Pulp Fiction: A Quentin Tarantino Screenplay (2024)

Somehow I'd only ever heard of Tarantino till 3 days ago. I knew the names to some of his movies, Pulp Fiction in particular, but not an iota more about them.

When recently I found myself on an academically calibrated siesta, I decided it was time to kill time instead of letting it kill me. I wanted to pick a long movie or a short show up, one which would carry me through a couple of mundane hours. I don't know why, or how, I ended up watching a western on slavery in America called "Django Unchained".

And that is how, 3 days ago, things changed.

I loved the movie, obviously. Scene One to Scene Last, it had me gripped; that's not too many scenes, actually. Quentin Tarantino makes decently lengthy movies — Django's 2 and a half hours long — but they're only ever composed of not more than, oh, 10-12 scenes.

I've since learned that that is one of his trademarks: scenes of *extended* dialogue, which usually have some sort of violent resolution. Each scene, so to say, plays out in parts, as acts in a play.

*Now I disagree with the term extended. I think what's remarkable about this dialogue, other than the fact they're effing baller, is that they represent actual day-to-day conversation fairly accurately. At least in terms of waywardness and distraction.

Inglourious Basterds was the film I viewed next, which, needless to say, I also dearly loved. Such great acting. Such great frames framed.

Then, naturally, I came to Pulp Fiction.

And things changed again.

The movie stirred something in me. A very visceral joybox unlidded.

It felt like such a random movie from the moment it started. Or maybe random isn't it, maybe "casual" would be more apt a word. Things just kept happening and the characters — and us — kept reacting to them and rolling with them, and then the movie ended. Just like that.

"It was— it was like, he put on this really great magic show," I would say to my roommate after the credits rolled, "and— and then it turned out that it wasn't just magic tricks he was pulling, it was actual honest-to-God magic, but then he just left without telling me how on Earth he made that be possible. So damn rude."

Somehow all this was achieved through dialogue. I mean, watching Pulp Fiction after watching Django and IB, the cinematography and acting were nothing to bark about. But the dialogue really, REALLY stood out. It was the kind of dialogue you have with yourself in your heads all the time and Quentin just came and told the actors to read it out loud. I was baffled, at the sheer audacity and awesomeness of it.

Thus I came to read the screenplay. "Maybe it wasn't too good," I told myself. "Maybe what felt random was, indeed, random and not planned. It just felt unique to you 'cuz you didn't have a clue what you were getting yourself into."

But, reading the screenplay, I had to swallow the pill — that the writing truly was atrociously good. See, what I mean by it is, despite the random not being random, every word that dictates this film is unpretentious and unassuming as can be. You can sit and dissect the script if so you wish but frankly everything's laid out for you to enjoy from the beginning. Reading the screenplay I found some golden nuggets I'd missed in the film, but mostly I was able to have that great straightforward joybox unlidding artconsumption encore.

I went on to watch a few interviews of Quentin on YouTube and I'm not sure if I entirely dig the fella. Either way, what a madlad.

What a script.

Guión original de la segunda película de Tarantino

Recomiendo ver la película mas que ver el guión, pero si tenéis curiosidad por saber que diferencias hay entre la versión final y el guion, en un spoiler mas abajo os he puesto la diferencia mas notable.

Es difícil explicar de que va el filme sería un ejercicio en futilidad. Quentin se adueña de la forma y fondo del género, y hace con él lo que quiere, destruyendo a su paso cualquier convención que pudiéramos tener alrededor del cine "de crimen", la forma en que está estructurado el filme te garantiza una experiencia tensa e intrigante, el público debe mantenerse alerta todo el tiempo: parpadeas y te pierdes algo.

En realidad la película son 2 cortometrajes, y tres mediometrajes, que se unen básicamente por la conexión de los personajes y un pequeño hilo conductor, se podrían ver cada mediometrajes o los cortos por separado, pero soy de la opinión que esto estropearía la magia de la cinta.

También para quien le interese se aprecia algunos cambios a la forma de decir las cosas entre el guión y la película, también recordar que la película esta doblada y el guión esta traducido, así que resulta complicado saber que son licencias de las traducciones y que son cambios por el director en el momento de grabar o sugeridos por los actores después de leer el guión.

Lo que si podemos saber es que hay algunos diálogos, poco importantes, fueron eliminados en el montaje final (También el libro nos marca las lineas eliminadas) y para quien le interese el cambio mas importante es que en la película en la escena del coche el "accidente" es eso un accidente, pero según el guion el "accidente" es porque Jules toca el claxon y asusta a Vincent provocando el "accidente", personalmente pienso que fue un error cambiar esto, ya que en el ultimo corto se menciona que un ruido puede asustarlo y provocar un "accidente", haciendo alusión al incidente del coche, que en la película nunca se produce.

Bueno este libro lo he encontrado en libros vagabundos y decidí adoptarlo al pobre, el libro promete lo que da, que es el guion de pulp fiction, pero personalmente os aconsejo ver la película, a no ser que seáis algún tipo de fan que quiera vender su alma al diablo por poder leer el guion, en ese caso yo por solo 500€ estaría dispuesto de separarme de el (Que?, si cuela cuela, aparte que estoy salvando su alma del diablo, eso no tiene precio...)

Como siempre este tipo de material le don un 9,5 mas que nada porque el 10 esta reservado a las cosas de mi lista de favoritos

Nota: 9,5 (5 stars)

Mas reviews en https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... dar a like si te a sido útil esta información, también puedes seguirme si tienes interés en ver mas reseñas como esta y si tenéis cualquier duda, queréis debatir algo, avisarme de algún error o cualquier otra cosa lo podéis hacer en los comentarios. ^^["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Ja saps que t'espero a la sortida,
ho he fet tota la vida, comença a ser fosc.
Sec a la barana d'alumini,
desitjant que el metro arribi, per tenir-te a prop.
Sé que avui vens enfadada,
soc un idiota a vegades, ja surts del vagó.
Llavors apareixes per l'escala, i em fas un petó a la galta,
i el món és millor.
Em fas tremolar, tens la mà freda, fas que mai plori de pena,
fas que mai falti el desig de ser dins teu agafa'm l'esquena.
Ens va costar, ja saps: això d'estimar s'ha d'aprendre.
Però en la pell contra la pell t'estimo tant que em peta el ventre.
No hi ha res més maco que llevar-me al teu costat,
res pitjor que les ratllades de quan marxem ""cabrejats"".
Són tres núvols miserables en un dia assolellat,
ja vaig dir-t'ho l'altre dia, que crec que m'he enamorat...
Dels teus ulls brillants, mirada clara.
De quan camines per casa, dels llavis del cos.
De saber que si estàs lluny, somio
que em preguntis que rumio,
i et respongui un petó.
Ja és negra nit a Barcelona,
tu marxes d'aquí una estona,
i això ens farà forts.
Si el vent ens torna a dur on érem,
et vindré a buscar a Sagrera,
la vida és això.

m'ha recordat molt al videoclip de "kilometre 3" de ginestà
gràcies cris

"Pulp Fiction" was the first work by Quentin Tarantino I ever read. Since then I've moved on and I've read "Reservoir Dogs" too. I'd heard a lot about Quentin's writing and I'd seen snippets of the Kill Bill-movies. I don't think I was prepared for the style of Pulp Fiction though, very surprising and fun.

Quentin Tarantino is (obviously) not a literary writer, he's a moviemaker: "Pulp Fiction" is a screenplay. This might not matter to some people, but for me it really changed my reading experience. Every "chapter" is a different scene in the movie, and the writing describes how every scene starts and ends. The descriptions are different from descriptions in a 'normal' novel, they are very much playing on the visual. You can literally see the story happening before your eyes, much more than with a novel. All the dialogue is written out underneath eachother, which makes this book a very quick read. On the other hand, you an't hear the thoughts of any of the characters, which is a bit strange. The story-teller is completely outside of the story, like a spectator, he's not following anyone, not acknowledging anyone's thoughts our emotions or motives. Very different from literature I think, but fascinating.

The story follows 3 different storylines, all different, colourfull people who in the end connect together to give a beautiful overview of an underworld-network.

The piece is full of drugs, violence and lots of swearing. It's was a bit shocking in the beginning to be honest. But after a couple pages I really got into the mood of the story and it was f***ing great!

The dialogue in this book is hilarious and the characters are so big and bad, it’s almost satire. The story is written really well: this book could easily have become one of those ‘look at how badass we are’-stories, but Tarantino sprinkles in so many funny lines, it becomes really bizarre and clever. And eventhough the story is bloody and 'ugly', it never became too 'flat' for me. Not that the story was emotional, but it was witty and fun, without being to much of a joke. The balance is very fine I think and Quentin did it exactly right.

It’s a short book, she just read it, because honestly I can’t explain how great this book is. Read it, you’ll see.

1994 was a golden year for film. Quentin Tarantino’s PULP FICTION runs at 2 hours and 58 minutes.

In regards to this script format, we are treated to how the writer and director, Tarantino, presents his ideas and stories created with Roger Avary.

The cover page title is CAPITALIZED, underlined, and features spaces between each letter
I.e. : P U L P.

May 1993 is listed as the “last draft,” Blue: revised 8/18/93, Pink: revised 9/8/93, and Green: revised 10/5/93. Unfortunately, the pages in this reproduction are not color coded.

The film is broken down into 93 scenes, properly numbered on both sides of the page on the same line upon scene introduction. There are roughly three indents before CHARACTERS are identified for speech. (directions, if any) are under their designated name.

Page numbers are listed in the top right corner. SCENES, intro of NEW CHARACTERS, SPEAKING CHARACTERS, ACTIONS, NOISES, and OTHER FILMS REFERENCED, are all capitalized. Some CHARACTERS’ names are underlined with descriptions underneath. Underlined words in dialogue are for emphasis.

SHOT STYLE, INSERTS, CUTS, etc are CAPITALIZED. Examples include: CREDIT SEQUENCE:, STEADICAM, DOLLY into a MEDIUM, OUT OF FRAME, COLORFUL PROCESS SHOT, VINCENT’S POV:, ZOOM, WE JUXTAPOSE, CAMERA, HIGH ANGLE SHOT, LOW ANGLE MEDIUM SHOT, INSERT SPEEDOMETER, WE HEAR, like a DOCUMENTARY in an emergency ward, WE MOVE, WE FOLLOW, OFF SCREEN, FADE UP:, DISSOLVE TO:, FISH-TAILING, BOXER’S PUNCHES, SEE, THROUGH THE WINSHIELD, DOUBLE-TAKE:, SHINES., and FADE TO BLACK.

CU = close up. b.g. = background

Presented chronologically are unique words and phrases used throughout the entirety of the script (apologies if some are repeats):

Spires-like, healthy number, munching, “HIS GIRL FRIDAY” fashion, persona, in-control professional, psychopathic, hair-triggered, loose cannon

Gas guzzling, homeless-ridden, dusters, hacienda-style, beeline, in over their heads, “Flock of Seagulls” haircut, preppy-looking, blow-dry haircut, transfixed, imploding, “vengeance is mine” expression, “what the f*ck” blank look, cherry-red, bellies up to the bar, manners-teaching business, ponder, wooly, case of works (utensils for shooting up), imanating, bubbly, saucy, bobby socks, bullsh*t, mamou, surly, quaint, wannabe beboppers (actually Melrose types), paging Phillip Morris, drink their milk, acting a fool, uncomfortable silence, powders her nose, hellspopinish, oldie-but-goodie, devilish twist, swiveling rhythm, shaking their asses, the john, k.d. lang, fancy style, happy clam, cool drag, madman, unbeknownst-to-her heroin, trusty, human Dust Buster, on f*cking fire, slack-jawed, greased lighting, shifting like Robocop, posture of a bag of water, bon vivant, moth-ridden, stripe-assed ape, knocking over sh*t, ready to do this, scooted, see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil

35ish, zzzzzz’s, fireplug, pandemonium, ape sh*t, strangeness, dunking for bees, having their way, for the life of him, rooting around, not on your life, like a rag doll, whimpering rapist, Chrome Chopper, teardrop gas tank, like a rocket fighting for orbit, humping a hot hog named “GRACE,” lovebirds

Exactly the same time, dry firing, late-20s, easily doing 135 mph, the plan of action, gobs, pantomimes like he’s in a “DEAD ZONE” trance, with gusto, far way in thought, we recognize, like lightning, till, more on guard, like a rattlesnake, dead-aimed, two bass-ass dudes

Other examples of unique descriptive language include:

“smokes cigarettes like they’re going out of style” (1)
“A smiles breaks out on the young woman’s face” (6) Smiles?

“Mia’s version of the twist is that of a sexy cat.” (50)

“Imitating what he did earlier, licks the paper and rolls it into a pretty good cigarette. Maybe a little too fat, but not bad for a first try. Mia thinks so anyway.” (51)
“Brett has just sh*t his pants. He’s not crying or whimpering, but he’s so full of fear, it’s as if his body is imploding.” (22)

“like a political prisoner” (26)
“Lance demonstrates a stabbing motion, which looks like ‘The Shape’ killing its victims in ‘HALLOWEEN.’” (62)

“The sky is PISSIN’ DOWN RAIN.” (69)
“This weapon seems made to order for the Brothers Grimm downstairs.” (106)
“KABOOM!!!” (107)

“Bursting out the door and blowing them all away while they’re f*cking around is the way to go.” (113)

“Jules starts to ‘Jimmie’ him.” (123)

“The same light SHINES from the case. Pumpkin’s expression goes to amazement. Honey Bunny across the room, can’t see sh*t.” (153)

THE END is underlined.

Tarantino's script - or playbook - (Faber 1999) contains a few minor excerpts which were cut from the film, a few minor insertions into the film post-script, and a single point of replacement, that being the scene where Vincent goes into Marcellus's house to pick up Mia (pp.43-51). The drop-outs and inclusions are minor; the replacement scene in Marcellus's house with Vincent and Mia is cooler than the original draft - principally because it is less revealing about the quieter development of the relationship between Vincent and Mia, which is more subtly drawn in the restaurant scene. In this case, less is more.

Otherwise, the script pretty much conveys the character, events and f**ked-up brilliance of this grossly macabre black-comedy of a brutal drama that the film portrays; the only thing it can’t properly convey to a non-American is a correct sense of place. Having watched the film several times I can see the locations - the 'typical' coffee-shop, Marcellus's house interior, the Jack-Rabbit restaurant, the pawnshop, the motel, the crossroads, etc. - but I wouldn't otherwise have been able to imagine some of these locations with any sense of place - because a coffee shop in England is not typically a huge eatery at the crossroads of a matrix, as many such joints are in American towns; it's a quaint little Elizabethan higgledy-piggledy building up a cobbled lane...

Having seen the film [1994], of course, the entire script makes sense, bookended - as Prologue and Epilogue - with the young Pumpkin and Honey Bunch holding up the coffee-shop/breakfast joint. Tarantino uses time-chunking to break the conventional Hollywood linear story arc: i.e. that of 1st turning point, 2nd turning point, climax/resolution finale. Instead, he commences the film with one sub-plot (Pumpkin and Honey Bunch) and drops it to develop the first main plot (Vincent and Jules), Act 1, if you like, which seems to hit the 1st TP in the slaughter of the young men, but which actually hits that point in that story arc much later towards the end of the film with the accidental killing of Marvin in the back of the car, the commencement of Act 3.

Inbetween this and the concluding event (the Epilogue). Act 1 is about Mia and Vincent at Marcellus's home, the restaurant, then back, and the cocaine overdose and climax of the adrenaline injection. It ends with a pact of secrecy between Mia and Vincent, who have grown fond of each other, and trust each other, after one date. This is the 1st TP.

Then we cut to the second main plot - The Gold Watch, Act 2 - between Butch and Marcellus. The TP here (#2) is the reconciliation in the basem*nt of the pawnshop, where their feud ends, Butch leaving Marcellus to his vengeance while he goes and collects Fabienne to clear out of town and head off with his betting wins to some sunny island.

Act 3 - The Bonnie Situation - recommences with the Fourth Man, Marvin, now in the back of Vincent and Jules's car, and culminates in Mr. Wolf cleaning up and dropping their car off at the scrap yard. This act runs in an earlier timeframe as Act 2, between Butch and Marcellus, because Vincent is still with Jules.

The time-chunking is used to disrupt the conventional 3TP waveform of the archetypal Hollywood linear filmmaking process, typically used in action/adventure films where mystery and suspense are non-essential to the plot of all-out action. Here, Tarantino plays slightly with the sequence of events to develop, even invert, some of the relationships in the film, and to tell a couple of stories of love (Pumpkin and Honey Bunch; Butch and Fabienne), but also to tell a couple of stories of deep friendship (Vincent and Jules, and Vincent and Mia) - all set around the power centre of Marcellus. But the final 'act' of redemption, the Epilogue, is where Jules sees the error of his ways (through the inability of the Fourth Man to kill him and Vincent), in letting the young coffee-shop robbers go, and not killing them.

But, in fact, this epilogue is the moral epilogue, not the temporal epilogue, because Vincent is 'later' killed by Butch, placing the epilogue roughly two-thirds through the film in linear temporality.

Despite all the violence, gore and perversions in the film (armed robbery, the OD, several young men getting shot, one his head blown off; a boxer punched to death, an enforcer [Vincent] ended, Butch driving into Marcellus, the gimp, Marcellus's rape, Marcellus's imagined revenge on the two hillbilly brothers, the bloody car and its disposal), the story is full of powerful and moving developments of trust and love and is bound by a perverse series of loyalties, enmities and reconciliations, and ends in a moment of redemption for Jules, who finally saves two lives instead of ending them - effectively retiring, while not (we get the irony and the pun).

But the moral prevarications aside - and immorality is central to the film, contrasting with all these loyalties and reconciliations - there are streams interwoven of deep friendship, respect and new-found love, blended amidst a violent web of gangland retribution, drug-dealing and violent enforcement of tribal competition.

Is it a good script? You bet your mother**kin' ass it is. It reads superbly, it directs concisely, it describes perhaps a little overlong on details of Americana unfamiliar (cars, franchises, quotidian American references), but it is fluid, absorbing, repelling and gripping all at once, just this side of the razor blade of its violence. Scenes like the Air Force man Captain Koons's visit are at once profound and messily comic, and it's this mix of strange loyalties and its brutality that makes Pulp Fiction a great script. What makes it a good film is that it is superbly cast in all parts except the minor female ones (Arquette as Jody, de Medeiro as Fabienne, the unseen Jimmie's wife, and the anonymous - and non-essential - Raquel and Trudi). But the part of Mia is central to the film not merely in plot terms, but as a moral fulcrum about which the rest of the characters and action in some way or other pivot and revolve, and Act 2, "Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace's Wife" is the heartening centre of an otherwise brutal script/film, and yet does not even mention Mia's name in it: she is, merely, it seems, Marcellus Wallace's wife.