The Wonderful World of Q: The Best of the Films of Quentin Tarantino

The Weinstein Company

I have a theory that anyone who has seen a Quentin Tarantino film before can spot another one of his films without even knowing that he made it. The reason that I have this theory is that there is nothing like a Tarantino film. One entire scene may be of two laid back individuals quietly talking for several minutes and then the next may be a viscous, gory murder which could very well involve the same people that were just having the nice conversation. The thing that makes this so different but at the same time brilliant is Tarantino ability to combine the two described situations so seamlessly to the point that nothing ever feels out of place. This is not the only noteworthy aspect of Tarantino as I could go on and on about his characters dialogues and the way he give such a real feel to them along with how he can makes the simplest of ideas so interesting. The purpose of this article though is to highlight some of things that make such an impact in his films such as his music selections, the memorable moments and the characters he creates.

The Music        

Cat People (Putting Out Fire) by David Bowie (Inglourious Bastards): This is the song played right before the big theater scene. The lyrics of the chorus along with the vengeful tone of the song go so well with the plot to burn down the theater that Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) has.

Across 110^th Street by Bobby Womack (Jackie Brown): I love this song! In a film that has a throwback, 70’s appearance and feel to it, Tarantino’s choice to use Womack’s Across 110^th Street in the film’s final scene is brilliant. It also matches the persona and experiences of the lead character Jackie Brown in the film.

Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel (Reservoir Dogs): The scene with this song present is probably my favorite scene in Reservoir Dogs, a film that is not one of my favorite of Tarantino’s (I know, everyone probably just lost all respect for me). Mr. Blonde dancing around and singing to Stuck In The Middle With You all while torturing a police officer tied to a chair is priceless. It is one of those signature scenes that made Tarantino Tarantino and probably could also make it into my best moment’s category as well.    

The Moments

Stuntman Mike talking about his little black book (Death Proof): I had not heard very many positive things about Death Proof prior to watching it and because of this, my expectations were somewhat low and could have to do with why I liked it so much. Even though the films true impact on me might be questionable, my enjoyment for Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) explaining the book he keeps of everyone he ever meets is not. Stuntman Mike talks in such a confident, arrogant way, knowing exactly how to push someone’s buttons to get what he wants. Some of his dialect sounds just like that of John Wayne which just adds to an already memorable scene.

Fight scene between The Bride and Copperhead (Kill Bill: Vol. 1): It is the opening scene of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and after its conclusion, maybe even during it, you know that you are in for one heck of a ride. The choreographing is great but the dialogue between The Bride (Uma Thurman) and Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox) is even better. The fact that neither of them want to fight in front of Copperhead’s daughter and that The Bride refuses to kill Copperhead in front of her daughter, even though she eventually does, makes for great dialogue like when The Bride says “It's mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack. Not rationality”. 

Vincent accidently shooting Marvin (Pulp Fiction): In my opinion, Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s best and I could probably use any scene from it to put in this category but the scene where Vincent (John Travolta) accidently shoots Marvin (Phil LaMarr) comes to mind first. There is just something about Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), Vincent, and Marvin riding along in a car, hitting a bump when Vincent has a gun pointed at Marvin, causing him to pull the trigger is so unexpectedly funny. The best part though is Vincent’s calm response: “Oh man. I shot Marvin in the face”.

The Characters            

The Bride (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2): The Bride is such a driven, strong female character. She is out for revenge and she will not stop until everyone that wronged her is dead. She is driven by the fact that her unborn child was killed. Even though it is simple, it is such a compelling back story that forces the audiences to want to continue to follow this character and watch her get the revenge she seeks. She maintains focus throughout which is seen in an excellent performance by Uma Thurman.

Bill (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2): I was hooked on this character the second he responds to “How did you find me?” with simply “I’m the man”. Bill (David Carradine) remains this confidant man who is very good at keeping his cool and always having something profound to say. Tarantino films feature plenty of confident characters but the way that Bill’s persona never changes makes him a character that you never forget.         

Lt. Aldo Raine (Inglourious Bastards): Aldo (Brad Pitt) is unlike any other character in the Tarantino universe. Unlike a majority of Tarantino’s characters, Aldo does not have dialogue that has a touch of reality to it. Aldo is a much more exaggerated character with dialogue of the same nature. Initially you would think that this would stick out but it actually works quite well as he matches the outrageous premise of the film.

Honorable Mention: Stuntman Mike (Death Proof), Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction), Melanie Ralston (Jackie Brown) and all other characters.