Clip Art: Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown (1997)
dir. Quentin Tarantino


This film didn't perform as well as Pulp Fiction (1994) and I always thought it was why Tarantino let his filmmaking regress. I don't mean in a technical sense. The Kill Bill films are visually stunning and Death Proof (2007) showed he has the chops to shoot some stunning stunt work, but the maturing of his storytelling started to take a back seat.

Here's one of several scenes that take place between Pam Grier and Robert Forester. In trying to find "The Scene" that summed up the relationship, there wasn't one. It is built slowly through conversation after conversation. Each scene adding something to the relationship, something to the characters as individuals and something to plot. So here is one of those scenes that ends nicely on the driving question of the plot.

Tarantino has never let characters breathe like this since. It's mature and impressive to watch a couple of adults actually converse about who they are and the kicker at the end that brings the whole idea of the scam back into play.

Here's hoping that someday Tarantino will go back and start exploring the human side of genre again. Until then, at least he's giving us some fun films to eat popcorn to.