Great Scene: “Pulp Fiction

It’s not much in the way of moving the plot forward, other than some sexual subtext, but it’s one of the most memorable scenes in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, story by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary: The dance scene with Mia (Uma Thurman) and Vincent (John Travolta).

Check out how Tarantino describes the action in his script:

Vincent smiles and begins taking off his boots. Mia
triumphantly casts hers off. He takes her hand, escorting her
to the dance floor. The two face each other for that brief
moment before you begin to dance, than they both break into a
devilish twist. Mia’s version of the twist is that of a sexy
cat. Vincent is pure Mr. Cool as he gets into a hip-
swivelling rhythm that would make Mr. Checker proud.

The OTHER DANCERS on the floor are trying to do the same
thing, but Vincent and Mia seem to be strangely shaking their
asses in sync. The two definitely share a rhythm and share
smiles as they SING ALONG with the last verse of the Golden
Oldie.

A few differences:

* There is an introduction by the Ed Sullivan lookalike emcee.

* Mia and Vincent wait until they get to the floor to take off their shoes.

* There are no other dancers on the floor.

Tarantino didn’t choreograph the actual dance moves in his action description, rather he focused on mood and tone — which is smart because he knew he could work with the actors on how they wanted to approach the dancing.

What do you think about the dance scene in Pulp Fiction.

If you have a suggestion for a Great Scene, please post it in comments or email me.

Comment Archive