Mise-En-Scene In Pulp Fiction

Style is a key element for any movie to be successful, and a movie that is no exception to this is Pulp Fiction. The amount of style in the movie could become a college dissertation, but I will try to give the best examples of style. This ranges from the use of doorways as a frame for the shot, to the use of 70's music as the background for this film. Overall, in my opinion, the style of Pulp Fiction is one of the main reasons the movie has been so popular for this amount of time. Mise-en-scene in Pulp Fiction is seen throughout the movie, but what fits its definition the best is the use of the briefcase. The briefcase seems to the normal filmgoer as a very important prop that helps develop the story, but most people know it as a red herring or a prop that misleads the audience. Even thought the briefcase is an irrelevant prop, its own mythology has sprung up over the internet. Even though Quentin Tarantino, the director, will never mention what the contents are, many people have come up with their own theory. Some range from the ordinary, (bars of gold), to Tarantino's past films, (the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs, and the Gold Elvis suit from True Romance).
The most extraordinary theory given is also the most common, it also relates to an underlying message about religion. The theory is that the briefcase contains Marcellus Wallace's soul. There are too many coincidences to make in untrue (code of the locks being 666, and the Band-Aid on the back of Wallace's head) but we will never know the real truth behind it. Overall, Mise-en-scene is vital to the style of this movie and made it very popular. The Cinematography is Pulp Fiction is also something that made this movie want it is today. The up close shots and the different ways the shot was framed. But the most interesting of them all was that most of the conversation scenes were shot in the frame of a door or window. This makes the viewer think that he or she is eavesdropping on the conversation that is taking place. Also, not everything is seen in the frame so the viewer is not getting the complete picture and her or she is missing out on something. But, in reality they are listening to a conversation that they are really not supposed to hear. Cinematography in Pulp Fiction is not the only aspect that gives the movie its fast pace; it also includes the editing. Quentin Tarantino is well known for his interesting methods of camerawork.
Also he is know to edit a movie mere hours before the premier of one of his movies. This is to insure that it is his vision and it fits his view almost exactly. One can see by his work that even though he has only directed a few movies, those movie have gone on and won acclaim all over the world. The most interesting use of editing in the movie is the use of a long take when Butch leaves his car and walk through the neighborhood to his house. By using a Stedicam to follow Bruce Willis the viewer can see all the trouble Butch is going through just to not be see by Wallace and his men. Editing can be the make or break point in the production, but as we see in Pulp Fiction it was not a problem and it helped in the success of the
film. Sound may be the last aspect of sound, but it is one of the key elements in a Tarantino film. Even before Pulp Fiction, Tarantino was using music for the 70's that most people from that generation had never heard. In Pulp Fiction it helps move along the narrative and the movie flows better because of it. Most of the artists featured in Pulp Fiction have Tarantino to thank for a comeback in their careers, that they would not have had if it were not for Pulp Fiction. Sound may be overlooked in most movies but not in Pulp Fiction where the 70's are alive if only for a little while. Quentin Tarantino went on to win the Palme D'or at the Cannes film festival and be nominated for seven academy awards including best picture of the year. He will direct two movies after Pulp Fiction and they both had the same style like Pulp Fiction. All of the actors have gone on to have very successful movie careers after Pulp Fiction. Overall, the movie Pulp Fiction has had a lasting impact on Hollywood and on future filmmakers. Next time you go to check out movies at your local Blockbuster, the man or woman that helps you out just might be the next Quentin Tarantino.