Qurntin Tarantino´s movies are mostly violent scenarios in the world of American West-Coast gangster bosses and their Hit-Men - Shoot-outs, language as brutal as the action and even cooler quotations.
Almost all of his movies have managed to be at least cult among the younger generations. Is the type of music Tarantino uses in most his films responsible for their popularity, since it is mostly popular music? If it is, what exactly is the effect of the music that Tarantino uses?
One may certainly say that in his movies film and music represent two different types of media: There are no movie-themes involved which have been composed only for this purpose.
As a regisseur, Tarantino prefers "chewing gum" music as he calls it, which contrasts the scenes taking place on the screen (Havighorst, Michaltsi, Strauß).
Tarantino´s songs have has an “own life” in the real world of the watchers, apart from the movie. The most famous example is probably the “Pulp Fiction”- soundtrack-album, which in is, in certain circles, mostly of the female gender, even more popular than the movie itself.
Anyway, it seems obvious that Tarantino has a specific style of combining the accoustic and the visual media in his works. I want to find out possible results and intentions of this more or less unique combination.
Table of Contents
1. Contents
2. Introduction
2.1. Why Quentin Tarantino?
2.2. Definition of Popular Music
2.3. The Procedure
3. Song Analysis
3.1. General Observations
3.2. The songs
a) “Little Green Bag”
b) “I gotcha”
c) “Stuck in the middle with you”
4. Conclusion: The Meaning and Function of Music for Tarantino
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the unique integration of popular music within Quentin Tarantino's film "Reservoir Dogs," focusing on how musical choices influence audience perception and narrate the film's violent sequences. The primary research question investigates the intentional contrast between diegetic popular music and brutal visual imagery, and what effects this stylistic combination has on the viewer's emotional engagement.
- The role of "popular music" as an autonomous artistic element in film.
- The "stylistic device" of embedding music via diegetic sources like the radio.
- Analysis of specific song choices and their ironic interaction with on-screen violence.
- The psychological impact of contrasting "happy" music with brutal scenarios.
- Evaluation of how Tarantino creates distance between the viewer and the action.
Excerpt from the Book
c) “Stuck in the middle with you”
This song is played when everybody except for the slightly psychotic character Mr Blonde, the cop hostage on the chair and dying Mr. Orange have left the warehouse. Mr Blonde has the possibility to do whatever he wants to do with the cop, which is, to cut of his ear and afterwards pouring gazoline all over him. Just about to light his almost earless hostage up, Mr Orange shoots him from the back, using his last powers. All these events are musically accompanied by “Stuck in the Middle with You”.
The cop as the victim is clearly geographically “stuck in the middle” of the warehouse with “him”, Mr Blonde. In this way the audio track is relating to the pictures and communicating with the viewers.
Mr Blonde, who turned on the radio, is aware of the song, because he starts dancing to “Stuck in the Middle”, slowly moving towards the tied up policeman. Blonde shows joy in his body-language. But the sound of the accoustic-guitar riffs and the cheery hand-clapping rhythm of this song dismatch completely the cops scared and bloody face, while he realizes that he is going to be hurt really bad in the next moment.
Summary of Chapters
2. Introduction: The author explores Quentin Tarantino’s unique directorial approach and provides a definition of popular music within the context of film media.
3. Song Analysis: This section provides a detailed examination of how specific popular songs are used in "Reservoir Dogs," including general observations on the film's soundscape and case studies of three pivotal tracks.
4. Conclusion: The Meaning and Function of Music for Tarantino: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that Tarantino uses popular music as an ironic counterpoint to violence, fundamentally shaping the viewer's emotional and interpretive experience.
5. Bibliography: This section lists the academic sources and online references utilized for the analysis of sound and popular music in film.
Keywords
Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, Popular Music, Film Analysis, Soundtrack, Diegetic Music, Irony, Violence, Media Studies, Audio-Visual Contrast, Mr Blonde, Soundtrack Integration, Song Analysis, Film Scoring, Cultural Studies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the specific use of popular music in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and how it serves as a stylistic tool to complement or contrast visual narratives.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The themes include the relationship between music and violence, the concept of "chewing gum" music, the role of diegetic radio sound, and the ironic distance created between the viewer and the action.
What is the main objective of the author?
The objective is to reveal the intentions behind Tarantino's unique combination of visual brutality and popular music, analyzing how these elements collectively influence the viewer's perception.
What methodology is applied?
The author employed a multi-viewing approach, analyzing the film multiple times to document music placement, context, and the relationship between lyrics and onscreen action.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body analyzes the characteristics of songs, the use of radio as a stylistic device, and specific scene analyses involving songs like "Little Green Bag," "I gotcha," and "Stuck in the middle with you."
Which keywords best describe the research?
Key terms include Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, Popular Music, Film Analysis, Soundtrack, Irony, and Audio-Visual Contrast.
How does Tarantino define his preferred music style?
Tarantino refers to his preference as "chewing gum" music, which is intended to contrast with the violent scenes taking place on screen.
What does the "ear-scene" analysis reveal about Tarantino's work?
The analysis shows that by pairing a cheerful, upbeat song with a brutal act of torture, Tarantino successfully creates an ironic atmosphere that forces the audience to maintain a critical, distanced perspective on the violence.
- Quote paper
- Felix Bellermann (Author), 2004, The use of popular music in Quentin Tarantinos 'Reservoir Dogs ', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/73161
