I've always loved film, but there were many different factors that lead to my passion for cinema. One of those contributing forces is Quentin Tarantino, a man who showed me just how great films can be. I still remember the first time I saw Kill Bill. I was sitting on the floor in my brother's room (the only room in my house that had a DVD player where my parents wouldn't be able to see what I was watching), and I was completely enamored with what was going on in the film. Sure, it was violent, action packed, beautiful looking and all around badass. But my 14 year-old self knew that there was something more to it than that- I knew that I was watching a truly great, well made film. It wasn't long before I tracked down the rest of Tarantino's filmography, and went through a brief obsession with almost everyone of his films. Sure, I probably annoyed the crap out of my family and friends, but I was living in paradise. I finally had films that were fun to watch and respected by the film community I wanted so desperately to be a part of. I'd quote his films, re-watch my favorite scenes on Youtube, and go on long winded rants about what made him so great to anybody that'd listen. Hell, I even tried to write a screenplay mimicking his style. Trust me, that was a mistake.
Fast forward a few years and you'll find a somewhat different, more mature film geek who has moved out of his Tarantino phase and into a variety of new ones. From Charlie Kauffman to Paul Thomas Anderson and even to Billy Wilder, I've had obsessions with numerous directions since ending my love affair with Tarantino films. But I haven't forgotten where I came from. Tarantino remains one of my favorite directors, and a director I will always consider a true master. Without his works, I wouldn't have gotten as passionate about film as I am today, and I certainly wouldn't have been introduced to many of the films I love. In my eyes, Tarantino is unlike most directors as he wears his love for making movies on his sleeve- a quality that has lead to a few, rare missteps but, in general, has delivered many of the best films of the past twenty years. So, in honor of this great man's 50th birthday, here is my ranking of Mr. Quentin Tarantino's filmography-
I must give credit where credit is due, however: the idea for this article came from an article on Rope of Silicon, one of my favorite film sites. You can even see my comment near the bottom of the page!
7.) Death Proof (2007)
BEST LINE- "You see we're both going left. You could have just as easily been going left, too. And if that was the case... It would have been a while before you started getting scared. But since you're going the other way, I'm afraid you're gonna have to start getting scared... immediately!"
6.) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Since it's release, Reservoir Dogs has amassed a following almost as large as that of Pulp Fiction. The film is a cult classic, and rightfully so. The dialogue is terrific, and the film has quite a few incredible scenes. I love the opening conversation about Madonna's "Like a Virgin", the film's bloody finale and, of course, Michael Madsen's iconic dance scene, in which he enjoys "Stuck in the Middle With You" as he tortures a cop. There are certainly signs that Tarantino was still hadn't perfected his craft as he made the film, but this is still a great movie, and one hell of a directorial debut.
BEST LINE- "Let me tell you what 'Like a Virgin' is about. It's all about a girl who digs a guy with a big dick. The entire song. It's a metaphor for big dicks."
5.) Django Unchained (2012)
Tarantino's latest film also has the distinction of being his most successful and possibly his most controversial. I'd also consider it his most mature. Tarantino is a director who revels in throwing almost cartoonish amounts of violence at the screen, which is certainly present in Django, but a majority of his films lack any sort of grand statement. They explore simple themes: revenge, coincidence, honor, and so on. And all of that is fine. But with Django, Tarantino showed signs of maturation as a writer and director by handling the issue of slavery in a way no other director has. It's a film that has a lot to say underneath all of it's blood and gore, and I admired the way Tarantino used the film to be about more than just a revenge flick: it was about America confronting a dark chapter in our history, and about the racism that is still around today. Unfortunately, Django Unchained is about twenty minutes to long, which prevents it from being one of Tarantino's best films, but it's still a great film with one of the best casts he has ever assembled.
BEST LINE- "Calvin: Your boss looks a little green in the gills.
Django: He just ain't used to seein' a man ripped apart by dogs is all.
Calvin: But you are used to it?
Django: I'm just a little more used to Americans than he is."
4.) Jackie Brown (1997)
I've met many people who consider Jackie Brown to be Tarantino's worst film. And while I certainly believe that it's his most unusual film, I just can't understand why anybody would consider it to be his worst. Granted, the first time I saw the film I did not appreciate it at all. I thought it was boring and was highly disappointed. But, years later, I re-watched it and found it to be pretty incredible. With Jackie Brown, Tarantino trades in the unrealistic violence and energetic storytelling for a slow burner of a thriller that relies more on suspense than violence to build tension. It's a film that may catch you off guard with how little it has in common with the other films in his filmography, but there is an almost hypnotic quality to the dialogue that grabbed my attention and didn't let go for its entire 154 minute runtime. I also believe that Pam Grier gave one of the very best performances in any Tarantino film, a feat not easy to accomplish.
BEST LINE- "Shut your raggedy ass up and sit the fuck down!"
3.) Pulp Fiction (1994)
Tarantino's most iconic film by a mile, and possibly his most acclaimed, Pulp Fiction is the definition of a modern classic. It's a film that is held in high regards by almost everyone in the film community, even those that aren't Tarantino fans, and one that, amidst all it's quirkness, appeals to many mainstream filmgoers as well. And it's easy to see why: this is a flat out entertainig movie from beginning to end. The dialogue is fantastic, the way the story is pieced together is nothing short of brilliant, and it's filled with iconic moments that has been immortalized in pop culture. The film spurned a whole new generation of film lovers, and while it obviously isn't my favorite, it's easy to see why so many other people love it.
BEST LINE- "We're gonna be like three little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda what's Fonzie like?"
2.) Kill Bill (2003-2004)
I consider Kill Bill to be one film that was split into two parts. Neither part can stand on it's own as a film, and the experience of watching the movie works best in one long viewing. That being said, this is the film that fueled my passion for film and my love of Tarantino. For me, it is the definition of an epic movie. What starts off as a simple quest for revenge quickly becomes a saga that spans continents, runs through all genres of film and throws in some of the best fight scenes I've ever had the pleasure of watching. But it's not all fun and games- by the end of the film, Kill Bill takes a more somber, serious tone, and produces some of the best scenes Tarantino has ever written. I love how the film, which starts off as an R-rated Saturday morning cartoon, becomes a beautiful movie about love and regret. Viewers expect a battle to the death between Bill and the Bride, but what we end up getting is better- a war of words fueled with emotions that resonate with the audience much more than you'd think they would. To this day I still believe Bill's monologue on Superman is the best thing Tarantino has ever written, and I consider Uma Thurman and David Carradine's lack of Oscar nominations to be amongst the most egregious of snubs in the Academy's history. I love this film, and it's so very close to being my favorite.
BEST LINE- "Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton...You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton. But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. And every morning when you woke up, you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo...I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be. Moving to El Paso, working in a used record store, goin' to the movies with Tommy, clipping coupons. That's you, trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee That's you tryin' to blend in with the hive. But you're not a worker bee. You're a renegade killer bee. And no matter how much beer you drank or barbecue you ate or how fat your ass got, nothing in the world would ever change that."
1.) Inglourious Basterds (2009)
The final line of Inglourious Basterds is "I think this just might be my masterpiece." And, truthfully, that's the best way to describe it. Inglourious Basterds is a masterpiece- a film that features dozens of characters, numerous plot lines, multiple genres of film, three languages, and an ending that alters history yet, somehow, manages to succeed in a way only Tarantino can. The film will have you on the edge of your seat one minute, and laughing the next. It's violence ranges from over the top gore to downright disturbing, and it manages to make everything from the attempted assassination of Nazis to eating dessert at a fancy restaurant intense. In a long career of consistently solid films, Inglourious Basterds stands tall as Tarantino's most well made film, and it will take a true masterpiece to dethrone it. Do I think he can top it? I don't know, but I'd love to see him try.
BEST LINE- "Bon jorno."
No comments:
Post a Comment