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30 years ago, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction shook Hollywood and redefined ‘cool’ cinema

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-mccann-398197">Ben McCann</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p>What might be the most seismic moment in American cinema? Film “speaking” for the first time in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SzltpkGz0M">The Jazz Singer</a>? Dorothy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4eQmTizTSo">entering</a> the Land of Oz? That <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_D3a2pZtk">menacing shark</a> that in 1975 invented the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-history-of-the-blockbuster-movie/">summer blockbuster</a>?</p> <p>Or how about that moment when two hitmen on their way to a job began talking about the intricacies of European fast food while listening to Kool &amp; The Gang?</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2j_A6e-VESk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Directed by Quentin Tarantino, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/">Pulp Fiction</a> (1994) celebrates its 30th birthday this month. Watching it now, this story of a motley crew of mobsters, drug dealers and lowlifes in sunny Los Angeles still feels startlingly new.</p> <p>Widely regarded as Tarantino’s masterpiece, the director’s dazzling second film was considered era-defining for its memorable dialogue, innovative narrative structure and unique blend of humour and violence. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, made stars of Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, and revitalised John Travolta’s career.</p> <p>Pulp Fiction is dark, often poignant, and very funny. It is, as one critic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/apr/13/my-favourite-cannes-winner-pulp-fiction">describes it</a>, an “intravenous jab of callous madness, black comedy and strange unwholesome euphoria”.</p> <h2>A Möbius strip plot</h2> <p>Famous for its non-linear narrative, Pulp Fiction weaves together <a href="https://thescriptlab.com/features/main/1457-structure-of-pulp-fiction-method-in-the-madness/">a trio of connected crime stories</a>. The three chapters – Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife, The Gold Watch and The Bonnie Situation – loop, twist and intersect but, crucially, never confuse the viewer.</p> <p>Tarantino has often paid tribute to French filmmakers <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jean-luc-godard-quentin-tarantino-ultimate-hero/">Jean-Luc Godard</a> and <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/director-deeply-inspired-quentin-tarantino/">Jean-Pierre Melville</a>, whose earlier films also presented their narratives out of chronological order and modified the rules of the crime genre.</p> <p>By inviting audiences to piece Pulp Fiction together like a puzzle, Tarantino laid the way for subsequent achronological films such as Memento (2000), Go (1999) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).</p> <h2>Pop culture meets postmodernism</h2> <p>In his influential essay Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, first published in 1984, political theorist Frederic Jameson coined the term “<a href="https://literariness.org/2016/04/04/fredric-jamesons-concept-of-depthlessness/">new depthlessness</a>” to describe postmodern culture.</p> <p>Jameson perceived a shift away from the depth, meaning and authenticity that characterised earlier forms of culture, towards a focus on surface and style.</p> <p>Pulp Fiction <a href="http://moviemezzanine.com/the-eyes-behind-the-mask-pulp-fiction-and-postmodernity-20-years-later/">fits</a> Jameson’s definition of depthlessness. It is stuffed with homages to popular culture and a vivid array of character types drawn from other B-movies – hitmen, molls, mob bosses, double-crossing boxers, traumatised war veterans and tuxedo-wearing “fixers”. It is a film of surfaces and <a href="https://wiki.tarantino.info/index.php/Pulp_Fiction_Movie_References_Guide">allusions</a>.</p> <p>Jackson, Travolta and Thurman feature alongside established 1990s box-office stars including Bruce Willis and industry stalwarts Harvey Keitel and Christopher Walken, both of whom have brief but memorable cameos.</p> <p>The film’s most iconic scene takes place at the retro 1950s-themed Jack Rabbit Slim’s diner. Thurman’s twist contest with Travolta fondly echoes Travolta’s earlier dancing in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and pays homage to other dance scenes in films such as 8 ½ (1963) and Band of Outsiders (1964).</p> <h2>Words and music</h2> <p>Film critic Roger Ebert <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pulp-fiction-1994">once noted</a> how Tarantino’s characters “often speak at right angles to the action”, giving long speeches before getting on with the job at hand.</p> <p>Pulp Fiction is full of witty and quotable monologues and dialogue, ranging from the philosophical to the mundane. Conversations about foot massages and blueberry pie bump up against Bible verses and reflections on fate and redemption.</p> <p>The film’s 1995 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay was a fitting achievement for Tarantino, who many regard as <a href="https://medium.com/word-garden/tarantinos-conversations-are-the-best-in-movie-history-this-is-why-52e06de4f773">the snappiest writer</a> in film history. Countless other filmmakers have looked to replicate Pulp Fiction’s mashup of cool and coarse.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S6Vuj8tF-kk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Needle drops are <a href="https://medium.com/cuepoint/the-music-of-pulp-fiction-8a13a7cdb5a8">just as important</a> in establishing Pulp Fiction’s mood and tone. The film’s eclectic soundtrack pings between surf rock, soul and classic rock ‘n’ roll.</p> <p>The soundtrack peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and stayed in the charts for <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/how-pulp-fiction-reinvented-the-film-soundtrack-anniversary">more than a year</a>.</p> <h2>Dividing the critics</h2> <p>Though it was officially released in October 1994, Pulp Fiction had already made a stir earlier that by winning the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.</p> <p>Many expected Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours: Red to take <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/09/three-colours-red-cannes">the top prize</a>. Tarantino himself seemed stunned, telling the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnS5pXQQmR4&amp;t=188s">Cannes audience</a>: “I don’t make the kind of movies that bring people together. I make movies that split people apart.”</p> <p>The film has divided critics ever since.</p> <p>Many adored Pulp Fiction for its intoxicating allure and sheer adrenaline-fuelled pleasure. To this day it maintains a 92% critic score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pulp_fiction">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. Film critic Todd McCarthy <a href="https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/pulp-fiction-1200437049/">called it</a> a film “bulging with boldness, humour and diabolical invention”.</p> <p>But the backlash was equally robust. <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2014/10/pulp-fiction-bad-film">Some</a> criticised the film for its excessive gore and irresponsible use of racial slurs. Screenwriting guru Syd Field <a href="https://sydfield.com/syd_resources/pulp-fiction/">felt</a> it was too shallow and too talky. Jean-Luc Godard, once one of Tarantino’s idol, apparently <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2022/12/0eav5zg509ajlqjg9xc8em2m3xrorw">hated it</a>.</p> <p>Nonetheless, its financial success (a <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0110912/">box office return</a> of US$213 million from an $8 million budget) signalled the growing importance and cultural prestige of independent US films. Miramax, the studio that backed it, went on to <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Down_and_Dirty_Pictures/aXn_CwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=down+and+dirty+pictures,+biskind&amp;printsec=frontcover">become</a> a major force in the industry.</p> <h2>A lasting legacy</h2> <p>Shortly after Pulp Fiction’s release, the word “Tarantinoesque” <a href="https://www.oed.com/dictionary/tarantinoesque_adj">appeared</a> in the Oxofrd English Dictionary. The entry reads:</p> <blockquote> <p>Resembling or imitative of the films of Quentin Tarantino; characteristic or reminiscent of these films Tarantino’s films are typically characterised by graphic and stylized violence, non-linear storylines, cineliterate references, satirical themes, and sharp dialogue.</p> </blockquote> <p>Pulp Fiction has since been parodied and knocked off countless times. Hollywood suddenly began <a href="http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-worst-copycat-films-of-pulp-fiction/">mass-producing low-budget crime thrillers</a> with witty, self-reflexive dialogue. Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), 2 Days In The Valley (1996) and Very Bad Things (1998) are just some example.</p> <p>Graffiti artist Bansky even <a href="https://banksyexplained.com/pulp-fiction-2004/">stencilled</a> the likeness of Jules and Vincent all over London, with bananas in place of guns. The Simpsons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u6wR_2S4xQ">got in on the act</a> too.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4u6wR_2S4xQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Tarantino <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/profile-hollywood-s-hitman-quentin-tarantino-a-sadist-or-just-a-stylist-david-thomson-on-the-boywonder-director-of-pulp-fiction-1444551.html">once summed up</a> his working method as follows:</p> <blockquote> <p>Ultimately all I’m trying to do is merge sophisticated storytelling with lurid subject matter. I reckon that makes for an entertaining night at the movies.</p> </blockquote> <p>I’d say there’s no better way to describe Pulp Fiction.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236877/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-mccann-398197">Ben McCann</a>, Associate Professor of French Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Miramax</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/30-years-ago-tarantinos-pulp-fiction-shook-hollywood-and-redefined-cool-cinema-236877">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Quentin Tarantino defends directorial decisions

<p dir="ltr">Quentin Tarantino has defended his choice to not include sex scenes in his movies. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rising to fame in 1992 with <em>Reservoir Dogs</em>, and becoming a household name with <em>Pulp Fiction</em>, he continued to wow the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">The legendary director has worked on several accredited films including, <em>Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, </em>and<em> Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to the Catalan Spanish newspaper <em>Diari ARA</em>, the iconic filmmaker defended the lack of sex scenes decision.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It’s true, sex is not part of my vision of cinema. And the truth is that, in real life, it’s a pain to shoot sex scenes, everyone is very tense. And if it was already a bit problematic to do it before, now it is even more so. If there had ever been a sex scene that was essential to the story, I would have, but so far it hasn’t been necessary.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sex has never been a major factor in any of his films due to their primarily violent crime-driven nature. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tarantino is currently working on his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/quentin-tarantino-teases-retirement">tenth and final film</a> and although the plot remains unknown, we’re pretty certain there won’t be any sex scenes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Quentin Tarantino teases retirement

<p dir="ltr">Quentin Tarantino just might have found his last movie to direct. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>, the legendary filmmaker will be directing <em>The Movie Critic</em>, a script he wrote and is in the midst of putting it into production.</p> <p dir="ltr">There are not many details known about the movie, but according to the report, the movie will feature a female lead and will be set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, which has led to speculation about the subject of the film being the late film critic, Pauline Kael. </p> <p dir="ltr">The filmmaker’s last movie was always set to be a special one, with him having well-documented respect for Ms Kael, so it makes sense that she would be the focus of his last film. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tarantino has long been considering his next movie, pretty much since his Oscar winning <em>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</em> in 2019. </p> <p dir="ltr">He spoke to broadcast journalist Chris Wallace about sounding out of touch as the film industry rapidly changes around him; Tarantino explained, “Well, it's... I've been doing it for a long time. I've been doing it for 30 years, and it's.. it's time to wrap up the show. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Like I said, I'm an entertainer. I want to leave you wanting more you know, and not just work and I don't want to work to diminishing returns.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't want to be... one, I don't want to become this old man who's out of touch when already I'm feeling a bit like an old man out of touch when it comes to the current movies that are out right now. And that's what happens.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It seems as though a brand new story is where Tarantino will end his directorial career.  </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b246f25a-7fff-6ec0-4501-41a66523bd46"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Brad Pitt has a list of actors he’ll never work with again

<p dir="ltr">The people you work with have the power to make going to work heavenly or hellish, so it should come as no surprise that Brad Pitt - whose career in acting and producing spans 35 years - would be selective about who he works with.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, <em>Bullet Train</em> co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has revealed that Pitt has a “long” list of actors he never wants to work with again.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor-Johnson told <em>Variety</em> that Pitt keeps notes on who he likes and dislikes when he’s making films.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time,” the 32-year-old explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You work with many actors and after a while you start making notes - ‘I am definitely not working with this person ever again’.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Brad has this list too: the ‘good’ list and the ‘s**t’ list.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0b58473c-7fff-a28a-53f3-7b4800d2810c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But, Taylor-Johnson was tight-lipped as to who was on Pitt’s “s**t list”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPY8Eyr9kZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPY8Eyr9kZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (@aarontaylorjohnson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">It comes after the <em>Fight Club</em> star recently revealed he would be winding down his acting career to the dismay of her millions of fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pitt told a popular men’s magazine that he was on the “last leg” of his career and that he chooses his new projects very carefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor-Johnson said his 58-year-old costar “is in a new chapter of his life”, describing him as “a humble and gracious human being”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Quentin Tarantino, who worked with Pitt on <em>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood</em>, said that when Pitt does retire, Hollywood will lose “one of the last remaining big-screen movie stars”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just a different breed of man,” Tarantino said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c7a240c0-7fff-ce3d-7ca0-1b30139672c6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“And frankly, I don’t think you can describe exactly what that is because it’s like describing starshine.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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From Tarantino to Squid Game: why do so many people enjoy violence?

<p>Last month, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/13/squid-game-is-netflixs-biggest-debut-hit-reaching-111m-viewers-worldwide">more than 100 million people</a> watched the gory Netflix show, Squid Game. Whether or not screen violence is bad for us has been extensively studied. The <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-29260-002">consensus is</a> that it can have negative effects. But the question of why we are drawn to watch violence has received much less attention. </p> <p>Death, blood and violence have always pulled a crowd. Ancient Romans flocked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1234-981X(199710)5:4%3C401::AID-EURO205%3E3.0.CO;2-C">carnage in the Colosseum</a>. In later centuries, <a href="https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592692.001.0001/acprof-9780199592692">public executions were big box-office</a>. In the modern era, the film director Quentin Tarantino believes that: “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2013/01/quentin-tarantino-violence-quotes/319586/">In movies, violence is cool. I like it</a>”. Many of us seem to agree with him. A study of high-grossing movies found <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/133/1/71">90% had a segment</a> where the main character was involved in violence. Similarly, most Americans <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-58515-001">enjoy horror films</a> and watch them several times a year. </p> <h2>Who is watching this stuff?</h2> <p>Some people are more likely to enjoy violent media than others. Being male, aggressive and having less empathy all <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0702_5">make you more likely</a> to enjoy watching screen violence. There are also certain personality traits associated liking violent media. Extroverted people, who seek excitement, and people who are more open to aesthetic experiences, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0704_5">like watching violent movies more</a>. </p> <p>Conversely, people high in agreeableness - characterised by humility and sympathy for others - tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0704_5">like violent media less</a>.</p> <h2>…but why?</h2> <p>One theory is that watching violence is cathartic, draining out our excess aggression. However, this idea is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/3/4/491">not well supported by evidence</a>. When angry people watch violent content, they <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Media-Entertainment-The-Psychology-of-Its-Appeal/Zillmann-Vorderer/p/book/9780805833256">tend to get angrier</a>.</p> <p>More recent research, derived from studies of horror films, suggests there may be three categories of people who enjoy watching violence, each with their own reasons. </p> <p>One group has been dubbed “<a href="https://psyarxiv.com/sdxe6/">adrenaline junkies</a>”. These sensation seekers want new and intense experiences, and are more likely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0702_5">to get a rush</a> from watching violence. Part of this group may be people who like seeing others suffer. Sadists feel other people’s pain <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-psychopaths-to-everyday-sadists-why-do-humans-harm-the-harmless-144017">more than normal</a>, and enjoy it.</p> <p>Another group enjoys watching violence because they feel they learn something from it. In horror studies, such people are called “<a href="https://psyarxiv.com/sdxe6/">white knucklers</a>”. Like adrenaline junkies, they feel intense emotions from watching horror. But they dislike these emotions. They tolerate it because they feel it helps them learn something about how to survive. </p> <p>This is a bit like <a href="https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/musichtc_facpub/26">benign masochism</a>, the enjoyment of aversive, painful experiences in a safe context. If we can tolerate some pains, we may gain something. Just as “painful” <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/lev/article/view/104693">cringe comedies may teach us social skills</a>, watching violence may teach us survival skills.</p> <p>A final group seems to get both sets of benefits. They enjoy the sensations generated by watching violence and feel they learn something. In the horror genre, such people have been called “<a href="https://psyarxiv.com/sdxe6/">dark copers</a>”.</p> <p>The idea that people enjoy watching safe, on-screen violence because it can teach us something is called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152">threat simulation theory</a>”. This fits with the observation that the people who seem most attracted to watching violence (aggressive young men) are also those most likely to be encountering or dishing out such violence.</p> <p>Watching violence from the safety of our sofa may be a way to prepare ourselves for a violent and dangerous world. Violence hence appeals for a good reason. Interestingly, a recent study found that horror fans and morbidly curious individuals were <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886920305882">more psychologically resilient</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p> <h2>Is it really the violence we like?</h2> <p>There are reasons to reconsider how much we like watching violence per se. For example, in one study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08934210500084198">researchers showed</a>two groups of people the 1993 movie, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106977/">The Fugitive</a>. One group were shown an unedited movie, while another saw a version with all violence edited out. Despite this, both groups liked the film equally. </p> <p>This finding has been supported by other studies which have also found that removing graphic violence from a film <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224549909598417">does not make people like it less</a>. There is even evidence that people <a href="https://academic.oup.com/hcr/article-abstract/35/3/442/4107507">enjoy non-violent versions</a> of films more than violent versions.</p> <p>Many people may be enjoying something that coincides with violence, rather than violence itself. For example, violence creates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12112">tension and suspense</a>, which may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08838150701626446">what people find appealing</a>. </p> <p>Another possibility is that it is <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1087.404&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf">action, not violence</a>, which people enjoy. Watching violence also offers a great chance for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12112">making meaning</a> about finding meaning in life. Seeing violence allows us to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12112">reflect on the human condition</a>, an experience we value. </p> <p>Other theories are also out there. “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405186407.wbiece049">Excitation transfer theory</a>” suggests that watching violence makes us aroused, a feeling that persists until the end of the show, making the end feel more pleasing. The “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2011.570826">forbidden fruit hypothesis</a>” proposes that it is violence being deemed off-limits that makes it appealing. Consistent with this, warning labels <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-06304-002">increase people’s interest</a> in violent programmes.</p> <p>Finally, it may be that it is justified punishment, rather than violence, that we enjoy watching. Indeed, whenever people anticipate being able to punish wrongdoers, the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1100735">reward centres of their brain</a> light up like fairgrounds. That said, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/hcr/article-abstract/35/3/442/4107507">less than half the violence</a> on TV is inflicted on baddies by goodies. </p> <h2>Political motives?</h2> <p>All this suggests that media companies may be giving us violence that many of us <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2011.570826">don’t want or need</a>. We should hence consider what other corporate, political or ideological pressures may be encouraging onscreen violence globally.</p> <p>For example, the US government has a close interest in, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/washington-dcs-role-behind-the-scenes-in-hollywood-goes-deeper-than-you-think-80587">influence over Hollywood</a>. Portrayals of violence can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920517739093">manufacture our consent</a> with government policies, encourage us to endorse the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2015.1086614">legitimacy of state power and state violence</a>, and help <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/78912/manufacturing-consent-by-edward-s-herman-and-noam-chomsky/">determine who are “worthy victims”</a>.</p> <p>The messages onscreen violence send can, however, cause us to become disconnected with reality. <a href="https://stevenpinker.com/publications/better-angels-our-nature">When crime rates fall</a>, <a href="https://publisher.abc-clio.com/9780313015977/">onscreen violence</a> can make us think that crime is increasing. Movies also lie about the real <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071054/">impact of violence</a> on the human body – with almost 90% of violent actions showing no realistic physical consequences to the victim. Movies can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs101201918809">disguise the reality of male violence</a> against women and children.</p> <p>The American political scientist <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/84573/the-clash-of-civilizations-and-the-remaking-of-world-order-by-samuel-p-huntington/">Samuel Huntington once wrote that</a>, “The west won the world not by the superiority of its ideas … but rather by its superiority in applying organised violence. Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.” We should be constantly aware of how fake violence on our screens serves real violence in our world.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-tarantino-to-squid-game-why-do-so-many-people-enjoy-violence-170251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Tarantino has a questionable record in the #MeToo context – so should we boycott his new film?

<p><em>This story contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.</em></p> <p>While promoting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was asked why Margot Robbie’s character – murdered actress Sharon Tate – was given so few lines. An “angry-looking Tarantino”, as reported the ABC, curtly replied: “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-23/tarantino-snaps-at-reporter-over-question-about-margot-robbie/11141352">Well, I just reject your hypothesis</a>.”</p> <p>Tate’s implied lack of voice and Tarantino’s refusal to address the extreme violence against women in the film has renewed discussions about his representations and treatment of women on screen.</p> <p>The #MeToo movement and cancel culture have shifted the way we consume media. So what does this mean for Tarantino and his depictions of violence?</p> <p><strong>25 bloody years on the big screen</strong></p> <p>Tarantino found instant acclaim with his debut Reservoir Dogs in 1992. Two years later, Pulp Fiction solidified his cult status. Over his 25-year career, he has directed nine films spanning western to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/11/blaxploitation-shaft-foxy-brown-film">blaxploitation</a> to samurai. Across genres, his films are united by the protagonist’s quest for justice and bloody vengeance.</p> <p>Tarantino is notorious for his stylised and hyperreal violence: macabre, shocking, and comical. When Pulp Fiction first came out, I was a first-year undergraduate studying and making films. I revelled in Tarantino’s approach to storytelling and the film’s originality.</p> <p>Tarantino was the new King of Cool, and Pulp Fiction heralded a new era of filmmaking. Discussions about the violence mainly revolved around the subject of style and Tarantino’s brand of humour.</p> <p>25 years later I’m analysing Tarantino again. But now it’s in the context of one of the largest social activist movements in contemporary history.</p> <p><strong>Contemporary controversies</strong></p> <p>Tarantino has come under the #MeToo spotlight mainly because of his close partnership with Miramax and The Weinstein Company, both co-founded by Harvey Weinstein (currently facing multiple counts of rape and sexual assault), and the distributors of most of Tarantino’s films.</p> <p>The controversy, however, goes deeper than guilt by Weinstein-association: Tarantino has admitted being a knowing bystander. In <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/movies/tarantino-weinstein.html">a 2017 interview</a>, Tarantino said: “There was more to it than just the normal rumors, the normal gossip. It wasn’t secondhand. I knew [Weinstein] did a couple of these things.”</p> <p>Tarantino also faced allegations of misconduct by Uma Thurman, who rose to fame in Pulp Fiction and starred in Kill Bill: Volumes 1 &amp; 2.</p> <p>In 2018, Thurman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/opinion/sunday/this-is-why-uma-thurman-is-angry.html">spoke about a car crash</a> during the filming of Kill Bill: Volume 1 which caused long-term neck and knee injuries. Despite airing her concerns about safety, Tarantino convinced her to perform the stunt.</p> <p>Tarantino has <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/02/quentin-tarantino-uma-thurman-regrets">since admitted</a> his wrongdoing.</p> <p>This is an example of the hypocrisy in Hollywood: Kill Bill was about female empowerment, but its star was being coerced by the director and pressured by the studio.</p> <p>Days after Thurman’s interview, an <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/quentin-tarantino-roman-polanski-rape-young-girl-sex-minor-uma-thurman-director-a8197811.html">audio recording</a> resurfaced from 2003 where Tarantino defended director Roman Polanski’s sexual abuse of a 13-year-old victim in 1977. Polanski was 43 at the time.</p> <p>Tarantino can be heard saying: “she was down with it. [ … ] I don’t believe it’s rape. I mean not at 13. Not – not for these 13-year-old party girls.”</p> <p>Alongside the era of #MeToo we have seen a rise in “<a href="https://oracle.newpaltz.edu/culture-critique-the-power-of-cancel-culture/">cancel culture</a>”, where questionable views and actions of influential figures are called out, and audiences are encouraged to withdraw support. Calls for “cancelling” Tarantino <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/23/cancel-quentin-tarantino-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood">are growing</a>.</p> <p>He may be a groundbreaking filmmaker still breaking records at the box office – but is this enough for us to overlook his indiscretions?</p> <p><strong>What happens in the cinema, stays in the cinema?</strong></p> <p>Should we stop watching films connected with problematic individuals? What do we gain from cancelling the works of Tarantino, Polanski, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/may/13/ronan-farrow-interview-woody-allen-harvey-weinstein-me-too">Woody Allen</a> and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2019/01/23/bohemian-rhapsody-director-bryan-singer-faces-new-sexual-abuse-allegations_a_23651119/">Bryan Singer</a> from our collective consciousness?</p> <p>Should judgement of a movie be separate to our judgement of the people who create them? Can we judge a movie separate to our judgement of the people who create them?</p> <p>During a screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood my mind drifted to these matters.</p> <p>I wondered if Tarantino still had the same admiration for Polanski as he did in 2003; whether he still holds those skewed ideas about rape.</p> <p>I was irritated that Emile Hirsch was cast as Jay Sebring - Tate’s close friend and former lover. Hirsch <a href="https://variety.com/2015/film/news/emile-hirsch-guilty-assault-15-days-jail-1201571705/">plead guilty</a> to assaulting a female studio executive in 2015.</p> <p>At a time when abusers are being publicly denounced on social media, did Tarantino have any reservations about this casting choice? Was it even an issue for him?</p> <p>Despite these questions, I could not suppress my laughter and gasps of gleeful shock at the spectacle of violence in the film’s climax.</p> <p>And it is violent. The most striking death is when one of the female members of the Manson Family is maimed in the face by a can of dog food, before being fried with a flamethrower.</p> <p>Over the course of the film, my thoughts continually wandered between the story on screen to the story off screen. Real world politics kept intruding into my viewing experience.</p> <p><strong>To boycott, or not to boycott</strong></p> <p>I left the cinema ruminating on the confusing range of emotions and responses I had, ready to unpack how the baggage of Tarantino’s opinions and treatment of female characters and cast members have influenced the way I read Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.</p> <p>Boycotting a film can send a strong message – not least of all to the studio’s bottom line. But there is also benefit to viewing these films, and using them as talking points for why we find them problematic.</p> <p>Watching Tarantino now, I still have immense respect for the artistry of his films and their aura of detached coolness. They captured the zeitgeist of a Generation X that was desperate for something different.</p> <p>But knowing some of the troubling issues surrounding a production and the filmmaker has added another layer of awareness and critique. It has given the films a different sort of relevance for the times. The questions I ask don’t look the same as those I asked before.</p> <p>Tarantino isn’t making cinema in the same world as he once was – but then again, I’m not watching it in the same world, either.</p> <p><em>Written by Christina Lee. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/tarantino-has-a-questionable-record-in-the-metoo-context-so-should-we-boycott-his-new-film-121985"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

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