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"Violence is one of the most fun things to watch": Tarantino's cinematic highlights
Thursday 20th September 2012 | Osh
With the Christmas release date for Django Unchained drawing ever closer, excitement for Quentin Tarantino’s first film since 2009’s Inglorious Basterds is building rapidly. This time round, the iconic director has grounded his writing-directing skills in Western roots as Christoph Waltz, a German dentist turned bounty hunter, employs freed slave Jamie Foxx to journey with him across the Deep South, taking down the notorious Brittle Brother killers and the cutthroat slave owner (Leonardo Di Caprio) who holds captive Foxx’s wife (Kerry Washington). Long-term Tarantino fans will be pleased to see that Samuel L. Jackson racks up his Tarantino collaborations to number five, making an appearance in Django.
This being a QT film, you can expect an overload of suave badassery in all it’s gun-slinging glory (see razor-sharp one-liners such as “I like the way you die, boy”). Unfortunately, although US fans will see a Christmas release this year, UK audiences will have to wait a little longer for the feature to reach our shores on the 18 January 2013. In the meantime, in anticipation of this impending shoot-out, here are some shining moments on Tarantino’s film reels.
The time Uma Thurman couldn’t handle her cocaine – Pulp Fiction (1994)
John Travolta’s Vince coaching himself in the mirror on how not to fuck up a night looking after his scary mob boss’s wife while she does one line too many in the living room, and the chaos that ensues as consequence, makes for one of many memorable scenes in cult classic Pulp Fiction. From the graphic close ups of her covered in blood and vomit to the manic car drive (and crash), culminating in one violent adrenaline shot to the heart and a raspy breath of life, this must be one of the most high-octane scenes in the film. At the same time, Tarantino managed to make it somewhat funny with the stressed out rants of drug dealer, Lance. In the words of his ever-suffering wife, ‘That was fucking trippy’.
The time Michael Madsen let his inner psycho come out to play – Reservoir Dogs (1992)
About half way through Reservoir Dogs you’ll find a scene where Madsen as Mr Blonde takes it upon himself to torture a cop - casually shimmying away to Stealers Wheel’s ‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ while said cop sits bloodied and bound. I guess with a film where a good 90% of it is set in one room (or warehouse to be precise), Tarantino had to cook up some pretty hardcore ideas to keep the pace not only moving but exploding and ricocheting off the walls. Luckily for your stomachs, the camera is tactically turned away as Mr Blonde hacks away at the officer’s ear, his cavalier attitude reaching dizzying heights of depravity as he asks ‘Was that as good for you as it was for me?’, before strolling to his car to collect petrol with which he intends to set his victim alight. The whole act is uncomfortable watch but, bizarrely, you can’t take your eyes off it.
The time Lucy Lui took on the Japanese mafia – Kill Bill Vol One (2003)
We are introduced to the soon-to-be super assassin Cottonmouth (O-Ren Ishii) via a tragic hack-fest of a cartoon portrayal of the slaughter of her family and her subsequent violent, troubled childhood. The cartoon medium gave Tarantino free reign to hype up the gore factor to ridiculous levels (her father literally becoming an erupting hydrant of blood after being speared with a samurai sword, for example, and his killer the equivalent of about five). Cue the typical vow to avenge the death of her family, leading O-Ren to become a global killing super-force to be reckoned with and head of her own personal army. Her shining moment in the film has to be severing a crime lord’s head for pissing all over her Chinese-Japanese-American heritage, cementing her status as merciless killer. “The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is, I collect your fucking head”. Noted.
Five point palm exploding heart technique – Kill Bill Vol Two (2004)
An awesome bit of hand trickery executed by Ms Thurman causing the infamous Bill’s heart to explode upon walking a number of steps is a pretty cool way to go.
Dead Nigger Storage – Pulp Fiction (1994)
Scene: Jule’s and Vince standing in Jimmy’s kitchen (as played by the director in a cameo appearance) sipping the latter’s gourmet coffee, covered in the blood and guts of a young black dude they’ve accidentally shot and killed. All the while, Jimmy gets more and more aggravated by their presence, hyper-aware of the fact that his wife will soon be home from work, culminating in the repeated question, “Did you notice a sign on the front of my house that said ‘Dead Nigger Storage’?” Classic Tarantino humour at its best.
Sin City (2005)
Special director credits go to Tarantino here as he supports partner in movie gore crime Robert Rodriguez to produce this incredible take on Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same title. Awash with bizarre characters - a deformed yellow rapist who can only get an erection from women’s screams for one, and a mute cannibal called Kevin who spends his time killing prostitutes and feeding them to his pet wolf (the parts he doesn’t eat himself that is) - makes this city one fucked up, dangerous place to live and illuminates the source of its name. Neo-noir camera work, slick casting and a tight execution of the storyline makes it one hell of a ride though.
Cherry Darling as played by Rose McGowan – Planet Terror (2007)
Not actually a Tarantino film so credit has to go to Robert Rodriguez here, but still a part of the Grindhouse double feature and so worth a mention. Have you seen Rose McGowan running around killing weird zombie mutants with a machine gun for a leg?! Nothing more needs to be said here.
Angie Moneke (@angiejudeLDN)
