Film Opening Analysis 1: Pulp Fiction

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 1994
Production Budget: $8m
Domestic Box Office: $108m
Distributors: Miramax, Buena Vista International 
Production Companies: Miramax, A Band Apart, Jersey Films
BBFC Rating: 18
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Gangster, Crime
Intro Length: 07:05
Actors: 
John Travolta
Samuel L. Jackson
Uma Thurman
Bruce Willis

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The first frame is of the American film ident ‘Miramax’.









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The second frame is a still shot of the definition of pulp written in a dictionary style font. It is clear that the second meaning is relevant here, as it sets the tone of the film immediately. It fades in then fades out, which connotes that the film director Quentin Tarantino intended the definition to be kept in mind when watching the film. There is silence in this frame to start the film. 

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The next shot is a medium shot/two shot that introduces two of the main characters in the opening scene (a couple having a conversation while eating breakfast). The man is smoking (in a diner) and lying back with his leg up and foot on the chair suggesting non-conformity and his use of swearing which connotes that he is a rebel of some kind. The woman is sitting up straight connoting that she is a nice, polite and respectful contrast to the man. Also connoting she may be less of a rebel or cares more about seeming polite in public situations than the man does. The shot has high key lighting from the large windows behind them and there is only diegetic sound (background music, activity, quiet music being played and traffic sounds) to let the audience know they are in a kind of busy environment. Normal couple eating in a diner goes against the conventions of a gangster film and it is only when you listen to the conversation they are having do you realize they are criminals. A stereotypical view of gangster or criminal would be in dark suits or hoods and in shady or gangster like areas perhaps at night also but this goes against the brightly lit daytime scene we get in Pulp Fiction.
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The woman gratefully accepts the coffee leading to a match on action shot of waitress pouring coffee. The woman starts acting a lot friendlier towards the waitress. The audience connotes from this that with strangers she is not her usual self but instead trying to appear as an over exaggerated, polite woman. She wants it to appear that everything is perfectly fine and polite at the table, that there is no talk of crime (connotes her as a bit cautious of committing any crime).  





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The lighting and background diegetic sounds remain the same during the entire scene in the diner connoting a relaxed, nothing out of the ordinary environment. The audience believes nothing dramatic is going to happen, they are just listening to what the man has to say about crime (the conversation between the two characters). The man seems to appear trying to convince the woman to do all these things he is talking about with him but she is calm and gentle (the opposite of him). As the man mentions the possibility of having to kill someone, the woman sweetly reacts by smiling saying “I’m not gonna kill anybody” which is strongly against the conventions of a gangster movie but also against the conventions of a couple having dinner together. The narrative enigma then leads on to the topic of robbing the diner in which they are in now. This creates and builds up suspense for the audience wondering if they will actually do it and when. The shots keep getting faster transitions between each other of the character’s faces talking connoting that action and drama is coming and that the couple are serious about robbing the diner right now.

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The man pulls out a gun and slams it on the table which gives a harsh contrast to the relaxed, calm environment portrayed before and lets the audience know they are serious about robbing the diner. Then they kiss each other (against conventions of a crime scene). The man then stands up while the woman turns and hides her face connoting that the man is the dominant figure in the shot, and in the criminal relationship.





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At this point, the climax of the opening scene, all of the built up ideas about the character of the woman are dismissed. She quickly goes from her position of sitting down at the bottom of the frame, to standing up waving a gun wildly around, with an angry face, screaming obscenities. This is not what the audience would have expected when the man suggest she handle “crowd control” in the scene before. The diner scene ends with a freeze-frame of the woman pointing the gun, with the credits beginning to appear at the bottom (film institution – ‘Miramax’). The theme song starts (gangster, action, dramatic, cool song) with all the film credits coming afterwards- another film institution, the director’s name, title of film in bold large font- yellow and orange. The actors’ names appear after this one by one on top of the film title ‘Pulp Fiction’ in yellow as it decreases in size behind the actors’ names. Then more credits appear in yellow this time, with a change of song (non-diegetic sound).

The couple are not heroes, but are criminals (the villains).