K. PYATIGORSKY
Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003) Vol.2 (2004), Death Proof (2007), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Django Unchained (2012), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) are the iconic films by influential auteur Quentin Tarantino. Recently entered into the Oxford English Dictionary, to be "Tarantinoesque" is to be typically characterized by "graphic and stylized violence, non-linear storylines, cineliterate reference, satirical themes, and sharp dialogue." Each film has garnered its own unique personality, in part due to its cinematic violence and gore, reflected in each film's distinct soundtrack. Moreover, the correct fusion of both visuals and music often serve as a tool for character development and/or to establish setting and atmosphere. This is done so through the use of non-diegetic music and/or diegetic music. Non-diegetic music is simply defined as background music that cannot be heard by the characters, while diegetic music is part of the fictional world and can be heard by the characters. Tarantino often goes against the grain and surprises the audience with music that often would not be the obvious choice, with subversive music choices that defy expectations. He blends genres and tones seamlessly, the use of soundtrack allows for this genre blending to work. Whether it be a spaghetti western set during World War II or a slasher flick with a classic car film of the 1970's , time after time, Tarantino dictates the emotions the audience is meant to feel through his soundtrack. Ultimately, the fusion of genres, styles, ultra-violence, witty dialogue and music cultivate Tarantino's repertoire as a "director as DJ" where the "cut-and-paste" and "mix-and-match" directorial style is reminiscent of that of a DJ who borrows from older songs to create a new song with a new atmosphere (Rennet 391). To truly comprehend the extent of Tarantino's creative genius, I have selected three prominent scenes from three divergent movies, to analyze and interpret the impact of the score in regard to the film as well as audience reaction.
Reservoir Dogs (1992):
Truly a defining moment for the ultraviolence as well as the role of song in cinema, the ear-torture scene in Reservoir Dogs attributes an almost ironic commentary through diegetic music. To set the scene, the film follows six criminals who do not know of one another, who are hired to carry out a robbery. The heist is later ambushed by the police, forcing the criminals to shoot their way out. The surviving criminals rendezvous at the warehouse, realize they were set up, and attempt to find the conspirator. The sequence linked below involves the character of Mr. Blonde torturing a cop, filled with explicit sadism, extreme violence, and most notably, humor (Coulthard 1). The brutality of this scene is foregrounded in a catchy song able to provide a sense of ironic detachment, in which Stealers Wheel's 1972 hit "Stuck in the Middle with You" encapsulates Tarantino's ability to choose the perfect song to accompany an otherwise arduous scene to watch.
The film takes place over the course of a very short time period, and the radio happens to play all the hits of the seventies. Mr. Blonde turns on his "personal favorite" radio station "K Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies", shaves a bit of stubble off of his face, walks over to a dead and bloody body, and ever so perfectly, "Stuck in the Middle with You" begins to play. The film seemingly lightens up, the catchy and bouncy song coupled with the singing and dance moves of Mr. Blonde invites the audience to join in. Mr. Blonde sings, "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right" right before he proceeds to cut the ear off of the cop, implying the dead body is a joker while the hostage cop is the clown. Tarantino notes that the reality is that the scene does not lighten up, rather makes the scene all the more challenging to watch. As the audience, we become a "co-conspirator" as we have already enjoyed the song and dance, and now must follow through with Mr. Blonde's haunting actions. It is incredibly arduous to argue that it is not the perfect song, as one simply cannot imagine any other song in its place. The song itself, written by the Scottish folk rock/rock band Stealers Wheel, was featured in their debut album in 1972. Given the song's inclusion to this iconic sequence, the song gained a "kind of cinematic pop culture notoriety" and has been covered by a range of artists over the years.
The use of "Stuck in the Middle with You" specifically, creates emphasis on both elements of nostalgia and temporal dislocation. This frames the violence outside of the diegetic world of action, as the popular songs chosen are rarely contemporaneous with the depicted action. This is attributed through the "sound performance, repredocution, and technology: cassettes, vinyl records, transistor radios" become sources for diegetic music (Coulthard 3). As the audience, we are drawn to these sources as we watch the characters turn on their own music, listen to the radio, and select the song that perfectly accompanies their violent actions. The use of popular music to score scenes filled with ultra-violence, emphasizes the disturbance of the action while ensuring that the violence is controlled within a separate space, somehow separate from the action of the "mundane world" (Coulthard 3). While the audience never watch Mr. Blonde remove the ear off of the cop, the use of sound constructs an "aural violence" as powerful as the portrayed violence. Moreover, pairing a rhythmic pop song during a violent scene, creates viewer enjoyment at an otherwise gruesome scene.
Stuck in the Middle With You - Reservoir Dogs (5/12) Movie CLIP (1992) HD
Pulp Fiction (1994):
Arguably one of the most memorable sequences in cinematic history, the dance scene in Pulp Fiction turns an unexpected twist contest into Tarantino's very own masterpiece. At the core the film is a gangster film, lies nonlinear storytelling coupled with three parallel narratives. In the focus of the scene linked below, tensions have mounted for Vincent, tasked to treat Mia to a "good time." Though his gangster boss was rumoured to have murdered the previous man who got too close to his wife, Mia, this night truly meant life or death for Vincent. Vincent takes Mia out for the night where they visit Jack Rabbit Slims. The interior of Jack Rabbit Slim's is full of nostalgia, lined with 50's movie posters, booths made of cut up bodies of 50's cars, servers dressed as 50's icons such as as Marilyn Monroe, and a dance floor in the center of the restaurant with a Ricky Nelson impersonator. The audience is immediately transported into another dimension, an innocent America.
The twist was a popular dance in the 1960s which drew criticism at the time for being too provocative. Tarantino uses this history as an element to push Vincent and Mia into further flirtation, fueling further risk for Vincent and his livelihood. The song and dance escalate tension between the characters, while their connection grows as they match each other's dance moves. Tarantino selects "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry, with lyrics evoking a naive romance while describing a teenage wedding. The song aids in the juxtaposition of the sweetness of the dance, creating a contrast to the gangster world the characters reside in. It would be far too obvious for Tarantino to have the characters dance to "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. The soundtrack to the film is a mixture of surf and soul music, with Tarantino himself asserting that "this could be a Quentin tape." Chuck Berry wrote "You Never Can Tell" while in prison for allegedly bringing a 14 year old girl across state lines for sexual intercourse, writing about a "teenage wedding" and skeptical "old folks." The choice of this song is interesting, as being one of rock's greatest guitar heroes, he rarely plays guitar on this 1964 single. For Tarantino, this meant the perfect time to juxtapose the environment of the restaurant to the violence outside, prevalent through boogie piano and saxophone solos. The use of this song creates an enticing memorable moment for the film, almost "out of place" amidst the gangster violence and drug snorting reality of its characters. The diegetic music foreshadows the chaos about to unfold that the characters are entirely unaware of. A major theme of the film itself is the unpredictability of fortune, and the good fortune that winning the twist contest may have brought, contrasts the accompanying overdose of Mia's character when accidentally snorting heroin believing it to be cocaine. As a contrast to the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's use of the score in the dance scene from Pulp Fiction aims to juxtapose the violent reality of the storylines.
Dancing at Jack Rabbit Slim's - Pulp Fiction (5/12) Movie CLIP (1994) HD
Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003):
Tarantino is widely known for having an encyclopedic knowledge of films, ranging eras and genres, and his knowledge of music is certainly matched. The soundtrack of Kill Bill illuminates upon this array of knowledge with, "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei is utilized as O-Ren's theme as she enters the House of Blue Leaves with her entourage. This song was in the Japanese movie Another Battle released in 2000, and has become the honorary theme of Kill Bill and other films. This non-diegetic sound features characters walking in slow motion, evoking a sense of "badassery", used in films like Team America where the team joins together or in Shrek 3 when the princesses unite and triumphantly head into battle. When searching for the rhythm of the film, Tarantino utilizes the underscoring of this song to fabricate an immense buildup of excitement. Two world class assassins are heading into their confrontation, and there could not possibly be a better song to choose. While underscoring is typically paired with a fade in and fade out of the scene, Tarantino does not abide by this unwritten rule, and chooses to abruptly begin and end the music in this scene. Moreover, Tarantino switches from this form of non-diegetic music to diegetic music, with the Japanese rock trio 5.6.7.8's playing their song to segue into the next scene.
Mary Ramos has been working with Tarantino since she became the music coordinator for Pulp Fiction, tremendously influencing the musical identity of Tarantino movies. She was the music supervisor for Kill Bill Vol.1, recalling an instance in which Tarantino handed her a homemade video tape of a 1970's Japanese television show and said "'You know what? That piece of music right there in the background in that little scene, that's what I want to hear.'" There were no credits, no title, no production company, nor did Ramos speak Japanese, though she got the song. It was the certainty that Tarantino was able to exude, and continues to, that ensures that the song of choice will be remarkable for the purpose of the film. Not only did "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" instill a sense of character development and understanding of the personality of O-Ren, the audience was able to get a sense for the atmosphere. Evidently, the use of non-diegetic score for O-Ren's entrance in Kill Bill bears parallels to the diegetic score torture scene in Reservoir Dogs and the dance scene in Pulp Fiction as it sets the stage for the characters.
Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003) O-Ren Ishii's Entrance Scene HD
Tarantino has perfected the art of blending music and film to synchronize with one another, creating an engaging and immersive viewing experience for the audience. His decisions both as director and DJ fashion an unique experience, able to defy expectations in almost every scene. While Tarantino utilizes music in its conventional form, it is the instances in which he takes a chance on the characters, plotline, and music that memorable moments are created. Tarantino ensures that his score ties back to the storyline and/or character, resulting in iconic moments relevant for decades.
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