This is a collection of sketches/scenes. The reason, I think, that there are flashbacks and then flash forwards and then more flashbacks and then flashbacks FROM the flashbacks…is that Tarantino wanted an excuse for the film to be ragged and non-linear, intermittently interesting and dull. Try to find the “story” here, if you want…but it’s not about diamonds.
To me, this is Quentin Tarantino’s rough draft of moviemaking for ‘Pulp Fiction’, a much better and more polished effort. Just like ‘Pulp’, this has some funny scenes, some bloody scenes, some macho scenes, etc etc etc…but unlike ‘Pulp’ they’re not strung together in very interesting fashion. It’s almost like he wrote a dozen different scenes and then asked someone to pull a Terry Gilliam and link them together, because he had no friggin idea how. Also perhaps because he was short on funds (Notice Keitel’s bad attempt at cigarette-lighting that makes the final cut).
All that being said, this is good for what it is. What is it? It’s a macho movie with lots of confrontation, arguing, fighting, shooting, bleeding, and so forth. There are SCENES that escape this formula, but not enough to lift it out of formulaic…although the ending is certainly fun to watch with a sort of grim fatalism. Is this worth watching? Yes, if only as a document of Tarantino’s progression, much like “Tangerine” to “Stairway To Heaven”. Worth owning? I don’t believe in owning Steve Buscemi movies.
Inspirational Quote: “Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie…or are you gonna bite?”
Grade: B-
9/1/14: “Tarantino’s rough draft of moviemaking for ‘Pulp Fiction’”.
Well, I did say (and still think) ‘Pulp’ was a bit too slick. So, this is a bit too raw…still a good movie. Grade: B