Quentin Tarantino – One of the best filmmakers of all time. A great director and an even better writer, who created such masterpieces as Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds and Pulp Fiction. Speaking of Pulp Fiction, it’s been 20 years since it was first released in the UK. To celebrate, we’re devoting our day to the works of Quentin Tarantino, and right now, we’re gonna take a look at the best uses of music in his films.
Now to be honest, there aren’t many bad moments of music in Tarantino’s films. He is perhaps one of, if not THE, best director to use pre-existing music. Whatever he chooses, it just seems to go. So let’s take a look at some moments that were particularly awesome. Now this isn’t a ranked list, cause that would just be too hard, but rather a collection of moments that excelled at showing Tarantino’s skills with music.
Jackie Brown is not considered one of Tarantino’s best films. Some would argue that it has all the right elements to a Tarantino film, but they’re done lazily. Still, it’s a fine piece of cinema, and is a homage to blaxploitation films, so it has a soundtrack full of songs from that genre. But the one we’re focusing on is Across 110th Street, from the film of the same name, sung by Bobby Womack. The song plays over the very opening scene of the film, which sees the title character, played by Pam Grier, on her way to board the flight she’s attending. It’s a wonderfully upbeat song that sets the tone for the film perfectly, and when it really works well is when it returns the chorus as she begins running, the rhythm is perfect.
Kill Bill has plenty of kick ass music, most notably during the fight scenes, but here we’re talking about the one that gets stuck in your head: Twisted Nerve. It’s the deadly tune whistled by Daryl Hannah’s deadly assassin Elle Driver she walks into the hospital where The Bride is comatose. Then the real song comes in as we see Elle disguising herself as a nurse, and it’s so awesome. An incredibly catchy tune that somehow fits the scene perfectly in ways I can’t even explain. What I can say though, is that you’ll definitely be whistling it a few hours after the film.
....You just started playing it in your head, didn’t you? Of course you did. It’s perhaps one of the most iconic film openings of all time. Following a lengthy discussion about Madonna and tipping, the main characters of the film step outside in slow motion, wearing their cool black suits and sunglasses, whilst this beauty of a track, Little Green Bag by the George Baker Selection, plays over it. Let’s face it: The music really makes this scene. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as cool or iconic without this song. Can you picture the sing with any other music? I’m guessing not, and that’s because it’s the song that turns the awesome up to 11, and sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Pulp Fiction is one of the best films of all time. One of its most iconic scenes sees Vincent Vega (John Travolta) taking Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) out for the night, where they end up at a Jack Rabbit Slims, a 50's diner with staff dressed as 50's icons. Whilst there, they enter a twist competition, which sees the pair of them deliver some groovy dance moves to the song You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry. The twist is a classic dance that needs a classic song; there were probably several good songs that would’ve fit the scene, but the thing about this one is that it actually makes you want to dance. It starts playing, and you get this vibe, you get with the rhythm and you want to stand up and copy Travolta and Thurman and their dance moves. It’s an odd thing to say about a film like Pulp Fiction, but it’s true. Other great musical moments from this one include when Mia gets back to her house and dances to Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon by Neil Diamond, and of course, the kick ass music that plays over the opening titles.
Yep, we’ve gone back to the Dogs for the final entry, but how could we ever leave this scene out? It’s not only one of the best scenes of any Tarantino, but one of the best film scenes of all time. Mr. Blonde, with a tied up, battered cop in front of him, switches the radio onto K Billy’s Super Sounds of the 70's to play Stealer’s Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle with You, as he dances around his victim, slicing his face with a razor and eventually cutting off his ear, before drenching him in gasoline, all set to this song. It’s such an amazing juxtapose; the song is upbeat and fun, and you wanna bob your had to it, but this guy is getting his ear cut off and covered in gasoline and it’s gruesome and you’re a bit shocked. Much like Little Green Bag, this scene is made by its music, and it’s now hard to picture it with anything else. And much like Twisted Nerve, it’s also a song that’ll get stuck in your head, but whenever you hear it, chances are you’ll think of this scene, which just proves the impact this song has.
What Do YOU Think?
What are you favourite music moments from Tarantino’s films? Let us know in the comments!