Pulp Fiction - Crime Thriller

Pulp Fiction

In the opening of Pulp Fiction the viewer is immediately drawn into and fully immersed in theses charters lives. The man is smoking in the booth with his leg up on bench, his body language shows he doesn't care about rules and what he is meant to do; he is a charismatic leader type. The woman sitting opposite has her arms into her body, and her hands are in claw like position, she is possibly uncomfortable as she is in a defensive position. She looks weak; she is not the leader in the couple. The location is a classic American cafe with red leather booths and rounded island table fixed to the wall.

At 00:42 we see a mid-close up of the woman; we see her smiling and being an ideal customer to the waitress. See thanks her for he coffee, the atmosphere is calm, collected and generally nice. The use of a sepia filter gives the scene a warm, cosy feel.

At 01:00 the main character is no longer calm and relaxed; he is leaning forward, getting closer to the woman and enforcing his words. he is explaining a plan about prime places to rob that people just don't rob. This discussion is a juxtaposition as the location and nicety of the woman and the warm feel from the filter. As the conversation is taboo you would not expect it to be spoken about this openly in public.

Suddenly the shot changes from a 2 shot to a series of close ups between the two characters, the previously nice woman becomes aggressive and looks far more psychopathic. The man and the woman lean in close increasing the intensity of the conversation dramatically.

The man then pulls out a gun placing it on the table and the seriousness of the situation becomes clear. Finally they kiss over the table and the gun, but this lovely moment is crushed by the final scene.

The final scene shows the couple yelling pointing there guns at the customers. The previously passive woman has suddenly become a loud, extremely aggressive and threatening to kill the customers. This dramatic change in how to woman acts is a shock and completely changes how you view the character.