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Ask any Quentin Tarantino fanwhat their best-loved flick on his filmography is , and they ’re potential to sayPulp Fiction , orDjango Unchained , orKill Bill . Very few of them are likely to sayJackie Brown . In fact , outside of diehard movie buffs , not many the great unwashed have even heard ofJackie Brown . But that does n’t have in mind it ’s a bad movie – it ’s just a criminally underrated one .
To paraphrase Aldo Raine , Tarantino ’s adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novelRum Punchstarring Pam Grier and Robert Forster just might be his chef-d’oeuvre . Here are 10 reasonsJackie Brownis Quentin Tarantino ’s underrated masterpiece .
Quentin Tarantino And Elmore Leonard Go Hand-In-Hand
Jackie Brownhas the distinction of being the only Quentin Tarantino motion picture to be drawn from generator stuff . All of his other screenplays have been exclusively original ( well , technically original , but rammed with homages to existing movies ) , butJackie Brownis based on the novelRum Punchby Elmore Leonard . Leonard ’s work has always been Tarantino ’s strongest influence , so the two creative person ’ styles go hired man - in - hand .
It ’s great to see Tarantino tell a Leonard - instigate crime story , but it ’s even good to see him tell one of Leonard ’s own criminal offense stories . Leonard reportedly declared Tarantino ’s script forJackie Brownthe best screenplay he ’d ever register .
Nuanced Performances
Usually , the character in Quentin Tarantino movies feel like products of a movie worldand not the literal world . Their dialog is delivered in a flash and over - the - top manner , such asrambling Biblical passages , and they have unrealistic emotions . But the characters inJackie Brownfeel more like real mass .
The actor give more nuanced performances than we ’re used to seeing in a Tarantino film . Robert De Niro scarce talk a Scripture throughout the entire movie , but through the power of his performance , we still get a well - snipe conception of his character .
Outside-The-Box Casting
Quentin Tarantino lean to regorge based on type , and forhis closest collaborators , in showcase like Tim Roth and Michael Madsen , he make the type . But aside from Samuel L. Jackson ’s character Ordell veering a little close to copyingwhat turn about Jackson ’s character inPulp Fiction , Tarantino ’s casting inJackie Brownis against type . The film work as a comeback vehicle for blaxploitation legend Pam Grier , but she ’s givena deeper , more emotionally complex characterhere than in any of her former picture .
Michael Keaton , then known asa comedy star who became Batman , was an interesting choice to play the cop on Ordell ’s track , while Robert De Niro ’s cheesy crook fictitious character Louis is a far cry fromthe kind of gangster he usually plays .
Not A Lot Of Tarantino’s Hallmarks
What setsJackie Brownapart from the other photographic film of Quentin Tarantino is that it have the few amount of his trademarks . Quentin Jerome Tarantino ’s hallmarks include nonlinear storytelling and a chapter - based narration structure , and neither of these are on display inJackie Brown . you may still say thatJackie Brownis a Tarantino film , but it ’s not as on - the - nose with recycle established image .
or else , it utilizes raw techniques , like the same episode shown from the perspective of three different characters in the movie ’s thrilling orgasm . It has Tarantino ’s hallmark retentive dialogue scene , but there are no unwieldy monologue , focusing or else on conversation that facilitates case ontogenesis .
Inventive Cinematography
Quentin Tarantino ’s go - to cinematographer is normally Robert Richardson , while his first two picture show were shoot by Andrzej Sekuła . ButJackie Brownwas made in the interim between these two collaborations . It ’s the only Tarantino motion picture to be pip by the Oscar - pull ahead Guillermo Navarro , who isusually Guillermo del Toro ’s go - to guy rope .
Navarro ’s stylus involves switching between sharp imagery and less well - determine shots , depend on the modality of the scene , and he brought some imaginative photographic techniques to the shooting ofJackie Brown . A gorgeous illustration of this is the long Hart Crane shot that observe Ordell repel around to a secluded spot to kill Livingston .
A Well-Balanced Ensemble
When a story is distinguish from a few dissimilar perspectives , it can be difficult to maintain the proper balance between all of those view . The manager terminate up focusing on one or two characters more than the ease and the less represented characters end up coming off as forgettable or developing . ButJackie Brownhas no such issue .
Despite the fact that it ’s name after one lineament , the rest of them get just as much attention , as Tarantino strikes the perfect equalizer with his ensemble cast . The storytelling is also pretty unbiassed , allowing us to make our own conclusions about who are the unspoiled guy cable and who are the regretful guy rope .
The Soundtrack Suits The Film’s Tone
Quentin Tarantino is know for his soundtracks , select classic from his own personal record collection during the writing level to score each of his films . And whileall of his soundtracks are impeccable , his soundtrack forJackie Brownsuits the tone of the picture show better than any of his others .
An assortment of soul , funk , and R&B hit from the legendary likes of Bobby Womack and Peace , Johnny Cash , the Grass Roots , Bill Withers , and the Brothers Johnson , theJackie Brownsoundtrack play utterly over the movie ’s panorama , which are some of the quietest and most attentive of Tarantino ’s calling .
Jackie And Max Develop A Real Relationship
A lot of the couples in Tarantino ’s movies palpate like idealize silver medal - screen couples as opposed to real - animation couples . Django and Broomhilda are hopelessly in love with each other because it serves the story , but exactly why they screw each other is n’t really explored . Vincent Vega and Mia Wallacehave some romantic tension over dinner party , but it does n’t go any deeper than veiled flirt . On the other script , Jackie and Max inJackie Brownseem to develop a existent relationship . Pam Grier and Robert Forster ’s chemistry is incredible .
In the film ’s final moments , as Jackie call for Max to get along to Spain with her and he refuses , sothey have to entreat each other farewell , we finger a real worked up connective between them .
The Characters Are Actually Smart
The downfall of a lot of film is characters making stupid conclusion . Some writer will underestimate their audience ’s word andhave their characters make unrealistically unwise choices just to further the plotand get from point A to point B. InJackie Brown , a handful of characters are all trying to stay one tone ahead of each other … and they do .
At the end of the movie , as Ordell take in Jackie has steal all of his money , we see the thought process in Samuel L. Jackson ’s facial expression alone . He was outfox by her , and then he was smart enough to picture it out . wise characters make smart motion-picture show .
Unexpected Plot Turns
Quentin Tarantino is great at delivering unexpected secret plan turns , like having Vincent Vega unexpectedly photograph Marvin in the face or killing off Adolf Hitler in a historically inaccurate manner . However , some of his end are predictable . InDjango Unchained , we have intercourse that Django will become a detached humanity and deliver his married woman . InKill Bill , we get it on that the Bride is perish to , well , vote down Bill . But inJackie Brown – especially in its third enactment – the plot act are always irregular . Just when you retrieve you lie with how a shot is fail to play out , something altogether unforeseen happens that changes everything . That ’s great storytelling .
NEXT : All of Quentin Tarantino ’s Movies , Ranked
