Quentin Corner: Talking Points

You can ask people who have seen any of Tarantino’s films “what do you remember?” and the most likely answers are going to be something along the lines of “that scene with the huge fight”, “that bit where the guy dies” or “the scene where those people are trying to escape and they die” but I’m betting at least someone will bring up a section of dialogue.

Don’t expect those who come looking for the thrills to remember the dialogue. They probably won’t have liked a Tarantino film if they like their special effects big and they like the stereotypes and clichés that come attached to a fair chunk of modern cinema. But you’ll always find someone (like me) who watches one of his films & thinks one of the best scenes was “that bit where the two guys are talking about a burger”.

Anyway, here are some of the greatest bits of dialogue from Tarantino’s feature films.

Pulp Fiction: Does Marsellus Wallace look like a bitch?

Now if you’ve seen the film, how can you not remember this? It’s an iconic moment that helped turn Samuel L Jackson from an actor into a “motha-fuckin’ actor”. Asking a terrified guy if Ving Rhames looks like a bitch and then putting a bullet in him for replying “what” is quite simply brilliant and all it needed was Samuel L Jackson and a gun.

Pulp Fiction: Royale with Cheese

Ah, the Royale with Cheese. I’m betting everyone including me outside of France had no idea what a Royale with Cheese was until John Travolta helped clear the confusion. It’s a great piece of dialogue because it’s simple and what’s more it’s true to life. It’s the kind of conversation you yourself could have actually had at some point in your life, where you discuss why a different country has a different name for something.

Pulp Fiction: Ezekiel 25:17

Pulp Fiction again and Samuel L Jackson again. He got probably one of the best scripts out of any film because whatever comes out of his mouth during Pulp Fiction is golden. This time it’s his most famous dialogue (perhaps more of a monologue, preaching to the choir maybe) in the film and it’s so good and so impactual he says it twice. It’s the only bit of the Bible I know.

Reservoir Dogs: Intro conversation at the diner

The opening scene in Reservoir Dogs, in terms of character building and script writing, is fantastic for two reasons: one, it’s like watching a bunch of guys in real life actually having a conversation and yet it’s incredibly engaging and riveting and two, because Tarantino describing the Madonna song Like A Virgin to a bunch of men in extraordinary detail is confusing but strangely compelling. The scene from start to finish is a great opener and when followed by the even more memorable opening title sequence? Beautiful.

Death Proof: Kurt Russell talking to Rose McGowan in the car

I just chuckled to myself when I recalled the first time I saw this scene – purely because of my sister’s reaction when she saw it sitting next to me. It has a brutal ending but the chill factor that eminates from Kurt Russell’s voice while he’s speaking: that’s why it’s in this piece. It’s glorious but it’s gruesome.

Inglourious Basterds: Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) talking to his soldiers.

A film less glorious and a scene less gruesome, but a great piece of dialogue nonetheless. It centralised the trailers, it kickstarts the Jewish-American crusade and it introduces you to the squadron of merciless soldiers led by a rather excellent Brad Pitt who delivers his rallying speech with great conviction.

Inglourious Basterds: Hans Landa’s rat problem

The opening scene of Inglourious Basterds is fairly long and dialogue-driven, but if you get one reward from the scene it’s the introduction of the best character of the film speaking probably his most compelling piece of dialogue in the film. Hans Landa (Christopher Waltz) knows there are Jews under the floorboards, but since he’s not your average Nazi he cleverly strikes a deal with the man hiding them. The raw power of Hans Landa’s words and the way he dominates the opening scene with his little bits of dialogue is fascinating.