Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 341: Non-Linear Tales from L.A.

So far the 1990s have primarily given us Best Picture nominees that are set in the past and have fairly rigid story structures. But the decade also produced some fresh voices in the world of film-making who were trying to change the face of the industry. Quentin Tarantino was one such voice whose style of direction combined stylised sequences, comic dialogue and superior soundtracks. Additionally Tarantino became known for his screenplays which were witty and often didn't obey the rules regarding linear storytelling. After a successful debut in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino hit the big time with the Best Picture nominated Pulp Fiction. The film depicts a number of events which all relate in some way to Ving Rhames' L.A. mob boss Marsellus Wallace and a mysterious briefcase that belongs to him. The retrieval of the briefcase is a job undertaken by hitmen Jules and Vincent who both go on a voyage of discovery throughout the film. Vincent is later tasked with taken Marsellus' pretty wife Mia out on a date where they participate in the now iconic twist-dancing contest. Finally we learn the story of boxer Butch, his dad's gold watch and how he gets on Marsellus' bad side after refusing to throw a fight. Throw in The Wolf, a hold-up at a diner and an overdose and you've got the basic structure of Pulp Fiction. However, Tarantino tipped the structure of the film on its head by having the middle part of the film open and close it whilst the final scenes happened about forty-five minutes before the final credits rolled. This non-linear style really made the film stand-out as did the post-modern references which would become a regular occurrence in Tarantino's later movies. 

I remember being lent a VHS of Pulp Fiction when I was about fifteen and was blown away by the audacity of the movie. I watched it several times during my teens but this was the first time I'd revisited it in a while and I don't think its lost any of its impact. Whilst I'm not a Tarantino fanboy I still feel that his first three films were all great works that gave the film world something new. From the opening conversation between Pumpkin and Honey Bunny to the conclusion of the robbery Pulp Fiction was a compelling watch with one glaring exception. My major problem with Pulp Fiction is the story involving Butch isn't as exciting as the rest of the movie and significantly slows down the pace of the picture. I feel this is partly because Butch is a somewhat withdrawn character and partly due to the explicit nature of the scenes involving Marsellus, Zed and The Gimp. Part of the reason that Butch was given so much screentime was due to the fact that Bruce Willis was the film's biggest name and so had to be given the spotlight in what was a best a mediocre plot strand. Pulp Fiction definitely revived the career of Willis and it did the same for Travolta who needed a resurgence following his appearance in the Look Who's Talking franchise. Travolta's cool, calm and collected persona was perfectly executed as the charming yet violent hitman Vincent. Travolta proved to be an expert screen presence and was given a Best Actor nomination as a reward. Meanwhile Samuel L Jackson stole the show as the Bible-quoting Jules and made quite an impact at the Oscars when he seemed visibly annoyed that he'd lost the Best Supporting Actor prize. Uma Thurman was also nominated for her role as the flirty yet troubled Mia and she was yet another cast member who benefited from appearing in the movie. Capable support was provided by Harvey Keitel whose appearance as The Wolf stands out as one of my favourite parts of the entire film. 

Pulp Fiction is an incredibly stylish film with all of the sets and props being incredibly distinctive. All of the key characters have memorable costumes that helps mark them out and in the long term has meant that we never forget them. Another key aspect of Pulp Fiction is the fact that the film didn't have a score but rather a collection of classic songs which helped propel the action. Nobody can hear Dick Dale's Misirlou without thinking of Pulp Fiction whilst Urge Overkill's cover of 'Girl You'll be a Woman Soon' made into the charts as a result of featuring in the film. As far as Oscar success goes the film saw Tarantino win his first Best Screenplay award which in my opinion was well-deserved. It's not surprising that the film got another six nominations when you consider that it was the first movie to be entirely produced by Harvey Weinstein's Miramax company. As we've seen, Weinstein became incredibly influential throughout the decade when it came to the Oscars but in the case of Pulp Fiction is acclaim was more than deserved. But looking back I think the success of his first three films went to Tarantino's head and he lost the discipline he'd employed in his earlier works. Even his last two movies, which have been critically acclaimed, suffered from some sloppy storytelling and a number of over-indulgent scenes. Thankfully Pulp Fiction reminds of a time before Tarantino's ego got the better of him and I would say that it still stands up today as a masterpiece thanks to its funny and violent nature as well as its extremely accomplished ensemble cast. 

Next time we look at two big movie stars who decided to direct and star in two films that later went on to become Best Picture nominees. 

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 321: Terry's All-Stars

I do feel that when a director has achieved particular acclaim he can get away with most things. Terrence Malick is one such director who was well on his way to being a legend after helming Badlands and Days of Heaven in the 1970s. Malick took a twenty year hiatus following Days of Heaven so when it was announced that he'd be returning to the screen plenty of actors wanted a role in his new film. Luckily he was able to accommodate a fair few big names into The Thin Red Line, a film focusing on the Battle of Mount Austin fought in the Pacific between the Americans and the Japanese. Malick's first cut of the film was supposedly five hours long and obviously had to be cut down substantially to half of that original length. Even then I feel that the copy of The Thin Red Line I watched was overlong and confusing in some regards. One of my main issues was that of the duelling narration between Jim Caviezel's Private Witt and Nick Nolte's Lt. Col. Tall. Witt's story is that of a man who is dissatisfied with army life while Tall is trying to prove himself to his superiors who feel that a man of his advancing years shouldn't still be at war. Because of this Tall makes some risky decisions and it's one of his final choices that has an impact on the team. Events become even more complicated when Malick introduces another story later in the film as Ben Chaplin's Private Bell discovers his wife wants a divorce. The fact that both Caviezel and Chaplin are given voiceovers was rather confusing as at times I couldn't really tell the pair apart. It was only after he nobly died to save his comrades was when I realised that Witt was meant to be the hero of the piece. That alone should tell you that Malick's script was confusing and that some of what was cut from the film may have been important.

Spare a thought then for poor Adrien Brody, who prior to the release of The Thin Red Line had told people that he was the main focus of the film. After watching the film Brody's appearance amounted to nothing more than a five minute cameo towards the conclusion. Brody was understandably upset by the decision and he feels that Malick should have at least have informed of the changes that had been made prior to the film's screening. But at least Brody made into the film which is more than can be said for the likes of Martin Sheen, Micky Rourke, Gary Oldman and Billy Bob Thronton who all had their scenes cut entirely. As there are so many big names floating around it's incredibly hard to single out one or two actors to praise their performances in the film. Nick Nolte probably gives the best turn as the weary Tall and both Sean Penn and John Cusack made good impressions during their extended cameos. Like with most Malick films, the strongest aspect of The Thin Red Line is in its visuals. John Toll's cinematography is outstanding, especially when we follow the soldiers inside the long grass where they hide during their attacks. Toll's point-of-view shots really make you feel part of the action and in a way add to our understanding of what war might have been like for these men. But to me there was almost too much of a focus on arty camerawork and not enough done on character development. I personally wasn't a fan of certain characters reminiscing about their families back home and thought these scenes represented Malick's undisciplined approach to film-making. Hans Zimmer's score really helped the film achieve the emotional tone it was looking for especially when it accompanied The Thin Red Line's battle scenes. But that being said, ultimately I found The Thin Red Line to be a beautifully shot war film that really never compelled me to care about specific character. Rather than changing my views about Malick as a film-maker its simply reinforced them and I've still not be able to see what others do in this supposedly great director.

Next time we look at three films from a respected British actor who appeared in two Best Picture winners during the 1990s.