Nostalgia in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
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Nostalgia in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction The scene between Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) during their dinner at Jack Rabbit Slims in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is “widely regarded as the epitome oF popular post-modern cinema”. (Booker) Combining several outstanding cinematic elements, it has become one oF the most iconic Films oF the 1990’s. Created in homage to cheap magazines printed on "pulp" paper, which embodied a seedy, violent, and oFten crime- related spirit that can also be found in Tarantino’s films, the movie depicts the lives oF two hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wiFe, and a bandit couple whose stories intertwine in several subplots of carnage and redemption. Pulp magazines created a fantastic, escapist Fiction For the general entertainment oF the mass audiences, and consequently Pulp Fiction’s primary Focus is not on intellectual or mythical meaning, but on an emotional response. Despite its eclecticism, or arguably because oF it, Pulp Fiction, starting with the title itself, elicits a Feeling oF nostalgia evoked by memories oF something that no longer exists. (Gormley) The Following paper will attempt to illustrate how Quentin Tarantino uses popular recorded music in order to elicit such feelings in his 1994 blockbuster through an analysis oF several recordings used in the soundtrack placing them in their historical period and discussing the eFFect that they bring to the Films story and themes. Back to Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace. Jack Rabbit Slim’s itself is a tribute to the 1950’s; a time trap Fueled by the romanticizing oF American pop culture. The host is an Ed Sullivan lookalike, the waitresses are dressed up as easily recognizable Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe or Mamie van Doren, guests 1 eat in booths styled as convertibles From the FiFties, and upon their entrance, an Elvis Presley impersonator perForms on stage. (Russel) The high populace of low-liFe’s, gangsters, and boxers along with numerous cinematic aspects oF the movie itselF reFerence the Film noir tradition oF the 40’s and 50’s, but there is little genuine nostalgia For this specific time period in Pulp Fiction. This becomes clear, when Vince and Mia get up to dance in the twist contest, and Chuck Berry’s “You Can Never Tell” beings to play. This record was not released until 1964, and the twist itselF was a phenomenon made popular in the early sixties, so a good decade away From Jack Rabbit Slim’s ambiance. Additionally, by winning the competition, Travolta proves that he is still Travolta, despite all the years and all the pounds he has put on since his appearance in Grease in 1978 and Saturday Night Fever in 1977, which was one oF the most memorable dance perFormances in American Film history (Booker) Here, the dancing is deliberately amateur, yet the scene is one oF the most iconic dance scenes in Film history. Perhaps, what makes it so good is that it doesn’t even need to be there, to move the plot forwards. (Howland) In this sense, the nostalgia evoked by the dance contest sequence at Jack Rabbit Slim's aspires to bring back more oF the 70’s than of the 50’s, recalling the glory days, not of Chuck Berry, but of Travolta himselF. (Booker) Demonstrating that to an extent, he's still the same way and that the “pop culture icon of the 1970’s can still do it in the 1990’s. Pulp Fiction, in short, suggests that its star, like the Film itselF, has deFied the passing oF time.” (Booker) Similarly, the atmosphere oF Jack Rabbit Slim's is exceedingly quasi-historical and instead of portraying an actual desire to return to the 1950’s it is an attempt at embodying the commercial icons of the decade, through the perspective oF the 1990’s 2 resulting in an exaggerated spectacle, merely stimulating nostalgia, rather than evoking a genuine longing for the past. (Booker) From a commercial approach, this Focus makes sense considering that the youth oF the 70’s became a large target audience oF Tarantino’s movie in the 90’s. While this scene may be the most iconic, Mia, does not appear on screen For the First halF hour oF the Film and several attempts oF establishing a nostalgic ambience precede her characters introduction. One such example is at the very beginning when shortly aFter Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) hold up the diner, Pulp Fiction’s opening credits roll, featuring Dick Dale and the Del-Tones surf-rock classic “Misirlou”. While the 50’s were associated with high aspirations, clean-cut appearances and working for a place like IBM, the 60’s excluded nearly all oF those bourgeoisie values. Young people rejected a technological society and promoted oneness with nature. Rock, and especially surf-rock was the most commonly associated Form oF music with this newly acquired, hippy-inFluenced mindset. Considering that Tarantino has been quoted saying, "More or less the way my method works is you have got to find the opening credit sequence first. That starts it off from me. I find the personality of the piece through the music that is going to be in it... It is the rhythm of the film. Once I know I want to do something, then it is a simple matter of me diving into my record collection and finding the songs that give me the rhythm of my movie." “Misirlou’s” sudden, loud, and frenzied entrance fits in perfectly. More importantly, however, it provides a nostalgic Factor. The surF-rock jam was produced during the Inbetween Years, and despite this period being demonized by many music critics, the early 60's generally mark a moment in history when mainstream music encompassed the most diversity (aside From today). 3 Authentic teenage culture leaked into the mainstream through surF bands and over time surFing became a liFestyle. Since the movie itselF has very little to do with surFing, or even its general tranquil ambience, the purpose of Dale’s immediately recognizable “Misirlou” is to evoke nostalgia through those positive feelings, senses and values, which are popularly associated with the surf lifestyle. And despite what The Black Eyed Peas did to in 2006, it’s a great song. Although the majority oF “Misirlou” is played over the opening credits of Pulp Fiction, these musical sounds, particularly the introduction, have become engrained in modern culture because oF this moment; the moment Tarantino introduced the world to his second film, a Film that 16 years later hasn’t aged a day. Mid-credits, “Jungle Boogie” by Kool & The Gang starts to play. The otherwise seemingly random transition is marked by a sound eFFect imitating the turning oF a radio dial. Playing music through a character’s vehicle is an effect that Tarantino returns to in many oF his later Films, achieving nostalgia not only through the music but also the appearance oF classic, American muscle cars, like in the Deathproof. The heterogeneity of Pulp Fiction allows for the appearance of this song, a recording, which belongs to the seventies tradition of funk and has little with the surF-rock that heard seconds earlier. This segue from an instrumental surf guitar to a distinct 1970’s funk is Tarantino making sure that nobody is sitting too comfortably, by the time the camera shows Vincent and Jules, and sets the tone For a similarly hectic and eclectic narrative. Returning to Mia Wallace, the First time she is introduced, her looks are hidden both From Vincent and the audience while Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” plays. The Mia we see in this scene serves as a serious contrast to the coke-infused Mia we see taking part in the twist concert and later 4 overdosing. In 1987, the writers oF Rolling Stone magazine placed the release at #77 among “The 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years”. In 2002, the record was placed at #43 of the “Greatest Singles oF All Time” by the writers oF New Music Express, and in 2004, the song made the Rolling Stone list oF “The 500 Greatest Songs oF All Time”. “Son oF a Preacher Man” may thereFore be one oF the most timeless records in history and serves as a reminder of a 1960’s icon similarly important to pop culture as Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn. On the "Collectors Edition" DVD of Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino is recorded saying that he probably would not have done that scene had he not been able to use "Son of a Preacher Man". Since, nostalgia is a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a Former time, such an emotional response can be obtained through the presentation oF media texts, which are socially associated with positivity. “Son oF a Preacher Man” Falls within this category. Positive sensations linked to a song can also serve as a way to associate certain characters with positivity, despite their actions. Tarantino’s methods are rather unusual for film; he seems to never complete his scene, but cutaway to another and return later, in a somewhat TV program manner. It can therefore be difficult to relate to his already, severely detached absurd and exaggerated characters therefore music becomes a way to connect with them. MystiFyingly introducing Mia through Dusty Springfield and Chuck Berry allows the audience to associate her with positive Feelings triggered by the music, and when Urge Overkill’s new take on the classic “Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon” eventually plays, and Mia ultimately mistakes some heroin For coke the audience sympathizes with her during her the 5 overdose despite her irresponsibility and fearing for Vincent who is surely going to be turned to pulp if Marcellus Wallace’s wife dies.