Pulp Fiction is a great example of nonlinear storytelling by Quentin Tarantino. It is a mess of clips and segments that are strung together to coalesce into a story of circumstance, and then inevitably come to one moral outcome. The movie begins in a diner with a couple having a discussion. There is no context to what is happening, nor how to relate to the characters, then immediately go into a high-octane violent scene when they pull their guns to rob the diner. The scene ends and then cuts to two characters riding in a car. Once again, we are left with no epilogue or context to the significance of the scene. This is pretty much how the movie is structured throughout most of the film, and we are not given a road map to how or why the scenes are edited in this way, and for the most part, is rather confusing to the viewer to follow.
In the beginning of the film, we are given the definition of “Pulp,” it is described: a soft, moist, shapeless mass of matter, and then it is defined as a magazine with rough, unfinished paper, these are the only clues we get to how the movie is going to be presented or viewed. Tarantino expresses both definitions; the film content is structured, to first introduce the characters at the pinnacle point of the story without setting the scene; First in the diner, then with the hit men, and finally with the mob boss and boxer. Once the characters and stories have been initialized, Tarantino begins to tell each individual story from the viewpoint of the characters. Starting with Vincent and Mia, then Butch and Marcellus, and finally with Jules, Vince and the Café robbers, which we are thrown back into the initial scene of the movie. The purpose of the first and final scene doing an entire loop was to emphasize how each character’s decision will shape their stories and how their stories evolved or remained unchanged.
The nonlinear approach from the beginning is confusing, but it also requires someone to pay attention and navigate the different story lines and how they correlate to each other. Tension and emotion are built through references and connections as they are introduced in the scenes. Once each sequence begins to fall within the order throughout the whole film, we get closure and resolution to the narration. A nonlinear approach opposed to linear, is a tricky endeavor if not done correctly. Psycho, for instance, is done linear, building the story, tension, plot and climax through sequence of events congruently. Both styles are equally effective and can have different emotional reactions from audiences due to how they were composed. However, in the final analysis, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction remains one of the best nonlinear narrations in cinema today.