Quentin Tarantino is one of a select few directors who will be given a big budget for a completely original mainstream release. Each of his movies have become just as much of an event as the next big remake, sequel, or superhero film, for their sheer originality and their unique methods of storytelling. Many of his films are large in scale, and even the films that take place in only one or a few locations, he still manages to make feel like a large scale event.
Tarantino has dabbled in many genres, including crime dramas, westerns, war films, and many others. His films often blend elements of multiple genres, some of which almost never cross over in film otherwise, to create something truly unique. He’s known for his well-known for his love of movies and based a lot of his directorial style off what he’s watched rather than a formal film school education. Many of his films pay homage to the films he loves, from certain shots, to lines of dialogue, to other Easter eggs placed throughout his films.
The latest film of his is the recently released Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a comedy - the first time in which he made a straightforward foray in the genre after years of incorporating dark humor in his films - that takes place in the 1960’s and is considered “Tarantino’s love letter to 60’s LA.” As with Tarantino’s other films, the film contains numerous references to films and television series popular in the 1960’s, mainly TV westerns and Italians spaghetti westerns that were popular at the time. The film contains an ensemble cast that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, among many others.
To coincide with the release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we’re looking back at the director’s well-known filmography, starting from the “worst” (and I say that lightly because even Tarantino not at his best is still good) to best.
And as a side note, this will just include the nine (counting Kill Bill as one movie) films he directed, and not the movies he only wrote. So no True Romance and no From Dusk Till Dawn (though they’re both excellent movies). Also not included are Sin City, which he only directed one scene, and Four Rooms, as that is an anthology movie in which he only directed one segment.
We start with…
9) Death Proof
Originally released as one half of the double-feature Grindhouse, Death Proof was released as its own film outside of the United States and on home media, as was its counterpart, Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror. Death Proof is unfortunately the weaker of the two and to date, the bottom of the Tarantino barrel. Though it’s still very enjoyable, thanks to Kurt Russell’s lead performance as killer Stuntman Mike, as well as the works of its leading ladies, including Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson. Death Proof is an example where Tarantino’s use of long scenes including expository dialogue backfired on him a bit, with plenty of these moments causing a film with such a simple premise to drag on a bit longer than it should have. However, when the film kicked things into high gear, it made up for things immensely, with some (literally) high speed, exploitation-style thrills that will appease genre fans. As I said, this is Tarantino obviously far from his best, but it was still better than most other movies released that year.
8) Jackie Brown
Guaranteed that if you talk to most contemporary movie-goers these days about Tarantino’s filmography, the one film that usually tops the list of Tarantino films they’ve never seen is Jackie Brown. Tarantino’s third film and homage to the 1970’s blaxploitation genre didn’t necessarily have the same cultural impact as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction did before it. Which is a shame because it is a slick, well-done crime thriller with plenty of entertaining moments. Like some of the other lower-ranked Tarantino films, its one major problem is that its use of dialogue isn’t necessarily as sharp here as it is in other films. And because of that, the film does tend to drag in certain points, clocking in at an overstuffed 150 minutes. However, the performances are one of the film’s strongest suits, with Pam Grier giving a commanding lead performance as the title character and Samuel L. Jackson lighting up the room as antagonist Odell Robbie. The film also features big-name actors who those may not realize collaborated with Tarantino, as this was their only instance, including Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, and Chris Tucker in a small supporting role.
7) Kill Bill
So technically, Kill Bill is two movies, with Vol. 1 released in 2003 and Vol. 2 released in 2004. However, the intent behind this movie was that it was to be released as one single production, and the decision was only made when it was realized the original run time was over four hours long. And there’s a lot of story to cover, so it’s not one that would have benefited from footage being cut. While Kill Bill is ranked lower on this list, it’s still an excellent movie, and by no means am I taking away from just how epic of a movie it is. The only thing I will say is that the tonal shift going from Vol. 1 to Vol. 2 is a bit jarring, as Vol. 1 is extremely action-heavy while Vol. 2 is extremely dialogue and story heavy, and the change in pace is a bit jarring. But overall, it’s still a great story, and Uma Thurman gives what’s easily one of her finest performances, if not her best here. At times a exploitative grindhouse film, other times a slick, over-the-top martial arts film, Kill Bill is one that genre enthusiasts won’t want to miss.
6) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Unlike nearly every other movie on this list, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn’t as action-heavy or full of suspense, outside of parts of the third act. In fact, there really isn’t much of an overall plot to this movie, and is more of a character piece. And while it’s not as exciting as many of Tarantino’s other movies and even drags at times, it is still very entertaining, and very funny. While the film contains an ensemble cast, with a lot of big names appearing for brief cameos, it relies heavily on the lead performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, both of whom knock it out of the park here. Tarantino does a great job recreating the look and feel of 1960’s Hollywood, chronicling the shift in views in the entertainment industry at the time, giving it a fun throwback feel while still feeling very much like a Tarantino film. Read the full review here.
5) The Hateful Eight
Taking place mainly in one location, The Hateful Eight is a well-crafted Western with a heavy influence in the mystery genre, as protagonists Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell attempt to figure out who in a remote cabin is attempting to betray them. The film is the prime example of a slow burn in Tarantino’s filmography, taking its time in the first half to build up its characters through many exposition-heavy sequences before exploding into an electrifying second half. While it received overall positive reviews, the film is easily one of Tarantino’s most overlooked films and one that has received some of the harshest criticism, due to some of its dialogue and lack of action in the first half. However, many of its narrative twists in the second half as well as the standout performances from all eight of its main players make it incredibly engaging to watch, especially from Jackson, Russell (in one of his funniest performances of all-time), and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Full of surprises, great characterization, and some masterful storytelling techniques, The Hateful Eight is overall a lot of fun.
4) Reservoir Dogs
The one that started it all. A lot of contemporary independent films owe a lot to Reservoir Dogs. While it wasn’t a box office sensation at the time of its immediate release, it paved the way for many other independent filmmakers, including Tarantino contemporaries such as Kevin Smith and Paul Thomas Anderson, as their became a mainstream interest in original ideas detached from bigger production companies. Many of Tarantino’s trademarks were present right from the beginning here: Over-the-top graphic violence, nonlinear storytelling, pop culture references, and incorporating his pop-filled soundtrack heavily into major plot points in the film. Holding the distinction as being Tarantino’s shortest film at a mere 99 minutes (the only other film of his to clock under two hours is Death Proof), Reservoir Dogs is tightly paced, and is a prime example of Tarantino’s heavy use of dialogue to build up suspense rather than relying as much on action (though when the action kicked in, it hit just as hard). The film boasts an all-star cast, starring a fantastic Harvey Keitel and bringing the likes of Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen into the spotlight. Intense, brilliantly directed, and darkly humorous, Reservoir Dogs is a milestone in filmmaking.
3) Inglourious Basterds
Of all the later-period Tarantino films, Inglourious Basterds is usually regarded as the best, as it was a solid blend of elements from both his earlier productions while paving the way for how many of his films after would play out. Like some of his earlier films, it incorporated multiple storylines, each building up suspense through the director’s well-known use of sharp dialogue that would lead to some truly explosive payoffs - literally, in most cases. While the film heavily promotes star Brad Pitt and his titular Nazi-killing team which is played for some brilliant over-the-top laughs, there’s also a prominent storyline featuring Melanie Laurent as the sole survivor of a Nazi attack on her family that is planning her own revenge, in a more serious, yet mesmerizing story. Probably the biggest takeaway from this film is its introduction of Christoph Waltz into the film industry as one of Tarantino’s most well-written villains Hans Landa, a role which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. While Tarantino’s revisionist history may be a turnoff for some - as it was in many of his later-period films - Inglourious Basterds is bloody, funny, and powerful, and remains one of his finest works to date.
2) Django Unchained
While Inglourious Basterds is typically held in the highest regard of Tarantino’s later works, Django Unchained is arguably the better of the two, despite being hit with its own fair share of criticism due to some of Tarantino’s revisionist history. A bloody revenge tale, the film is endlessly entertaining from start to finish, thanks to electrifying performances from Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz (who would once again win Best Supporting Actor here), Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film can be understandably polarizing, especially due to its subject matter and excessive use of certain language. Though Tarantino’s storytelling is in top form here, at times powerful and other times crowd-pleasing as Django and Waltz’s King Schultz gleefully cut down many of the film’s big baddies. A true achievement from Tarantino, Django Unchained is not only a brilliantly told revenge film, but easily the best film of 2012.
1) Pulp Fiction
Not only is Pulp Fiction Tarantino’s best film, but it’s easily one of the most important films of the 90’s. While Reservoir Dogs was influential for independent filmmaking, Pulp Fiction was influential in pop culture. Many films and TV series in the next few years endlessly parodied or paid homage to this film. And nearly everything about it is memorable in some way, shape, or form. The image of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in their matching black suits is still one of the most memorable images in film history. Quotes such as “Royale With Cheese” and “Say ‘What’ again” are still often quoted to this day, while scenes such as Christopher Walken’s gold watch story and Samuel L. Jackson’s diner speech are still some of the most memorable scenes of all-time. It’s the film that revitalized Travolta’s career, and brought Jackson and Uma Thurman into the spotlight, with appearances from many other stars of its time. Not only is Pulp Fiction Tarantino’s finest work, but it also holds the distinction of being my favorite movie of all-time, and is just as entertaining on repeated viewings as it was the first time it was seen.
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