Who directed Pulp Fiction?
Quick answer
Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed Pulp Fiction (1994). The crime film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, shared by Tarantino and Roger Avary. Made for about $8 million, it earned over $200 million worldwide and became one of the most influential films of the 1990s.
Key facts
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Released
- 1994
- Budget
- About $8–8.5 million
- Awards
- Palme d’Or (Cannes); Oscar for Best Original Screenplay
The cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| John Travolta | Vincent Vega |
| Samuel L. Jackson | Jules Winnfield |
| Uma Thurman | Mia Wallace |
| Bruce Willis | Butch Coolidge |
| Ving Rhames | Marsellus Wallace |
| Harvey Keitel | Winston Wolfe |
The role revived John Travolta’s career, earning him an Oscar nomination, and made Samuel L. Jackson a star.
A story told out of order
Pulp Fiction weaves together several stories about hitmen, a boxer and a gangster’s wife, told in a nonlinear order. A character killed in one section reappears alive in a later scene. This puzzle-like structure was widely copied afterward.
The title refers to cheap, sensational pulp magazines printed on rough paper in the early 20th century.
Famous elements
- The dance contest at Jack Rabbit Slim’s diner, set to “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry
- A mysterious glowing briefcase whose contents are never revealed
- Long, quirky conversations, such as one about what a Quarter Pounder is called in France
- A soundtrack of surf rock and classic soul
Tarantino’s films
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Reservoir Dogs |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction |
| 2003–2004 | Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2 |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds |
| 2012 | Django Unchained (second Oscar for screenplay) |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
Tarantino has long said he plans to retire after his tenth feature film.
Its legacy
Pulp Fiction helped turn independent studio Miramax into a major player and showed that low-budget films could be huge hits. In 2013, it was added to the US National Film Registry.
For another 1994 favorite, see who played Forrest Gump, the film that beat Pulp Fiction for Best Picture.
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