Pulp Fiction, a movie which received many awards including the Academy Award for best writing and screenplay, was released in 1994 and written by and directed by Quentin Tarantino (IMDb.COM). This critically acclaimed film was inspired by the cheap magazines that were popular in the early 1900’s to the 1950’s. These cheap magazines were packed with fantastical fiction that included action, adventure, and even some audacious erotic content. These stories, were referred to initially as pulp magazines, became extremely popular because of its low cost, mainly due to the printing of the magazines on wooden pulp. Thus, the pulps led to the term “pulp fiction” alluding to the mediocre literature (Ashley). Quentin Tarantino succeeded in reviving the American phenomenon in the form of film by including many of the same types of quixotic material that made pulp magazines so popular. Therefore, the movie cover for Pulp Fiction, through the different color schemes and the presentation of the main actress, Uma Thurman, not only foreshadows the essence of the movie but also alludes to the original subject matter of the pulp magazines.

The display of the title on the movie cover is one of the most captivating elements of the movie cover. The large bright yellow letters contrasts with the stark red background thus making the title Pulp Fiction emerge. The vibrant colors at the top of the cover is very similar to the colorful designs used in the original pulp magazines. Since the pulp magazines were renown for the low quality of writing, these lively colors were used to draw in and captivate their audience. Therefore, the presentation of the chromatic design is attempting to allude to the original pulp fiction that was famous for being so unique and lively. There is also a second contrast in the cover which is between the top and the bottom of the cover. The top of the cover includes bright colors while the bottom of the cover is composed of more dark and seemingly gloomy colors. This contrast may foreshadow the movie itself in the sense that there is a part of the movie that consists of very animated and very quotable parts that truly captivated the audience and made the movie so memorable and popular. However, the majority of the movie contains extremely dark and edgy material as well as an overall impression of violence that most likely made the audience very uncomfortable and also sets a darker tone thus overshadowing the more comical parts of the movie. The overshadowing of the more whimsical part of the movie can be seen since the bottom darker part of the cover takes up a larger portion than the bright colorful title does.

The presentation of Uma Thurman, playing the character of Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction, not only displays her character in the movie but also is representative of many of the characters portrayed in the original pulp magazines. Mia Wallace is obviously the center of attention for the movie cover, even though in the movie she is not a main character. In the image, she is holding a cigarette and a gun which are very powerful props that display her character in the movie. The cigarette shows a habit of addiction and lack of care for herself thus giving her a more “bad girl” image. Her image is further portrayed through what she is wearing. Mia is wearing all black and slim-fitting clothes suggesting a more dangerous yet provocative psyche. Her facial expression is very serious, yet her cheek bones are prominent because of her pout lips which stand out due to the blood red lipstick. Her stare is fixed directly at the audience which is very effective as it draws attention and grabs the viewer’s eye, making one feel as if Mia is expecting someone. This image of Mia Wallace truly foreshadows her character in the film. However, the image also alludes to the eroticized portrayal of women which was one of the reasons pulp magazines were so popular.

The Pulp Fiction cover has a very deliberate look. The general stylistic appearance of the image is a direct allusion to the look of pulp magazines from the 1900’s. The cover has creases and worn edges around it to make it appear worn or shabby like a used book cover. It also has the ten cent symbol on it to make the cover look cheap and trashy. Thus, the overall appearance of the cover along with the multiple color contrasts within the poster and the presentation of Mia Wallace establishes the mood for the movie. However, the cover is also meant to refer back to its source material and alludes to the fantastical fiction that captivated so many readers through its romanticized material and topics of adventure and escapades.
