Tarantino's Magic Bullets

Writer-director-actor Quentin Tarantino has given us many memorable cinematic experiences with his quirky dialogues and unforgettable characters. As his latest film Django Unchained unleashes in the theatres, here are five immortal monologues from the films of this cleft-chinned modern master

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney) addressing the five criminals who don't even know each others' names, says, "So, you guys like to tell jokes, huh? Gigglin' and laughin' like a bunch of young broads sittin' in a schoolyard. Well, let me tell a joke. Five guys, sittin' in a bullpen, in San Quentin. All wondering how the f*** they got there. What should we have done, what didn't we do, who's fault is it, is it my fault, your fault, his fault, all that bullshit. Then one of them says, hey. Wait a minute. When we were planning this caper, all we did was sit around tellin' f***in' jokes! Get the message?" The no-nonsense interaction between the gangsters who suspect one of them is a police informer, was Tarantino's claim to fame.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L Jackson), a short-tempered paid assassin, has a phrase memorised. It goes, "Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those, who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you. (Gun shots)." Rest assured, those are the last words one hears.

Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003)

The film opens to a face of a dying Uma Thurman with a man's voice addressing her. He says, "Do you find me sadistic? You know, I bet I could fry an egg on your head right now, if I wanted to. You know, Kiddo, I'd like to believe that you're aware enough even now to know that there's nothing sadistic in my actions. Well, maybe towards those other... jokers, but not you. No Kiddo, at this moment, this is me at my most...(cocks pistol) masochistic." With nothing but words, Tarantino establishes the principle characters and justifies the motives for a saga of revenge that follows.

Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004)

One of Tarantino's specialties is he introduces a new way to kill somebody with every film. Here, as Budd (Michael Madsen) is dying after being bitten by a Black Mamba; Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), the ferocious lady assassin with an eye patch, coldly explains to him how he will die: "The venom of a black mamba can kill a human in four hours, if, say, bitten on the ankle or the thumb. However, a bite to the face or torso can bring death from paralysis within 20 minutes. Now, you should listen to this, 'cause this concerns you. The amount of venom that can be delivered from a single bite can be gargantuan. You know, I've always liked that word...gargantuan ... so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. If not treated quickly with anti-venom, 10 to 15 milligrams can be fatal to human beings. However, the black mamba can deliver as much as 100 to 400 milligrams of venom from a single bite."

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), in his opening remarks to the eight Jewish-American soldiers selected for a unique mission to kill Nazis, says, "...but I got a word of warning for all you would-be warriors. When you join my command, you take on debt. A debt you owe me personally. Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps. And I want my scalps. And all y'all will get me one hundred Nazi scalps, taken from the heads of one hundred dead Nazis. Or you will die tryin'. You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin'." And there it is; you know this is no ordinary action film.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on March 22, 2013

5 Films: Where Women Protagonists Are Embodiments of Durga

Kill Bill (2003) 

 

This Quentin Tarantino classic is a quintessential film based on the theme of revenge. Beginning with the famous Klingon proverb from Star Trek - Revenge is a dish best served cold; the film is a detailed account of Beatrix’s revenge written exclusively in blood. Beatrix seeks revenge from all the members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and their leader Bill. Her main motive is the apparent death of her child for which she holds them responsible. Tarantino, in his uninhibited portrayal of violence and bloodshed makes one thing very clear – when it comes to her children, a mother can muster up enough strength to overpower whatever it is that she faces.

Mother India (1957)

 

Mehboob Khan’s interpretation of a mother in post-independence India strongly derives from socialist and communist ideologies. Nargis plays Radha, a poverty ridden woman who bears with natural calamities and social discomforts alike to raise her two sons – Ramu (Rajendra Kumar) and Birju (Sunil Dutt). Birju grows up with a violent streak but Ramu is composed. Birju becomes a bandit after being outcast by the villagers and plots revenge. He kills the evil money lender Sukhilala and takes his daughter, when finally; Radha decides to stop him by killing him herself. Perhaps one of the greatest Indian films, Mother India shows a struggle and a story of a mother who always does the right thing.

Juno (2007)

 

 A critically acclaimed independent film, nominated for the academy award, Juno is a simple story of a teenager, Juno McGuff, who finds herself at a crossroad in life, a little pre-maturely. This Ellen Page starrer Jason Reitman film is a comedy drama about how a teenager confronts predicaments of life that she is too young to face. The way she decides to deal with her unplanned pregnancy and the changes that consequently happen in her life make it a brilliant coming-of-age film. Juno is essentially a story of a mother who is still a child at heart and the film depicts the characters journey from innocence lost to innocence restored.

Postmaster (1961) 

 Made as a part of the Teen Kanya trilogy along with Monihara and Samapti, Postmaster is one of Satyajit Ray’s most influential works. Based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short story, the film tells the story of a postmaster Nandalal, who has been placed in the village for a brief time dreams of returning to Calcutta, but while he is here, he decides to teach his caretaker, Ratan, how to read and write. Ratan, on the other hand, tends to him when he falls sick and serves him well. However, when Nandalal leaves, he leaves Ratan heartbroken and doesn’t realise how attached she had gotten to him. He offers her money for her service but she feels offended. Postmaster, therefore, is a simple story of a complex relation between Nandalal and Ratan who is his mother, sister, friend and sole companion.

Kahaani (2012)

 

Using Durga as a primary metaphor for the protagonist, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani is a twisted thriller about a woman who seeks justice. Vidya Balan plays Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant software engineer from London, who comes to Calcutta in search of her missing husband. In the middle of convoluted stories, suspicious people and the crowd due to the festival, Vidya has a task ahead of her. Being chased by an assassin, being used by cops as a decoy and all other odds stacked against her, Vidya’s focus is clear and she will have her justice. Kahaani is a suspense film, no doubt, but at its heart, it is a tale of a woman’s love for her husband and her will power to do justice to those who did him wrong.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 18, 2012