Quentin Tarantino—Supergenius

With the release of Kill Bill Vol. 2 on DVD this week, viewers can finally watch Kill Bill the way it was originally intended—as one movie (instead of a two-parter). From its inception, all the way through its filming, Kill Bill was supposed to be one epic kung-fu movie. When post-production began, Tarantino realized he had so much great footage that he could break the movie into two parts, and release them separately as Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. He claims it somehow makes the story better. Riiiiigghhhhtt. Skeptics like me can’t help but think money may have been involved, as two movies would obviously bring in more revenue than one.

Okay, we got suckered out of an extra $7, but it was well worth it. An homage to the Hong Kong cinema Tarantino grew up on, Kill Bill has got to be the best kung-fu movie ever made, and is one of the most fun movies you could ever watch. Besides possessing all of the usual qualities that make Tarantino movies fun to watch—humor, creative storytelling, good acting, and great music, Kill Bill also is notable for its beautiful cinematography and breathtaking action sequences. Vol. 1 is all about action, while Vol. 2 is an odd combination of intentional cheesiness and serious drama. Together, they make one great movie. If you like Kill Bill, this might also be a good time to check out some of Tarantino’s earlier work (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), some of which perhaps you haven’t yet seen.

RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)

No director in Hollywood has ever divided audiences as much as Tarantino—you either love him or hate him. Fans of his work enjoy the witty dialogue in all of his movies, his great soundtracks, and his oft-imitated non-linear style of storytelling. Detractors have a hard time getting past the extreme violence in his movies.

Tarantino’s third complete screenplay (he had previously written Natural Born Killers and True Romance) and directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino’s least-viewed movie, yet his most controversial. Told in non-sequential episodes, Reservoir Dogs follows a group of criminals and their botched plans to rob a jewelry store. With one very disturbing scene near the end of the movie, Reservoir Dogs is definitely not for everybody. If you enjoyed Pulp Fiction, however, chances are good that you’ll also enjoy Reservoir Dogs, as they’re extremely similar in style. Reservoir Dogs was also the jumping-off point from which many actors have made nice careers, including Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and Steve Buschemi. Overall, the acting is excellent, and Tarantino does a good job mixing equal parts of humor, intrigue, and suspense.

PULP FICTION (1994)

Almost everybody and their momma have seen this movie. If somehow you haven’t, perhaps it’s time to move out of that rock you’ve been living under. Pulp Fiction is, without a doubt, Tarantino’s finest work (both as screenwriter and director) and is an instant classic. It’d be difficult for me to try and give any plot synopsis, because there isn’t really any plot. Pulp Fiction is a collection of interweaving short stories, all of which revolve around an organized crime syndicate, headed by Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). The comedy in Pulp Fiction is nonstop, as long as you’re able to find the humor in conversations about whether a foot massage is in the same ballpark as, well…something a little more intimate. Tarantino’s screenplay is pure genius—the way the stories fit together, leading from one to another is perfect. Pulp Fiction was also the beginning of a revival for John Travolta and Bruce Willis, and the beginning of a great career for Samuel L. Jackson.

JACKIE BROWN (1997)

Tarantino’s third film is his least popular. It is also markedly different from all of his other work. The story unfolds sequentially, without any jumps through time. The pacing is much more deliberate, and it is much less violent than the rest. Starring Pam Grier and an all-star cast including Samuel Jackson and Robert DeNiro, Jackie Brown is a crime story about double-crossing, with everybody in the movie trying to get their hands on a large amount of drug money. Even though it’s his least popular, this is the Tarantino film I would suggest to most people, as it is lacking the gruesome violence that his other films have turned off so many people with. And, while it may not be anywhere as good as its predecessor, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown is a great story with much of the humor we’ve come to expect from Tarantino. Furthermore, one way that Jackie Brown surpasses all of Tarantino’s other work is that it has real characters that normal people can relate to.