We find out that the man is known as ‘Pumpkin’ and the woman is known as ‘Honey bunny’. These are unusual names for criminal characters in films, which show that the film is different from other gangster films and that it will have more original characters in it, instead of portraying stereotypical gangsters. It also shows that the film will have a sense of humour to it.
The couple are not shown to be very well off (they are eating in a road-side cafe and are not smartly dressed) despite the fact they steal money. This shows that the film will not necessarily glamorise crime. The couple also swear a lot, which shows their aggressive attitude, and gives an idea that the characters in the film will also be aggressive.
They are sat talking about the dangers of robbing liquor stores, as the owners of them often have guns themselves and are likely to kill you if you try to steal from them. This could represent the directors view of how easy it is for people to own guns in America and how commonly they are used. They then talk about how it would be easier to rob a bank, as bank employees are supposed to meet the criminal’s demands. This could be another of the director’s views, showing how stupid it is that it would be easier to rob a bank where there is more money than a liquor store. This also shows to the viewer that the film will have a crime theme to it.
Throughout the opening scene the main camera shots used are medium close ups of the two characters faces, a medium two shot and over the shoulder shots of each other. These are used to show the constant conversation between the two characters and the way they respond to each other. Another shot used is a close-up of the gun on the table. With this shot only being used once it makes it stand out, and shows that the gun is symbolic for the violence in the film.
At the end of the scene the couple stand up, waving guns around in the air, holding up the diner. Honey bunny shouts to the people in the diner, and the scene freezes half way through her sentence, with her voice playing over the frozen screen. This shows to the viewer that the scene is not yet finished, and that it will probably continue after the opening credits. Ending the opening scene here also leaves the film in suspense, showing that there could be some suspense in it. The opening credits to the film then start.
The opening credits to the film are written in a western film style of writing. This suggests to the viewer that the film will be similar to a western in some ways. For example, we can associate westerns with an American setting, guns, violence, criminals, bounty hunters, bank robberies and law enforcement, all of which can be found in Pulp Fiction. The music playing over the opening credits sounds Mexican. Mexico is known as a place where criminals and gangsters often went to escape the law in America. Mexico is also a place where a lot of western films are set, which also gives the viewer the ides that the film will have similarities to a western.
The credits of the film show that it is directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is famous for directing films such as Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers and Jackie Brown. These films are well known for their brutally violent scenes, their portrayal of gangsters, their twisted humour and their originality. We can therefore expect something similar from Pulp Fiction, as Quentin Tarantino is known for this certain style of film.
John Travolta (Swordfish), Samuel L. Jackson (Shaft) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard) are all shown to be stars of the film in the credits. They are all well-known actors and are famous for being in other violent gangster films, meaning we can expect them to play similar roles in Pulp Fiction.
The executive producer is Danny Devito, who is famous for many comedy films. He was also in the gangster comedy ‘Get Shorty’, meaning we can expect Pulp Fiction to be funny as well.
The music playing over the credits then goes into smooth gangster style music. This sets the mood for the next scene – showing that it will be more calm and chilled out, and shows that the scene will probably have changed from the hold up in the diner.
The core target audience of the film is mostly males aged between sixteen and thirty years old (although the film carries an ‘18’ certificate). Fans of action and violent films are also the main audience, especially fans of gangster films. People who have seen and enjoyed other Quentin Tarantino films would also be the core target audience.
The alternative audience to the film would be people interested in seeing a Quentin Tarantino film and people interested in seeing a different style of film, that is more original than others in its genre.
