QT‘s love affair with cinema has produced eight
all time?” he continues. “I actually said that after
celluloid children that, though they may not throb
Reservoir Dogs. We‘ll see what happens, but that‘s
with obvious human heart, have unquestionably,
what I want. I have self-doubt. But I don‘t have fear.
irresistibly been made with passion and feeling.
I‘m not afraid of doing anything artistically and I‘m
From
not afraid of failing.”
Marsellus
Wallace‘s
heavenly
briefcase yin/yang
Or of retiring. He‘s already talked about walking
cinepedia, Tarantino wants you to look as closely
off into the sunset after a 10-movie smash-and-
at film as he does.
grab on greatness. He can see the boxset now –
and
hellish
band-aid
to
Kill
Bill‘s
all killer, no filler. He doesn‘t, he says, want to be Billy Wilder, cranking out an erratic filmography of classics and clunkers. Coincidentally, Billy Wilder Pulp Fiction‘s Vincent Vega is the brother of Reservoir
died on Tarantino‘s birthday in 2002. That year,
Dogs‘ Vic Vega. Mr White worked with Alabama
QT was shooting Kill Bill and taking ecstasy on the
from True Romance. Kill Bill is basically Pulp Fiction‘s
Great Wall Of China.
TV show Fox Force Five, down to Mia Wallace in
“It‘s just the idea that I don‘t want to be an old
the starring role. Eli Roth‘s Bear Jew in Inglourious
director, trying to get a job, making crappy movies,”
Basterds is the father of the movie producer Lee
he says. “It‘s not a concern, because I‘m not going to
Donowitz in True Romance. Everyone smokes Red
do it. Who knows what I‘ll do in another 20 years?
Apples cigarettes.
I‘ll probably be writing novels and film literature and
There‘s a theory that Pulp Fiction is secretly structured in a chronological alphabet of pop-
essays.” He adopts a Capote-esque accent: “Aaah‘ll become a man of letters...”
culture winks, opening with a conversation about
But for now? More movies. Making them.
Amsterdam and ending with that last line, “Zed‘s
Watching them. Writing about them. Talking
dead, baby. Zed‘s dead.” There‘s an even better
about them. Loving them. “You know what I
theory that all Tarantino‘s films take place in a world
haven‘t seen?” he buzzes. “I opened up a copy
where World War Two ended when Adolf Hitler
of your magazine today and there was a big
was machinegunned to pieces in a movie theatre by
review of The Devils inside it. I literally have the
Jewish commandos instead of chomping a cyanide
video starring me in the face right now! I‘ve had
pill in his bunker. Either way, rewriting 20th-century
it forever and I‘ve just never seen it. I‘m glad that
history so that cinema saved the world is – if not his
I have interesting holes like The Devils, that I can
masterpiece – QT‘s most audacious stroke so far.
really be excited about.”
So how does Tarantino want history to remember
And so, the great film study of Tarantino‘s life
him? “One of the great filmmakers of all time,” he
continues. Three decades on from the video store, his
deadpans. But seriously. “One of the great writers of
enthusiasm is as youthful as it ever was. But does he
the century.”
ever worry that all this filming isn‘t good for you? This
He‘s serious. “Why would I not want to be remembered as one of the great filmmakers of
time, there‘s no pause, no doubt. “Would you ask Van Gogh, does he look at too many paintings?”
025