Not many writers and directors have built a successful, decades-long career the way Quentin Tarantino has. Whether you love or hate his work, Tarantino has been a household name since the early ’90s, scratching the surface with 1992’s Reservoir Dogs before catapulting into fame two years later. Pulp Fiction came out in 1994 and won the 1995 Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, earning Tarantino his first big accolades as a filmmaker. Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is already stirring up the usual Oscar buzz, and the movie makes for one intriguing opponent as the film is unlike any of Tarantino’s previous projects. In our latest Mandatory Movie Battles, we pit Tarantino’s arguably best work against one of his most unexpectedly unique films to date.
Photo: Sony Pictures/Miramax
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has only just barely been released into the world and will undoubtedly garner well-deserved Academy Award nominations when the time comes. That said, Pulp Fiction has remained a classic since 1994. It’s claimed a unique piece in pop culture history and stands the test of time as few challengers can thanks in part to loyal cinephiles.
Overall Winner: Pulp Fiction
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Tarantino Pulp vs Hollywood
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Cast
Tarantino's projects always feature some of the most talented stars in the business. No disrespect to Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and the rest of the excellent Pulp Fiction crew, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's star-studded cast shines in every frame. The movie is chock-full of award-winning performers such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino alongside scene-stealer Julia Butters. Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Damian Lewis, Austin Butler, and the late Luke Perry also offer brief yet spot-on performances that are difficult to contend with.
Winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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Leading Duo
DiCaprio and Pitt are solid as a faded television actor and his stunt double in Tarantino's take on the end of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. However, Travolta's scenes with Jackson in the Pulp Fiction crime caper set the tone for the entire movie with their unexpected chemistry and sharp dialogue -- not to mention one of Travolta's best roles on the big screen (Grease definitely can't compete). Jackson and Travolta's Oscar-nominated duo remains a staple in pop culture. You don't have to look far to find their images splattered together on posters, shirts, mugs, and other merchandise that are as popular now as they were back in the '90s.
Winner: Pulp Fiction
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Action
Besides a couple of scenes, usually involving Pitt's character showing off his fighting skills, most of the action in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cleverly takes place on and off set of the series and movies depicted within the film (cue all of the movie within a movie Inception jokes). While Hollywood might take the edge on gratuitous gore in its conclusion, Pulp Fiction thrives as an action comedy while the former's strengths rely on its character-driven drama.
Winner: Pulp Fiction
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Cinematography
Tarantino's directing skills have only improved over time. Couple his talent with three-time Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Richardson, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stands out with some of the most sophisticated cinematography the regular collaborators have ever put on film. It's the type of craftsmanship you will appreciate even more during your inevitable rewatch.
Winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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Comedy
Tarantino's Hollywood drama shares a few laughs with its audience, but it can't compete with Jackson's classic one-liners.
Winner: Pulp Fiction
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Plot
Each movie excels as some of Tarantino's best work, from Pulp Fiction's nonlinear storytelling following multiple intersecting storylines to Hollywood's peak into the industry full of colorful characters and a touch of historical alterations. Taking on a classic is a huge feat, though, and Pulp Fiction's clever narrative is hard to beat.
Winner: Pulp Fiction
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Resolution
Despite Pulp Fiction's nonlinear structure being one of its strongest aspects, it does result in the conclusion feeling less like an ending and more of a continuation. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood not only allows room for a resolution, but it comes with one of the biggest twists as Tarantino's Hollywood fairy tale ends in something of a happy ending (full of graphic violence and burnt bodies) as the filmmaker subverts reality, offering a different ending to one of the most brutal events in true crime history.
Winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
