Is Quentin Tarantino Actually a Genius?
If you are a film lover, you are most definitely acquainted with the renowned director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has made a name for himself by creating critically acclaimed movies such as Kill Bill, Django Unchained, and of course, Pulp Fiction. His movies receive great praise and recognition, having garnered a devoted and vocal fanbase to express that with no inhibitions. So, what makes his movies so good? And the real question here: Is Quentin Tarantino actually a genius?
Like everything that becomes astronomically popular, one tends to become skeptical of its cause of fame and curious about its essence. Tarantino’s movies and film awards have become synonymous entities; it’s almost like anything this man directs immediately becomes the movie of the year, and this can be attributed to a few reasons in my opinion.
Firstly, Tarantino’s films are saturated with incredible A-list actors such as Samuel Jackson, Uma Thurman, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt, among others. The presence of such top-tier acting giants in Tarantino’s large-scale productions instinctively attracts a vast audience who are promised a great performance, regardless of the plot. This, in turn, magnetizes critical attention. The academy follows the careers of actors that have made a name for themselves in trust that the projects they assign their names to are worthy of their talent and time and will showcase their acting range phenomenally. They will not waste their time and maim their reputation by starring in poorly written movies. Ergo, this begs the classic question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. Do stars sign up to these movies because the Quentin Tarantino is directing them, or does Quentin Tarantino create such endearing films that require these actors to inevitably want to play in them?
Tarantino takes pride in the fact that he never attended film school and, he verbatim states that he learned how to make film by watching films. This showcases his confidence in himself and in his ideas, his out-of-the-box approach to directing, and his indisputable creativity. His unique directing imprint has only been showcased in 10 movies. Having far and few works in between that can be counted on both our hands proves that he values quality over quantity, and that he takes his time in perfecting the vision he wants to put out there. He is also very outspoken, often sharing his harsh critiques on certain films and genres. The acclaimed director once claimed to hate biopics and deemed them as a lousy excuse for actors to win Oscars, which is a weighted statement, considering the widespread existence of this genre in cinema, especially nowadays. The man has strong opinions and is not ashamed to express them, and for that I applaud him.
Quentin’s movies are famous for their violent nature. This is a huge factor in their celebrity in my opinion. The way the scenes are filmed is very raw and natural, and they just “feel right” as many of his fans claim; you simply cannot look away. Additionally, this genre hits a chord on one of the two main instinctual human desires — pain and pleasure. I do not know what this says about human nature, but a lot of people enjoy witnessing violence through a screen where they feel morally protected yet still have an outlet for certain emotions and impulses.
Tarantino is also highly unapologetic and creates morally ambiguous characters in every movie of his, which never fails to be highly thought-provoking. He always makes a cameo in his movies which is bound to catch the audience off-guard. I don’t know how he gets away with saying the n-word so often though, pinning it on the idea that he is a risk-taker and “does not hold back.” Tarantino is edgy. He is quirky. He is, as is said on social media, “not like other girls.”
All in all, his movies are weird, eccentric, heavily dialogued, violent, tense, highly structured, suspenseful, often humorous, and vehemently engaging all in one. Does that make him a genius? No. Does that make him a good director? Definitely. I like his movies, but I do not think the pedestal he sits on is unshakeable. I appreciate his passion, but that does not override the fact that I personally find him overrated. I just don’t think he is innovative and groundbreaking enough to be as masterful as he is put out to be. That being said, he is a creative man with a strong vision that definitely satisfies the “film bros” of this world, even if his themes seem to be repetitive. This is my take on Quentin Tarantino, I bestow it upon you with an open mind and heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
