Book Review: The Cinema of Quentin Tarantino

This collection of essays, edited by Kieran Fisher and Andrew J. Rausch, is subtitled “Essays on Race, Violence, and History in the Films.”  And within its pages, we are offered several studies from film scholars examining various aspects of the filmmaker’s work.

In the book’s Introduction, the editors point out how unlike the “film generation” of the 60s and 70s that brought us the likes of Coppola and Scorsese, Tarantino did not attend film school.  In fact he dropped out of high school at 14, after spending most of the school day as a truant watching TV and reading comic books.  His ability, while partly innate, was inspired and further honed by simply exploring cinema.  Tarantino’s own book offers a myriad of several influences, dating back to The East Side Kids.  All of this combines to give us a deeper appreciation of his new approach to cinema.

While most of the essays take a particular film and examine one or more aspects of it, there are also chapters that choose to explore a particular area of Tarantino’s approach.  One interesting chapter looks at Tarantino’s dealing with race in his films.  Another looks at the director’s obsession with presenting closeups of female feet. 

While his first noted film, Resevoir Dogs, was released over 30 years ago, Tarantino is still a comparatively new filmmaker, albeit one who has helmed enough films to warrant a book length study. 

The Cinema of Quentin Tarantino would be a perfect study guide in a college course on his work.  It is recommended for public and university libraries, research centers and fans. It is available at this link: QUENTIN