[Im Hoon-gu's Philmusic] Shout, Dance, and Scream!... This Is What Movies Are About

Tarantino and Chuck Berry 'Pulp Fiction' and 'You Never Can Tell'

[Asia Economy Reporter Im Hoon-gu]

A gangster who must take good care of the boss's lover overnight exercises self-control and faithfully follows orders, but the beautiful woman causes an unexpected accident. What if a novice robber tries to steal money from customers at a restaurant, only to find real gangsters dining there? What if a washed-up boxer, who has been paid by a crime syndicate to throw a match, ends up winning?

These are narratives anyone can imagine at least once. For some, they are entertaining, but for others, they might be predictable stories.

Director Quentin Tarantino cleverly pieced together episodes that resemble one-act plays or comedic sketches to create a new style of film, Pulp Fiction (1994). Critics with plenty of time and opinions might talk about the film’s departure from linear narrative structure, its cinematic time, the chaotic ontology of diverse characters, and the postmodern rearrangement of space and time. However, it is important to remember that this film is the work of Tarantino, who worked as a clerk at a video rental store, devoured films, and made movies his own way. His debut film Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction are like endless dad jokes told over coffee, at drinking parties, or in late-night clubs, where people argue about whose story is funnier.

Tarantino wanted to be an assistant director for John Woo and make movies like A Better Tomorrow. He enjoys acting alongside his favorite actors such as Harvey Keitel, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and Tim Roth. Then he talks nonstop. (The men’s chatter at the beginning of Reservoir Dogs!) He talks endlessly about movies, music, and his quirky philosophies. Sometimes he just throws things out there. For him, movies are like a party with friends. The rock and roll club scene in this film is a perfect example. On stage is a singer impersonating Elvis Presley, and waiters dressed like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean roam around. Then comes the twist contest. John Travolta and Uma Thurman, having kicked off their shoes, dance a wild dance disguised as the twist.

The music playing at this moment is "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry, a pioneer of rock and roll. Chuck Berry’s guitar style, which perfected the rhythm and blues guitar technique that became the foundation of rock and roll, served as a textbook for countless rock guitarists. In their early days, The Beatles were a Chuck Berry cover band, The Rolling Stones debuted with his songs and released tribute albums. The Beach Boys’ "Surfin’ U.S.A." is a copy of Chuck Berry’s "Sweet Little Sixteen." If Elvis Presley was the first superstar of rock and roll, Chuck Berry should be called the great composer of rock and roll. With innovative rhythms and provocative lyrics, the baby boomer generation, who wanted to break away from the older generation, fell into his music like a black hole. Rock and roll, along with jazz, became the first example in history of a subculture emerging as mainstream culture of the time.

PS. Uma Thurman, who survived after excessive cocaine use, throws a dad joke to John Travolta as a funny story. "Daddy tomato, mommy tomato, and baby tomato were walking, but baby tomato kept falling behind, so daddy tomato grabbed baby tomato and said what? 'Ketchup' lol. Dad jokes have no borders or generations.