When asked if he went to film school, Quentin Tarantino famously replied “No, I went to films”. The best way to make a good film is, in his opinion, to watch cinema. A lot of it. Formal education is far less important than passion.
This unconventional approach sums up what makes Tarantino such a groundbreaking filmmaker. He is quintessentially postmodern; his filmography is rich with references and he is not afraid to be transgressive. He blends genres in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 & 2, combining conventions of Samurai, Spaghetti Western and Anime (to name just a few) to create a mixing pot of forms and tropes. It’s disorientating, unusual and exciting.
Similarly transgressive is Tarantino’s Historical Revisionism. He takes moments from history and adds his own fictitious storyline. Inglorious Basterds is perhaps the most well-known example of this, being a fictitious account of the dismantling of the Third Reich. More recently, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood explores the shifting film industry at the end of the 1960s alongside the Tate murders. Although definitely not one of my favourite Tarantino films, I love how he uses the warm 60s backdrop whilst injecting his typical gory and obscenity.
Talking of gory — it would be remiss of me to discuss Tarantino without discussing the violence of his films. Whilst his choice of genre and protagonist shift throughout his career, what stays consistent is an undying love for gory violence. His first feature film Reservoir Dogs establishes this, alongside another strength of Tarantino’s: dark comedy. And to accompany this, an exceptional taste in music. Stealers Wheel’s jolly 70s track ‘Stuck In The Middle Of You’ iconically plays over Mr. Blonde’s vicious ear-slicing torture scene. The duality of extreme violence with a lighthearted sing-song makes for a hysterically uncomfortable watch. Tarantino is incredibly good at achieving this balance, something he would carry onto his next feature Pulp Fiction and beyond.
While I would hesitate to crown Tarantino my favourite director of all time, his work has fundamentally changed how I consider film as an art form. His stylistic blending and controversial dialogue are profoundly unique. All aspirational filmmakers should take a leaf from his book and just pick up a camera. Because “if you truly love cinema… then you can’t help but make a good movie”.
