“Death Proof” is erratic and oversaturated, even by Tarantino standards. An extended opening introduces us to Kurt Russell’s Stuntman Mike and a handful of coeds who spit one-liners as they inch towards inevitable death. Russell was the best part of the film and “Death Proof” is, to the day, the only Quentin Tarantino movie I didn’t like. “Death Proof” is too busy to adhering to the “Grindhouse” blueprint that the final product feels like a black sheep in the Tarantino mold.
Tarantino already had his career in the bag by the time he got to “Jackie Brown”. With anticipation comes pressure and “Jackie Brown” stood every chance of repeating formulas. But thankfully that didn’t happen. Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel “Rum Punch”, “Jackie Brown” follows a flight attendant whose secondary source of income is strictly under the table: smuggling money between Mexico and the US. “Jackie Brown” doesn’t only take its time with its characters, it replaces all the colorful bells and whistles that tend to show up in Tarantino movies and trims all excess. This film is tight, clever and brutal. And it’s from its grounded lack of showiness that “Jackie Brown” ends up leaving such a resounding impression.
Tarantino’s take on a Western meets whodunnit. “The Hateful Eight” follows eight strangers who get stranded in a stagecoach stop during a blizzard. With its nearly three hour runtime, it can at times be a drag. But some truly tense moments, it being set in one location and a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, make this a solid movie in general terms.
Tarantino has no problem rewriting the past. In fact, he’s happy to create a character whose sole purpose is to directly influence some of the darkest moments in history. In “Django Unchained” his target is African-American slavery in the United States. The film revolves around the titular Django, who embarks on a life bounty hunt with the lively Dr. King Shultz, in order to find and rescue his wife Broomhilda. The revenge tale is as satisfying as it is deserved. Movies are often an arena where justice is served at the end of a bullet, and while many offer cathartic satisfaction, “Django Unchained” unites rage with heroism. Tarantino didn’t just craft a simple revenge fantasy, but a quest.
“Kill Bill: Vol.1” marked a new era for Tarantino. With the biggest budget of his career, he had the money and freedom to make the action film he’d always wanted to see. Every frame is overloaded with references and the heart of a man who just loves movies. That joy of film making and obsession with pop culture is the heart of “Kill Bil:l Vol. 1”. It remains one of the greatest action movies of all time.
What began as a bloodbath, finishes in the sequel “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” as more restrained and beautiful. This film adds emotional depth to its characters while gracefully expanding the story and universe of Tarantino, built in “Kill Bill: Vol. 1”.
It’s impossible to ignore that “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is Tarantino’s most emotionally honest, his most beautiful looking and his funniest film. Brad Pitt (especially) and Leonardo DiCaprio are an absolute delight. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” shows again the love Tarantino has for movies and even though it’s long, it never suffers from that.
It might not be as cohesive as other Tarantino films, “Inglourious Basterds” is probably the most entertaining of the bunch. With scenes of high-tension, verbal sparring and scalp-smashing mayhem. The film is also notable for introducing us to Christoph Waltz as silver-tongued sociopath Hans Landa, one of the most compelling film villains in forever. And the movie’s opening scene, which is a 15 minute long verbal chess match, is one of the best opening scenes I have ever seen.
My love for this movie is big and goes way back. It rewrote the formula for movie making and redefined the structure, language and rhythm of film making. Tarantino single-handedly redirected the future of independent cinema while creating a new standard of “cool” in movies. And “Pulp Fiction” has inspired multiple generations of film makers.
Tarantino’s full-length debut remains a masterclass example of a film maker who arrived in this world fully formed as both a writer and director. He immediately defined himself as a masterful writer, able to craft mind-bending scripts that play with time and traditional narrative structure. Tense writing, smart scenes filled to the brim with fast-paced dialogue covered in wit. That Steve Buscemi monologue is a great exampled of how Tarantino can make even the most mundane of conversations completely unforgettable.
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