the first time or the 10th time. The acting is on point, cinematography is excellent, sound is impactful, editing is great and the overall aesthetic look of the film is a very realistic depiction of what the film is trying to show. I think the most notable of all these aspect though is the performances that the actors give that allows these characters to seem so real and genuinely make the audience interested in what they have to say and what happens to them. Looking at Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jules, the quick witted and intimidating hitman, he does a brilliant job of portraying his character to be a genuinely funny character when he doesn’t have a gun in his hands and a brutal and dangerous hitman that is content with killing men for his boss in other scenes, all whilst making the audience invested in his character despite knowing that he is a bad guy. These performances are present throughout the entire movie, looking at Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames and John Travolta whilst the supporting cast of Harvey Keitel and Quentin Tarantino, who aren’t at the forefront of the audiences minds, give great performances that reinforce the idea of comedy in a film about violence and killers.

Of the top of my head there are so many scenes that add up to make this a great film, some because of their action, others because of the stakes that are involved, but the best scene scene for me would have to be the diner scene, starting at the beginning of the film and then closing by returning to the scene at the end of the film but instead of from the perspective of the two robbers we see it from Jules and Vincent’s perspective.

Originally we see the robbers plan to rob the diner and then take their guns out and threaten the customers but then we cut to an entirely different scene with Jules and Vincent before this event has happened as the information that they are in the diner too hasnt been told yet and so we dont know what consequences that will ring for the robbers as we know that the robbers are in over their heads through the experiences with Jules and Vincent that show they arent afraid to kill.

The genius of Tarantino’s storytelling ability takes its main form in the way his films are able to grab the audience and keep them hooked throughout, creating often truly suspenseful and gut-renching scenes. When the film begins, the first words we hear on screen are “forget it, its too risky”. Tarantino has effectively already grabbed the audiences attention by intriguing them as to what is “too risky”, promising that something very dangerous will occur in the film involving the two characters on screen and thereby keeps our focus maintained on they’re dialogue as they eat and the audience are left questioning what they’re intentions are and how they will accomplish it. The non linear structure of the film works in favour of this intrigue as the scene ends just as the two robbers begin to threaten the customers, then cutting to a new scene. By starting and ending this scene at he beginning and end of the film, Tarantino promises that the scene will be resolved and therefore keeps us hooked throughout as we come to better understand the characters in the film and so when we return to the scene, the dread isn’t for the unsuspecting customers at the hands of the robbers, rather the robbers at the hands of the malicious Jules and Vincent.