As shoots Quentin Tarantino: styling, endless dialogues and grotesque cruelty
Educational Program Cinema / / December 19, 2019
Quentin Tarantino - the director sign the end of XX - beginning of XXI century. Love for his films brings together fans of complex film for intellectuals and fighters and fans of westerns. And its sprawling and grotesque style of shooting is not confused with any other author.
After the release of the debut work of Tarantino talked about it the whole world of film, after the second film - even the whole world. Now the director works just over nine paintings, but its impact on the film industry can not be overestimated.
The beginning of the way
Before becoming one of the most influential filmmakers, Tarantino was a fan of the movie. It started since childhood. Quentin's mom worked all day, and he had to spend time with his stepfather and his friends. So the boy often just sit in front of TV. A weekend family often went to the cinema. And then he began to invent the first sketches for his toys.
When Quentin was a little older, he decided to quit school and got a job in the theater (although, as it turned out there spinning pornography), parallel to the visiting of acting courses. A little later, Tarantino has found his dream job - settled in the video store.
While other future filmmakers learned the basics of skill in colleges and courses, Quentin just watched old movies one by one, memorizing them by heart. And at the same time noticing what people are taking tapes often.
So he became acquainted with the work of Brian De Palma, Terry Gilliam, Sergio Leone, Jean-Luc Godard and other cult directors subsequently became the main reference point for his films.
In the mid-eighties, Tarantino made his first attempts to sell their script studios, and in parallel engaged in filming debut film "My Best Friend's Birthday". The film was shot on a cheap video camera, and the main roles were played by the familiar director.
The picture could not finish properly, and later film with the last 30 minutes of the film in general burned in a fire. But this story has grown "True Love" - the first script that Tarantino was able to sell.
A little later, he bought a "Natural Born Killers" - a few years later they took to shoot Oliver Stone. However, he rewrote the script so much that in the credits left only "the story of Quentin Tarantino."
The first films
Mad Dogs
On the earnings from the sale of Quentin Tarantino scripts decided to make his first real movie "Reservoir Dogs." Initially, due to lack of money planned shooting about the same style as in the "Day of birth ...": black-and-white picture, amateur camera and a minimum investment.
But it came about by accident: through a third party script picture conveys the popular actor Harvey Keitel. Later it became known as the godfather of Tarantino. It is thanks to Keitel was able to obtain funding for the "Reservoir Dogs" and assemble a great cast of.
In the story, six criminals, who know each other only by "colored" nicknames (like Mr. White and Mr. Orange), commit the robbery of a jewelry store. But among them is a policeman, and an elaborate crime turns into a bloody showdown participants.
However, due to the limited budget of all the main scenes were filmed in the same building - a former mortuary. And in the apartment Orange arrange the room on the floor above.
Already in this film, you will notice an unusual approach director. To begin with, Tarantino directed the film about the robbery, hardly showing itself robbery. This is a story about the preparation, and the failure of a paranoid distrust of the characters to each other, not just criminals with gunfights.
In addition, the film is filled with lots of references to movie classics and other pop culture. Its plot is compared with many Hong Kong action movie "City on Fire" in 1987, and sometimes even accused of plagiarism Tarantino.
Heroes constantly quoted movies, discussing Madonna's, and background play a variety of old music, he loves the director himself. But if in the first film, it might seem a "breakdown of the pen," that with the release of his second work, it became clear: it was so Tarantino and want to shoot.
Pulp Fiction
Originally conceived as the director's new film was directly related to his previous paintings. Michael Madsen, who played in "Reservoir Dogs" Vic Vega (aka Mr. Blonde), was expected to return to his role in "Pulp Fiction."
But the actor was busy, and then had to change the name of the character Vincent and declare his brother Vic Vega. Subsequently, there were many rumors about the overall film about two heroes, but they did not come true - there were only fans' posters.
Tarantino cast the main roles are already well-known artists. True, Bruce Willis, and John Travolta at that moment there was a decline in popularity, and new roles were to help them return to a great movie. And for the little-known Samuel L. Jules Jackson's role was decisive in your future career.
In the film, several storylines that gradually converge with each other gangsters Vincent and Jules have to deliver the suitcase to his boss Marsellus Wallace. Later, Vincent has to be reduced to the restaurant wife Mia boss. BUT boxer Butch He refuses to play a match in the contract and runs after the victory.
Unusual building, in many ways similar to the "rabid dogs", was finally formed the style of Tarantino, which will be traced in many of his future films.
Forming your own style
nonlinear story
Action films develop not in chronological order. In "Reservoir Dogs" after the opening scene immediately shows the consequences of the robbery, and the events preceding it served as a flashback. In addition, there are separate chapters on the history of characters.
The "Pulp Fiction" structure more complicated. Scene in the film showing inconsistent and at first can only guess why Vincent dressed so strangely, and why in the beginning showed a couple of burglars in the restaurant. To this is added the story of the childhood of Butch and other flashbacks.
This approach allows us to intrigue the viewer and show a linear story from different angles. In addition, the climactic scene are issued at exactly the right moment, not following a straight chronology of events.
Endless unusually filmed dialogues
Good directors often follow the principle of "show do not tell," because it is believed that the long-term dialogue tire the viewer. However, Tarantino loves to reveal his characters was through conversations. So, in the opening scene of "Reservoir Dogs" and the characters discuss lyrics tip, From which it is already possible to draw conclusions about the nature of some of the characters.
The "Pulp Fiction" first dialogue Vincent and Jules lasts more than seven minutes, and they have time to discuss everything: from hamburgers names in France to foot massage. Here, Tarantino is not only heroes, but also talks about future events in the film, referring to their history.
And that dialogue does not seem boring, director resorts to unconventional filming. The usual approach in the film - "eight" when the camera shows alternately speaking from different angles. In the films of Tarantino, she often moves around all the characters. Or they say during the movement, and the operator follows them.
Long shots, close-ups and unusual angles
Sam Tarantino studied directing and camera work. But at the time of "Reservoir Dogs", he met with the operator of Andrzej Sekula, who in many ways and influenced visual imagery His first film.
Following receptions classics, the director often takes a few minutes in one continuous frame without installation, which creates a greater sense of realism. If it shows people sitting at the table, the light often have a not so high as to make extra emphasis on speaking.
In addition, the director often uses unusual camera angles. For example, in his films often have a view of the trunk of a car - how to look at the characters from the bottom up. This approach is also used in other scenes that show characters brighter masters of the situation. For example, when Jules and Vincent come to pick up a suitcase or father gives young colleague Butch hours.
Also, for example, in "Pulp Fiction" in the dinner scene of Vincent and Mia Wallace, the camera starts to shoot them with a shared vision. And as heroes imbued with trust each other, their faces are taken everything bigger. Plus, the director likes to show the eyes and lips of heroes, when they speak, eat or lipstick.
By the way, in his films much smoke. Not wanting to advertise specific brands of cigarettes, Tarantino came up with his own company - in his paintings always appear only Red Apple cigarettes defunct company.
favorite actors
From the first film in "Pulp Fiction" crossed several actors. He reappeared in the frame Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth. Steve Buscemi was to play an increasingly important role, but he forbade the contract, so he appeared in the guise of a waiter. As already mentioned, Tarantino had planned to remove and Michael Madsen.
Many of the actors from "Pulp Fiction" and will then be repeated to work with the director, and Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Tim Roth will become his favorite.
the director himself usually appears in small episodes. He loves to play in the movie, but the process of leadership does not allow him to perform serious roles in his own films.
References to pop culture
All movies Tarantino - a collection of references to his favorite pictures, TV series, books, music and other culture of the past. Even the title of the debut film Reservoir Dogs, in the opinion of many - a combination of mispronunciation Au revoir les enfants (Louis Malle film) and Straw Dogs (Sam Peckinpah film).
In "Reservoir Dogs" actor Lawrence Tierney says the phrase, "Dead as Dillinger" - despite the fact that he played John Dillinger in his youth. The "Pulp Fiction" Quentin Tarantino quotes from "Psycho" a scene Hitchcock, "8½" Fellini and even a dozen other films, up to the animated series "The Flintstones."
The lack of positive characters
In the films of Tarantino absolutely impossible to find the right characters. Almost all the central characters in one way or another violate the law, take drugs, sometimes behave despicably and have something to hide.
On the one hand, it makes them more alive, avoiding clichés, when good and evil are clearly divided. On the other - it gives more freedom to the author. He can no regrets killing their characters or send them to prison: everyone deserves it.
Cruelty and violence
"Reservoir Dogs" was criticized for being too realistic display of violence (in particular, a scene with cutting off the ear). But the director believes on-screen brutality only reception, which helps to reveal the characters, and at the same time entertain the audience.
According to Tarantino, it has nothing to do with the actual violence of life, because what is happening in the movie just a game.
Acquaintance with Robert Rodriguez and the creation of "From Dusk Till Dawn"
Back in 1992 at the Toronto Film Festival Quentin Tarantino met a budding filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. They quickly realized that in their style and approach to work a lot in common. And soon became a regular co-operate with each other. First, each of them took on the novel for the film "Four Rooms", and then brought his friend Quentin Tarantino script of the film "From Dusk Till Dawn."
Initially he planned to put the picture in person, but in the end decided to give the leadership Rodriguez, and he played a major role - a crazy maniac Richard Gecko.
Yet this project belongs more Tarantino. Even according to the director, he regularly taught him how to shoot better. As a result, the story of two brothers who have taken hostage the family of the priest, but then got into a bar filled with vampires, can be considered as the next film by Quentin Tarantino. It even has its "branded" perspectives, and the role of the priest Jacob invited all of the same Harvey Keitel.
By the way, George Clooney starred robber Seth Gecko, Tarantino met while filming an episode of the famous series "Ambulance». Rodriguez also led the cast, which has already worked in the "Desperate": Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo and Tito & Tarantula group.
Visually as "From Dusk Till Dawn" - a bright parodic homage to horror films of the eighties. Vampires are more like rats and obviously resemble the monsters of John Carpenter movies, and closer to the final Seth almost verbatim quotes his painting "Assault on Precinct 13".
Comedic approach has spread even to the selection of actors: Cheech Marin played three supporting roles and as extras on the platform looked the author's friends. That is exactly what happened at a time when horror was shot on the knee.
Directors have become friends for years. They produced more than once common projects. And when there was a film "Sin City" by Robert Rodriguez Quentin Tarantino invited to help with the filming of one scene. And even paid him a fee of one dollar.
The most imperceptible film "Jackie Brown" and change style
Having become a real star of cinema, Quentin Tarantino decided to make a film for the first time is not on his own original screenplay. He took as a basis novel "Rum Punch" his favorite writer Elmore Leonard (rumored Tarantino in his youth even arrested for stealing one of his novels).
Style Leonard is largely similar to Tarantino films: in his books long unusual dialogues, there is practically no absolutely positive characters and a lot of black humor.
The director personally revised the novel into a screenplay and then used all his tricks. The plot tells the story of a flight attendant Jackie Brown, who carries cash for the arms dealer. After the FBI arrested her and offers to pass an employer decides to Jackie and get rid of the boss, and to appropriate money.
The main roles Tarantino invited stars of their favorite films from the seventies and eighties: Pam Grier, who also once played in the film "Foxy Brown", Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton. From the basic structure The only exception is a relatively young Samuel L. Jackson.
In the film, there are several references to the "Pulp Fiction". For example, Jackie Brown buys a suit, wearing a Mia Wallace and Butch goes to the car.
There are also shooting from the trunk, and the main fetish Tarantino - close-ups of women's feet. This time, instead of Uma Thurman in the frame foot Bridget Fonda.
The film grossed good for its modest budget cash, and even Robert Foster was nominated for "Oscar". But in the end the picture came out less bright than the previous works director. And partly the case in a simple linear narrative. It will all end, it is clear from the very beginning of the film, attracted only a small plot twists and a good actor's game.
In addition, the story became too noticeable secondary. This again is a story about criminals, frauds with money, weapons and drugs. Awareness samopovtorov Tarantino made to think about changing the style. He is six years virtually disappeared from the cinema. When he returned, his films have become brighter and more grotesque.
"Kill Bill" - a new approach to shooting
New projects Quentin Tarantino after his return to the big screen have become skillful imitation of a cheap old movies. About the same he worked on the set of "From Dusk Till Dawn." But now the scope has become more shooting - sleeker, and themes - more diverse.
For a start, he released the movie "Kill Bill" - an ode to love militants about martial arts. This is the story mercenary named Black Mamba: Woman tried to kill former boss and lover, but she survived and decided to take revenge on former colleagues.
The picture was released in two parts with a difference of half a year. But the plot, and even the construction of action is one a film lasting about four hours.
It seems that it does have in common with the previous work. The same non-linear narrative and references to old movies. The abundance of conversations that perfect harmony even in action. Uma Thurman plays a major role, and reappears Michael Madsen. But still easy to spot, and in the handwriting of the new director.
By references to the stylization
The first films of Tarantino, though referred to the pop culture and even copied the plot classics still look self-study. Now the director has become overly bright copy different movie styles.
Yellow costume of the main character is like a clothes Bruce Lee in the film "Game of Death". In this case, the plot of "Kill Bill" is almost identical to the Japanese film "Lady Snow Blood."
But most importantly, the entire scene is constructed as if the painting really took off in the seventies somewhere in the East. Education of the Black Mamba in the monastery is fully consistent with the classic fighters. there are even anime-vstavki. When the character is facing clan "88 mad", the action is transformed into shadow theater.
grotesque cruelty
Realistic violence changed so exaggerated bloody scenes, that they no longer look natural. All in the same battle with clan "88 rabid" blood beats fountains.
In another scene, a fight going on in the kitchen, and the heroine time to break off to talk to the little girl. And, of course, after the most serious injuries Black Mamba surprisingly quickly restored to continue their journey.
New filming techniques
Fetish big plans lips and legs have not gone anywhere. But Tarantino has a new favorite angle - shooting from above. The camera can display the entire space, flying over the walls, or to remove all the characters at once in such an unusual overall plan.
It replaced the Chamber filming. If earlier Tarantino characters spent much time in a confined space, but now it shows the entire volume of the room. Or allows the viewer to feel the weakness of the hero in front of a crowd of enemies.
Plus Tarantino began to play more with color. Previous films he shot with the most natural picture. Now the brightness sometimes gets out to the maximum, making the color of almost acid in the spirit comics. And the events of the past, on the contrary, may be shown in black and white.
The division into chapters
A similar technique he used in previous films. But since "Kill Bill", the division began to look more crisp. This is again a reference to Asian films - for example, to the creation of Kurosawa.
What is interesting, inside the heads of Quentin Tarantino's still time to show flashbacks, which reveal the heroes and the best overall picture of what is happening.
"Grindhouse" - a cheap horror and advertising
Despite the fact that Quentin Tarantino has not given a release "Kill Bill" completely dividing a picture into two parts, the next project, he again decided to make global.
Directed once again teamed up with his friend Robert Rodriguez, and organized the "Grindhouse" project - so in the seventies called the cinemas where movies twisted cheap and sold two tickets for the price one.
According to the original idea under the general heading would release two feature-length films and several commercials nonexistent film. It succeeded only partially.
Rodriguez and Tarantino's really taken off your own movies. First - thrashhorror "Planet Terror," about how the virus zombies take over the entire planet. Mutants opposes only a group of survivors led by a girl with a machine gun instead of his feet. And Robert Rodriguez not only took "a bad movie" - he in the frame sometimes even "floats" or breaks the film, as it happened in the old cinemas.
Quentin Tarantino in his part of the "Death Proof" has decided to turn to the subject of exploitation film. He took the most striking example - sexy girls are in trouble. In his case, they get in the car to the insane stunt. And Tarantino once again divided the plot into two chapters. In the first maniac persuades the visitors unfamiliar bar to ride with him. In the second - pursues a group of girls on the road.
And if you look closely, these films are linked a pair of minor characters. From this we can conclude that the action of "Death Proof" comes before the "Planet of fear".
In addition, with the filing of the authors of their fellow directors removed Trailers fictional "cheap" films: "Thanksgiving Day" (Eli Roth), "Women of the SS-shifters" (Rob Zombie), "Do not do it!" (Edgar Wright). And he created a picture of Robert Rodriguez movie "Machete". And after the release of this trailer as it was asked about the film, he really pulled it off.
Everything is planned to turn one big session in the cinema: films and trailers in between. But the laws of business have played a role: people do not want to go for such long sessions. After the failure at the box office producers demanded that the directors remount a picture and let them alone. But this, of course, affected the perception. Themselves stories seem too simple and not very interesting.
Today, "Death Proof" - the nizkootsenonny Tarantino film, which consider it a failure. But if you look at the entire "Grindhouse" as conceived by the author, the attitude is changing - it is a real immersion into the world of cheap movies.
"Inglourious Basterds" - the apotheosis of spoken cinema and alternative history
On the script of his first "war film" Quentin Tarantino worked for many years, staying focused on the shooting "Kill Bill", then on "Grindhouse." During this time, almost all of the director conceived the cast engaged in other projects. Yet years later, the picture was published.
And in fact it was not a war movie, and another unusual styling and mixing genres. Even the original title alludes to a non-standard reference to the classics - the Italian film "The Inglorious Bastards" in the United States called just The Inglorious Bastards. In his own film Tarantino deliberately made two mistakes in the title - Inglourious Basterds.
He repeated part of the original story: a group of US military sent on a dangerous mission during World War II. But Tarantino built a very unusual story, adding a completely different topic.
The first scene of the film can be regarded as the apex of spoken cinema. It lasts longer than 15 minutes, and all this time the viewer shows only the dialogue of two characters: a fascist Landa interrogates Perrier dairy farm owner. But even her Tarantino could do absolutely not boring. At first it seems that Perrier completely control the situation, but in fact Landa constantly pressing on him and confuses.
Psychology of this situation is built on fine acting game - Christoph Waltz director considers its main finding. Also at unusual angles and entourage. For example, the camera moves around the characters again, though confusing interrogated. Very revealing moment when the two heroes light up, and Perrier gets a conventional tube, and Landa - a huge and ridiculous, like showing their superiority.
Then the story turns into a set of standards for different genres, exaggerated to the grotesque. Tarantino again divides action into chapters. And this time, more and uses more than one language for more credibility: in the film speak English, German and French.
First, the director tells the story of a typical military sabotage groups in the spirit of "Guns of Navarone", but also a with a subtle subtext: Tarantino talks about the admissibility of a "just violence," when Jews were brutally destroyed fascists.
Next, the director plays with the traditional spaghetti westerns firefight at the tavern, where almost all the characters are doomed to death. A long conversation scene with a game of guessing the characters (thus Tarantino has managed even in the history of World add references to pop culture) turns into a bloodbath.
And at the end of the scene he himself jokes on their favorite reception, which is called "Mexican dead end" - when a few characters at the same time directed against each other arms. Here, the hero of Brad Pitt argues with the survivors of the fascist sense of the term.
And most unexpected for Quentin Tarantino looks sudden conversion to the alternative history. It shows a very different version of the interchange of the Second World War. And again it makes a big and exaggerated: Hitler and time to shoot, and burn, and blow up.
New life Westerns
classic westerns - another young love Tarantino. In previous films he repeatedly referred to the films of Sergio Leone. "Mexican impasse" came out of the painting "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", and the scene of the visit Landes at the beginning of "Inglourious Basterds" hints at the same time from the "Once Upon a Time in the West".
"Django Unchained" - Western social
But he released his own western only in 2012. The basis for the director decided not to take Leone films, and more kitsch picture of Sergio Corbucci "Django" in 1966 with Franco Nero in the title role.
It is interesting that before Quentin Tarantino has produced a draft "Sukiyaki Western Django" - a remake of the Asian history - and he starred in it in a small role. Irony and adds title: sukiyaki - kind of Japanese noodles, which hints at an Asian analogue of the spaghetti western.
Tarantino has again decided to mix genres. As part of the classic westerns, he told the story of slavery in the United States. In his version of Django - black slave, who frees bounty hunter Dr. Schultz. Django wants to get back to the former owners and save his wife Brunhilde.
As planned by the director, Jango was to play Will Smith, but he refused and the role went to Jamie Foxx. Ironically, Smith was the second time missed iconic movie role - he traded in 1999. "matrix"To" Wild Wild West. "
The film director is constantly refers to the original film Corbucci, even using the title theme music. It appears briefly and Franco Nero himself.
Interestingly, in "Django Unchained," Tarantino declined from nearly all its traditional attributes. More in "Inglourious Basterds," the first time he moved the action into the past, but this time the plot unfolds at all in the middle of the XIX century.
While here, he finds an opportunity to talk about popular culture. For example, he puts into action retelling of the saga of the Nibelungs and suit with the painting "Boy in Blue" by Thomas Gainsborough.
Apart from a few flashbacks, director almost abandoned the non-linearity of the narrative - the action develops consistently as Western blot unnecessary complication of the plot would have gone only harm.
Even replaced the cast. Except for the new favorite director Christoph Waltz and a small role Samuel L. JacksonMost actors had never worked with Tarantino, which, of course, refreshing the visual range.
At first it even seems that it is almost get rid of cruelty in the frame: the murder is shown without the inherent director grotesque. But these are just preparing for the next standard for western shootout scene in the house where the blood pours river.
"The hateful eight" - a return to intimacy
And as if in opposition to previous work on Tarantino released another western, but built quite differently. Much of the action "... Django" - a trip of heroes, they meet new friends and enemies. "The hateful eight" - the most "closed" film director, that the atmosphere and the plot takes us to the "rabid dogs".
His characters are found in the coach, among them two bounty hunter, a criminal and a man who calls himself the sheriff. And then they find themselves trapped in a secluded inn during a snow storm with a few more guests. Among them is a traitor, but in fact each of the characters has something to hide.
Again, there is no nonlinearity. It is rather closed detectiveIt is turning into a thriller. Tarantino has returned to his favorite long, almost endless dialogue. After all, the characters only occasionally interrupted for some action and baboutmost of the time just sitting in the same room and talk.
In addition to the "direct" plot and genre "disgusting eight" common with "Dzhango liberated" and structure: the bulk of the action develops slowly, so that the climax again show almost comical cruelty.
Oddly enough, in the film there are some references to other works director: heroes again smoke Red Apple cigarettes and Tim Roth character named Pete Hickox he called Archie Hickox ancestor of "Inglourious Basterds", played by Michael Fassbender. And we can only guess about the irony of the author in the scene where a letter from Abraham Lincoln's face lights up like a hero Jackson unknown contents of the suitcase in "Pulp Fiction."
It seems that Quentin Tarantino took not so many films he has only eight director's works. And as if he did not invent anything fundamentally new, just takes the classic styles of cinema and a new beat them.
Yet the director went down in history as an innovator. Tarantino's secret is that he is able to show long dialogues quite boring. He identifies the best components of genres, getting rid of the drawbacks. Exclusive approach combines with the mass film and shows cheerful attraction which can be infinite later discussed.
Now the director is working on the ninth film "What Just Happened"About a television actor who is trying to break into the movie business after a successful series. At the same time in parallel for the same purpose I wondered his backup.
Tarantino once said that after the tenth film cast cinema forever. Is this true - only time will tell.
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