Throughout his thirty-year film career,Quentin Tarantinohas been well-known for his embrace of extreme and stylized violence, sometimes overblown to the point thateven veteran horror directorshave a tough time watching it. As such, it’s really no surprise to learnhe has a long history of tension with the MPAA ratings system, often in different ways. Perhaps the most notable example isPulp Fiction, still widely considered his magnum opus, which contains what is possibly the most unexpected and darkly comedic death in his filmography — but we’ll get to that in a moment. This was not the last time Tarantino would confront the censors, either, as he would face similar issues across the next decade, each with different solutions. Although the directorhas openly disparaged the impact of censorshipon other classic filmmakers, such changes have often been a blessing in disguise, giving his films their distinctive flavor.
Pulp Fiction
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Marvin’s Death in ‘Pulp Fiction’ Went Through Multiple Changes
AlthoughPulp Fictionhas many, many, iconic moments, the most darkly iconic might be the moment where Vincent Vega (John Travolta) accidentally shoots Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in the face without warning, just as the pair are passionately discussing how unpredictable bullets can behave. For an event so unexpected,it can be easy to forget how quickly the moment passes, showing only a brief splatter of blood against the windshield of the car. Instead, the rest of the scene lingers on the aftermath, leaving Vincent and his colleague Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) to transition from confusion to bewilderment to panic. In addition to being the peak of black comedy, it also proves important to the plot, bringing them straight into the path of Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) during their robbery. Since events in the film are told out of order, it also serves as dramatically fitting for Vega, given his death at the hands of Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) earlier in the film with another accidental shot.
As it turns out, this was not intentional.According to LaMarr himself, the fateful shot was originally supposed to strike Marvin in the neck, forcing Vincent to kill him with a second shot as an act of mercy. While the reason for the change is unclear,LaMarr himself believes the original scene would possibly erode any sympathy the audience had for Vega, and even Tarantino himself isknown to have some limitswith regard to violence. The scene was also meant to bemuch more graphicin nature, with Marvin’s head exploding into blood and brain matter, which can actually still be seen in later shots as the frantic discussion between Jules and Vincent continues. Officially, though, the MPAA reacted strongly to the gore, forcing Tarantino to cut down the death to a brief shot in exchange for avoiding an NC-17 rating,which has long been tabooand remains so even today.
We Have the MPAA To Thank for the Black and White Style of ‘Kill Bill’
Tarantino would later facehis second battle with the MPAAwhile producing the two volumes ofKill Bill, where the brutal violence from his earliest films begins to transition to the exaggerated style we often see today.Mixing styles from the martial arts genre and classic Japanese culture, both volumesremain widely beloved among fans, hence why the demand for a sequel is so constant. With her starring role as the Bride,Uma Thurmancemented her role as one of the most popular heroines in cinema,one whose themes of vengeance soon became a major staple in several of Tarantino’s future films. Perhaps nowhere is this more present than in her battle against the Crazy 88, with itshighly distinctiveblack and white choreography.
As unique as the imagery might be, the creative choice was not just a stylistic one by the director. Wanting to prevent another clash with the MPAA, Tarantino used these unique graphics toobscure the bloody violenceof the scene, but even this precaution was not enough to fully appease the censors. Only when another scene was recreated through animation did the board feel satisfied enough to give it an R rating. The full color version of the scene was not lost, however, and still remains available for viewers, but only in the Japanese DVD release of the film. Even when toned down, however, the battle against the Crazy 88 still ranks asone of the most graphic scenesin film history,one that further cemented Tarantino’s reputation for violence, for better or worse.
The ‘Kill Bill’ Stunt That Became a Living Nightmare for Uma Thurman
“I felt this searing pain and thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m never going to walk again.'”
‘Death Proof’ Is a Bloody Mess, Literally and Figuratively
With the possible exception ofJackie Brownin the late 1990s, perhaps the most overlooked film Tarantino made isDeath Proof, featuringKurt Russellas the murderous Stuntman Mike and the two groups of women who attempt to bring him down.Partially, this is due to the manner of release,since the film was created as a double feature withPlanet Terror, directed by close friendRobert Rodriguez. TitledGrindhousein homage to the exploitation films of the 1970s and the few movie theaters that played them, it remains unsurprising to learn thatDeath Proofmight be one of the most graphic films he has made so far, even if it actuallyfeatures very fewof them onscreen. The original string of killings, occurring in quick succession, feel closer to the gory deaths one might find in a horror movie, while the second is more action-based, arguablythe only such casein the movie. Furthermore, the final death of Stuntman Mike feels quite raw and brutal, even if the murder itself remains emotionally satisfying.
The double feature also hasmultiple fake trailers, made by the likes ofRob ZombieandEdgar Wright, the latter of whomlater took major inspirationfromGrindhousefor his own future projects. While all of them can feel excessive, futureInglourious BasterdsstarEli Rothtook it to the next level, reaching new heights of depravity that Tarantino and Rodriguez themselvesremained mostly unwillingto explore. Unlike other major examples of violence, like howDjango Unchainedcondemns slavery by trying to show the full brutality of it,this is one rare example where the violence feels like it was only made for shock value. When one combines this with the confusing double feature gimmick, it can be easy to see why the film became a financial failure. Today, the film is often viewed,even by the director himself, as being his worst film, at least in comparison to the rest of his resume. While still worth watching for its homage to Hollywood history andan admirable effort,Death Proofis still a rare black mark on the legacy of the iconic filmmaker.
Overall, Quentin Tarantino has earned a reputation, for good and ill, for his depiction of violence, which has come to define his identity as a filmmaker. Although the MPAA usually grants an R rating for language or explicit sexuality, the scale of the violence often ensures that whenever he does make another film, the director will always risk facing off against them in some form. At the same time, however,such violence is depicted in an exaggerated and highly ridiculous way, one that makes these battles less likely and keeps his films from overdoing it. That rule is still not a universal one, however, and Tarantino is arguably at his worst when he gets too much inside his own head, without limitations to restrain him. For the most part, though, the director strikes a very careful balance, maintaining a personal flavor that has become almost instantly recognizable without going overboard. For a man so committed to retiring after his tenth filmeven at the cost of other projects, Tarantino can still rest easy, knowing that his style is wholly his own and one that few others could accomplish.
Pulp Fictionis available to stream on Max in the U.S.
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