True Romance - Minimum Wage Kids Hit The Big Time

Nov

13

True Romance - Minimum Wage Kids Hit The Big Time

≡ Category: Action, Comedy, Essential, Movie Reviews By Country, United States |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

Country: United States
Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Tony Scott
Year: 1993

Rating:

TRASH CINEMA ESSENTIAL MOVIE

The first time I came across True Romance was in the form of Quentin Tarantino’s script. I wasn’t all that impressed, actually. It came across as the nerdy daydreams of a white boy obsessed with grindhouse cinema and showing off his supposed mastery of ghetto slang. The author seemed to think that his heroes were lovable. I thought they were idiots and as the script dragged on, I was itching for them to be blown away. That shows how wrong you can be.

Obviously, when director Tony Scott read the script, he saw the potential in it. That’s why he makes the big bucks.

Minute for minute, I consider True Romance to be the best Quentin Tarantino adaptation to date. Having read the script, I know most of the pitfalls of the material. Director Tony Scott falls into none of them. Scott knows that the characters are a bunch of buffoons rather than being cool, and treats them with the appropriate lack of reverence. Since the audience is free from the burden of admiring Tarantino’s heroes, it becomes possible to have affection for them, like you might for a mangy mutt that licks it’s own butt.

Tony Scott’s conception of True Romance as a romantic comedy with exit wounds is perfectly supported by a mastery of every filmmaking technique at his disposal.

To begin with, the casting is perfect: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rapaport, Val Kilmer, Bronson Pinchot, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Tom Sizemore, Christopher Walken, and James Gandolfini. Talk about an amazing cast.

Then there’s the cinematography, in this case by Jeffrey L. Kimball. Tony Scott has kind of a house style, in which the colors are typically saturated and bright, and he sticks to form here, giving True Romance a candy colored storybook kind of look that’s perfect. I still remember one shot in particular, of Dennis Hopper driving back to his trailer during a sunset that’s just pure poetry.

The music is another strong element. This is my favorite score by Hans Zimmer. It just shimmers. He uses a lot of vibraphone — it’s an inspired choice.

I kind of dissed Tarantino’s script earlier, mostly because I didn’t care for his heroes, but I can’t deny the power of his monologues.

My favorite monologue in the script comes from Clarence’s dad, Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper), when he explains to mob boss Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) in great detail why “Italians have the nigger gene.” The monologue works on at least three levels. The language is colorful and amusing, the logic is impeccable, and the motivation and strategy behind the monologue is moving. Watching Walken and Hopper interact is a blast.

Another standout monologue is given by hitman Virgil (James Gandolfini), as he’s preparing to kill Alabama (Patricia Arquette), Clarence’s girlfriend.

I’d better back up a bit. You see, our hero Clarence (Christian Slater) inadvertently stole some coke from Vincenzo Coccotti and wants to set up a nest egg for himself and Alabama by selling the coke to some Hollywood producers. This being a Quentin Tarantino script, you can expect a Mexican standoff or two along the way.

Again, of all of the Quentin Tarantino adaptations, True Romance does the best job of handling the action aspects. The duel between Alabama and a hitman is an epic, all-time classic. If you borrow or buy True Romance, try to get the Director’s Cut, as it contains great footage from this and other sequences that were cut to appease the censors.

Famously, Tony Scott changed the ending against the wishes of Tarantino. Even Tarantino had to admit that the ending was perfect for the film Scott made.

True Romance is a joy on almost every level. It works as a cockeyed romance, an action film, and a comedy. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat.