I'm probably the last person on the planet to have not seen Pulp Fiction. This film has legions of admirers, many websites (still) devoted to the film, and continued positive response from the critics. I'm of two minds about the film; I enjoyed the inventiveness of the film, the acting (for the most part) and the non-linear play out of Pulp Fiction, but the violence and the fact there are few sympathetic characters.
For the two or three monks who are unfamiliar with the plot, it goes something like this: In a diner, a couple, Pumpkin and Bunny, decide to rob the restaurant that they're in. Meanwhile, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and the Bible-quoting Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are on their way to retrieve a briefcase stolen by several young men. Winnfield kills both men, leaving a third man.
In a parallel story arc, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is a down-on-his-luck boxer who agrees to throw a fight for a large sum of money from Marcellus Wallace.
As the story unfolds, Vega drives to Marcellus' house to 'babysit' his wife, Mia (Uma Thurman). He tells himself to not get involved with her, but a situation arises that causes him to get in deeper than he intended.
Eventually, the stories intersect and a resolution occurs.
It seems there is a schism in the film-loving community over this film. Some people are obsessed with the film (what WAS in that briefcase?) and those repelled by the violence and general structure of the film. Me? I have a mixed opinion. While it is inventive, as I said, the violence and underlying malevolence of the film is off-putting to make it rough going at times.
I love Tarantino and I love non-linear stories, so Pulp Fiction is basically perfect to me. The story is brilliant, the acting is superb, and the soundtrack is unforgettable.
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