Category: Tarantino Influences

The movies that inspired Quentin Tarantino.

The Tarantino Influences: Django

Django is a 1966 movie directed by Sergio Corbucci. The music, themes and style were inspirations on Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Hateful Eight, Reservoir Dogs and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Django tells the story of a mysterious drifter who drags a coffin through town and ends up in the middle of a bloody feud between Southern confederates and Mexican revolutionaries. He battles both groups, using his secret weapon of destruction. Along the way, Django rescues a prostitute and attempts to leave with a bounty of gold.

The main influence on Tarantino can be found in the most glorious theme song of all time.

Behold the grandeur….

Django has a lot going for it but this introduction is the clear high point of the movie. The song is hypnotic – it’s a grand, soaring, even powerful presentation of a mysterious drifter dragging a coffin through mud. Take the song away and you still have an intriguing visual but it loses its potent flavor. This theme is strictly reserved for a dynamic hero – which defines Django for most of the movie.

Tarantino borrows the theme song and gives it to his Django, who proves to be a more worthy hero than the original. We also see the great lettering and font in Tarantino’s version and clearly there is an homage to mud. Of course, mud isn’t exclusive to either movie – but in Django, its presence fills the background similar to snow drifts in other spaghetti Westerns.

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The Tarantino Influences: Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder is a 1977 movie directed by John Flynn. Known as one of Tarantino’s favorite movies, its theme of retribution and stylized violence could have been influences on Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.

Rolling Thunder tells the story of Major Charles Rane, a Vietnam veteran returning home after being a prisoner of war. Rane struggles to assimilate back into civilian life, before his wife and son are killed in a home invasion. This tragic event leads Rane to seek justice on the thugs responsible for the murders.

It’s difficult to classify Rolling Thunder as a particular type of movie. A case could be made that it’s an exploitation movie or at the least, a loose version of a road movie. It’s definitely a revenge movie and it’s violent. Yet, Rolling Thunder takes on that gritty, 1970’s sensibility where the story is allowed the space to breathe. We learn about the characters and their baggage – their personal futility is captured far before the chaotic final shootout, which ultimately defines the movie.

The layers found in Rolling Thunder likely inspired Tarantino – along with other writer/directors. It’s a heavy movie featuring a main character who is emotionally broken after suffering years of torture. It’s a tragic story, yet the bad guys who propel Rane to act are outlandishly bad – almost to the point of being unrealistic and cartoonish. There’s a love interest that never materializes, subtle statements made about patriotism and quirky, offhanded humor found throughout.

There’s a gimmick in Rane using his hook hand to cause havoc, yet Rolling Thunder is a unique mix of heart and action. It’s tempting to separate these characteristics to make an easier movie – but combined they form an intriguing creation.

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The Tarantino Influences: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a 1966 Sergio Leone Western. The movie’s themes, style and cinematography are major influences on most of Tarantino’s works.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly tells the story of three drifters who are seeking a bounty of buried money. The three men form ephemeral alliances with each other during their pursuit, constantly scheming to secure the riches for themselves.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a unique entry for this project. The movie is continually cited as one of the greatest Westerns ever made, along with being a huge influence on Tarantino’s works – particularly during the second half of the director’s career. Although it’s possible that Tarantino references The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in all of his movies. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown all borrow from the movie’s classic ending – a standoff in a Civil War cemetery. The atmosphere of Kill Bill, Volume 2 – particularly during the scenes with Budd and later Bill – are lifted entirely from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The spacious scenery of the desert, which highlights Leone’s movie, is littered throughout Tarantino’s second half volume of movies. The opening scene of Inglorious Basterds borrows heavily from Leone’s introduction of Angel Eyes, while Django Unchained and Hateful Eight mimic the characters’ motivation and study ideas of trust.

On its surface, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a simple movie. The characters are all motivated by the same thing – yet take different routes to achieve their goals. They are simply characterized – Blondie is the good guy, Angel Eyes is bad and Tuco is ugly. Yet all three characters are con men and tricksters – each both adapting to and taking advantage of their landscape, which is being devastated by war.

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The Tarantino Influences: Man Hunt

Man Hunt is a 1941 movie directed by Fritz Lang. Its story, setting and hints of revisionist history could have inspired Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds.

Man Hunt tells the story of Alan Thorndike, a British big game hunter and adventurist. Thorndike is vacationing in Bavaria when he stumbles upon Adolf Hitler. Thorndike has Hitler in his sights, but doesn’t shoot. He’s then captured by the Nazis. After escaping back to Britain, Thorndike has his identity stolen and is pursued by Gestapo forces.

There are some interesting parallels between Man Hunt and Inglorious Basterds. While the movie isn’t a direct influence on Tarantino’s work, Man Hunt attempts to place a fictional character into the historical space of World War II. Thorndike is swept up into a web of spies – similar to Basterds’ Archie Hickox – as he is pursued by Nazi agent Quive-Smith. The Nazis want Thorndike to sign a confession admitting that he tried to kill Hitler – as this action would draw Britain into the war and validate Germany’s invasion of Europe.

Walter Pidgeon plays Thorndike and is well-suited for the role. He’s a striking 1940’s leading man and possesses a kind of necessary gentle charm. In explaining his actions to Quive-Smith, Thorndike admits to tracking Hitler – but states that it would be cruelty to kill what was such an easy target. There’s little malice in Thorndike’s character – he’s likely a bored adventurer arising from a wealthy and connected background.

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The Tarantino Influences: City on Fire

City on Fire is a 1987 movie directed by Ringo Lam. Its’ style, characters and story were huge influences on Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

City on Fire tells the story of Chow, an undercover cop, who infiltrates a band of diamond thieves. Chow is pushed further into the group’s plans and becomes a sort of pawn stuck between two police inspectors. The movie ends with a botched robbery and the group sorting out the chaos that has ensued.

Heading into this project, City on Fire was high on my list of movies to review. I had read about the connections between the movie and Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs – including the controversial opinion held by some that City on Fire was directly copied. After watching the movie, I can see the obvious similarities between the works.

However, I’m not sure either City on Fire or Reservoir Dogs could ever remain exclusive. The two movies perfectly complement each other.

Of course, there is no Reservoir Dogs – at least in its existing form – without City on Fire. The Chow and Fu relationship serves as the model for Mr. Orange and Mr. White in Reservoir Dogs. Mr. Orange is playing a role similar to Chow – albeit the two characters and actors inhabit completely different energies. Similarly, the bands of jewel thieves in each movie exhibit their own unique criminal styles and ultimately follow a similar path to their respective downfalls. And of course, the endings to each movie are dramatically similar.

However, I strongly feel that what Tarantino did with City on Fire is very similar to what he has done over his entire filmography: he takes really cool pieces of movies and pop culture and frames them within his own storytelling universe. Over nearly 30 years, we’ve seen him mature in this process to the point that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an unquestioned masterpiece of movie making. Naturally, this process takes time.

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The Tarantino Influences: The Thing

The Thing is a 1982 movie directed by John Carpenter. Its themes of isolation and trust and its remote setting are influences on Tarantino’s Hateful Eight and Reservoir Dogs.

The Thing tells the story of a group of scientists and related crew who encounter an alien being on a research base in Antartica. The alien is able to assume the form of the life around it, which forces the crew to battle both the creature and themselves.

Tarantino has admitted The Thing was an influence for his Hateful Eight. There are clear similarities in the settings for both movies – a remote Antartica research base and the wilderness of post-Civil War Wyoming. Brutal cold conditions serve as the backdrop for each movie, although they influence The Hateful Eight much more than The Thing. Perhaps the most striking link between the two movies is the mistrust that develops between the characters. Someone is not who they appear to be: be it an alien in Antartica or an outlaw in Wyoming.

I’ve been hesitant to watch this movie, despite its clear influence on Tarantino.

I’ll admit that I’m not a huge horror movie fan. For whatever reason, the genre never connected with me outside of the bad, schlocky variety made in the 1960’s. Also, Escape From New York is one of my least favorite movies of all time. It’s a brilliant concept made extraordinarily dumb in its execution. Every character in the movie is a dull, unfinished cartoon void of reality. Escape From New York is painful to watch – especially when in the hands of a more talented writer/director, it could have been amazing.

Additionally, I possess a bizarre dislike for Wilford Brimley….more on this later.

After watching The Thing, I hold similar thoughts – although not to the level of Escape From New York. The Thing is an improvement. It’s another terrific concept and although Carpenter still fumbles with the character development, the pacing, tone and special effects keep the movie interesting. However, the selling point of the movie – the alien – doesn’t live up to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic.

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The Tarantino Influences: Vanishing Point

Vanishing Point is a 1971 movie directed by Richard Sarafian. The movie’s high speed chase scenes, driving stunts and constant soundtrack are likely influences on Tarantino’s Death Proof.

Vanishing Point tells the story of Kowalski, a car delivery driver, who is attempting to drive a car from Colorado to San Francisco in less than 24 hours. Kowalski is pursued by police during a three-state chase. Along the way, we receive glimpses of Kowalski’s former life as both a policeman and car racer and also learn of his past relationships. Vanishing Point also features a radio DJ, Super Soul, who serves as both the narrator and a sort of spiritual advisor.

The driving, chase scenes and stunt work – along with the 1971 Dodge Challenger – were big Tarantino influences on Death Proof . Tarantino pays direct homage to Vanishing Point as Zoe Bell plays Ship’s Mast across an identical car’s hood and Stuntman Mike wears the same watch as Kowalski. Tarantino also replicates Vanishing Point’s high/low chase scenes and he captured the car’s powerful sounds.

After viewing Vanishing Point, I’m convinced Tarantino took all the cool parts he could find.

What’s left behind is a weird blend of ideas that don’t really fit.

Vanishing Point as a 1970’s car chase movie is pretty bad ass – until you pay attention to everything else that’s not the car. There’s a simple and cool plot that ultimately gets convoluted. Kowalski has to deliver a car from Colorado to San Francisco over a weekend. However, Kowalski likes speed – both in the mechanical sense and the drug – and bets his drug dealer that he can make the trip in what is essentially a half day. If we stop there and don’t ask questions, the movie is much more enjoyable.

However, Kowalski doesn’t say much. And he’s not big on emotion. He’s really not that interesting other than being a great driver. But watching him drive for 90 minutes would probably get boring – so we learn of his backstory in bursts of flashback. Kowalski was at various times a dirt bike racer, demolition derby driver and cop. We later learn that he was a Vietnam veteran and was involved with a hippie girl who died from drowning.

Yet, even after learning of his backstory, Kowalski is still painfully boring.
Normally, it wouldn’t matter if the main character of a car chase movie is uninteresting. However, the main subplot and ending to Vanishing Point insist that we both know and care about Kowalski. Otherwise, Kowalski barreling into a roadblock at 100 mph doesn’t make a lot of sense.

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The Tarantino Influences: Deliverance

Deliverance is a 1972 movie by John Boorman that tells the story of four men looking for adventure in wild nature. Its themes of survival and danger of the unknown are universal and one scene in particular served as an inspiration for Tarantino.

Deliverance tells the story of four city dwellers taking a canoe trip along the Cahulawassee river in Georgia. The trip begins as a scenic, weekend adventure before turning into a violent struggle of survival. The men encounter locals who prey on them, leading to murder and questions of morality and justice. The brutality of the river then causes death and injury, forcing the men to adapt to primitive means to escape back to their familiar civilization.

Deliverance is known largely due to its most famous scene, which is referenced in Pulp Fiction. In some respects, both movies are notorious in shocking viewers with scenes of sexual assault. However, to stereotype both Deliverance and Pulp Fiction ignores the brilliance and star power of each work.

Reynolds is compelling as Lewis, a weekend thrill seeker who arranges the canoe trip. He emerges as the group’s leader and in true Reynolds fashion serves as the movie’s most masculine and vibrant character. He’s definitely the alpha of the group, yet reveals himself to be in awe of the nature he’s about to face. When asked by Jon Voight’s Ed why we wants to “fuck with the river”, Lewis replies: “Because it’s there.”

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The Tarantino Influences: Branded to Kill

Branded to Kill is a 1967 movie directed by Seijun Suzuki. It’s style, non-traditional structure and quirky characters could have served as inspirations for Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds.

I’ll start this review with a disclaimer: I try to enter these movies blind. I don’t do any research prior to viewing nor do I read any criticism. This is a learning process for me and I don’t others’ views clouding my own opinions.

Having said that, I know I’m missing something with this movie.

On one hand, Branded to Kill is a weird, visual fun house that is both hilarious and hopelessly dark. On the other hand, it’s an elaborate mess featuring a cast of sincerely unlikable characters. It’s a fascinating blend of styles and bending of genres. Branded to Kill is an art house, existential Yakuza movie that forces you to do some heavy lifting. There’s a lot to invest in here, yet the payoff is lacking.

Branded to Kill tells a fairly simple story. Hanada, a hit man, fails to complete an assignment, which leads to him falling out of favor with his organization. He is then tracked by another hit man, which leads to a final showdown. Along the way, the story’s main character is involved in tortuous relationships with two different women.

Hanada is the #3 hit man in what appears to be a Yakuza organization. Early in the movie, he is defined as “a pro”, which stands in contrast to another associate, who is a bumbling, erratic drunk. The contrast is striking and interesting later in the movie, when Hanada begins to portray a similar character. At times, Hanada is fascinating and endearing. Initially, he exhibits an almost unreachable level of cool – he flaunts post-modern 1960’s style and a puffy faced look of nonchalance. Hanada is quirky too. In a running gag, he wants to surround himself with the aroma of rice, which serves as an aphrodisiac of sorts.

However, the luster of Hanada’s appeal is quickly lost after seeing his interactions with his wife, Mami. The relationship is mostly physical and features a lot of brute force. Hanada is aroused by the smell of boiling rice, then violently slaps Mami – which in turn gets her aroused. They have endless sex by continuing this loop. There’s no real communication between the two outside of sexual aggression. Later in the movie, Mami comments that “beast needs beast” before shooting Hanada. Yet even as he staggers around bleeding, it’s virtually impossible to sympathize with Hanada. He is an extraordinarily unlikable character.

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The Tarantino Influences: Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders is a 1964 Jean Luc Godard movie that focuses on a trio of students who attempt to pull off a robbery. Its style, attention to subtext and tone may have served as inspiration for Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

The most common link between Tarantino and Band of Outsiders is the movie’s famous dance scene. According to Tarantino historians, the scene was a direct inspiration for Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace’s Jack Rabbit Slims dance in Pulp Fiction. However, the subtext floating around the story’s main plot celebrating American gangster movie culture is what makes Band of Outsiders a quintessential Tarantino influence.

The story is pretty simple. Two students, Franz and Arthur, decide to rob a house. They enlist the help of Odile, who lives in the house with her Madame Victoria. It’s a strange arrangement, as both Franz and Arthur are smitten with Odile and are competing to be with her sexually. Yet, they also need her to pull off the robbery. Odile seems to be both enraptured by and scared of Arthur and Franz’s attention towards her. The relationship is often muddled, as Odile is a pawn in the overall scheme, yet also is the fulcrum of the rampant teenage emotions permeating each encounter.

Franz and Arthur were clear Tarantino inspirations in that they are consumers and actors of American pop culture. Franz in particular dresses like a 1950’s mobster and attempts to wear the menacing scowl of a movie bad guy. Arthur reads comic books and talks about X-ray vision. Both play extended games of Billy the Kid, drawing on each other with finger guns and playing out exaggerated imaginary death scenes.

However, Arthur and Franz prove to be vastly different characters. While both are playing the roles of robbers both literally and figuratively, it’s clear Arthur is better equipped to pull it off. He’s the leader of the trio and we later learn that his family appears to have real-life criminal connections. Arthur is the realist of the duo – he’s direct, purposeful and confident in his actions, while Franz sometimes exists in a more philosophical realm of being. Each is dangerous – perhaps as a result of their criminal intentions, imagination and youthful arrogance, which can lead to accidental disaster.

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