Pulp Fiction film review

Review

Cast & crew

Pulp Fiction

(1994)

While not as abrasive or compelling as Reservoir Dogs, this follow-up confirmed Quentin Tarantino's genius for writing hard-boiled comic dialogue. It also demonstrated a control over a wealth of characters and crossplots that was simply astonishing for a film-maker still, essentially, in the process of learning his trade. Originally called Black Mask, the picture went on to scoop the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival and win Oscars for Tarantino and his co-writer Roger Avary. Scorching though the writing is, it needed a high-calibre cast to carry it off. Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Maria de Medeiros and Christopher Walken are excellent, but the revitalised John Travolta and the then largely unknown Samuel L Jackson are unforgettable. As much pop as pulp, this is exhilarating stuff and clearly one of the best films of the 1990s. DP

Contains violence, swearing, sex scenes, drug abuse, nudity.

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Running time

147min

Country of origin

Genre

Crime Drama

Original language

English

Screenplay

Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, from their stories

Theatrical distributor

Buena Vista International UK

UK cinema certificate




awards information


	Award	Category	Name	Nominee/Winner

	Academy 1994	Actor in a Leading Role	John Travolta	Nominee
	Academy 1994	Actor in a Supporting Role	Samuel L Jackson	Nominee
	Academy 1994	Actress in a Supporting Role	Uma Thurman	Nominee
	Academy 1994	Best Picture		Nominee
	Academy 1994	Directing	Quentin Tarantino	Nominee
	Academy 1994	Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)	Quentin Tarantino	Winner
	Academy 1994	Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)	Roger Avary	Winner
	BAFTA 1994	Best Film		Nominee
	BAFTA 1994	Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role	John Travolta	Nominee
	BAFTA 1994	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role	Samuel L Jackson	Winner
	BAFTA 1994	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role	Uma Thurman	Nominee
	BAFTA 1994	Best Screenplay (Original)	Quentin Tarantino	Winner
	BAFTA 1994	Best Screenplay (Original)	Roger Avary	Winner
	BAFTA 1994	The David Lean Award for the Best Achievement in Direction	Quentin Tarantino	Nominee
	Cannes International Film Festival 1994	Palme d'Or		Winner
	Golden Globe 1994	Best Screenplay Motion Picture	Quentin Tarantino	Winner