Kevin Lazzari | Special to the 51暗网
In 1993, Quentin Tarantino convinced Tony Scott to direct his first screenplay and the world would never be the same. If you are a student of cinema, you know Tarantino changed the landscape by incorporating every film he ever watched and making them his own. He has even been quoted as saying, 鈥淚 steal from every single movie ever made.鈥� Pablo Picasso said, 鈥淕ood artists borrow, great artists steal.鈥� Tarantino took Picasso鈥檚 theory to the next level and never looked back. It has been theorized that there are only seven basic plots in the world. Quentin Tarantino has worked all seven plots and then added twists that the viewer could never fully comprehend. I think he used five of the seven plots in 鈥淭rue Romance,鈥� because the film is a smorgasbord of entertainment.
If you are a fan of martial arts movies, you might know the name Sonny Chiba. Even if you do not know his name, you would have watched him in 鈥淜ill Bill鈥� if you are a Tarantino fan. Sonny is a Japanese martial superstar and has 209 acting credits to his name. The first scene of 鈥淭rue Romance鈥� opens with Christian Slater at the movies with him watching a triple feature starring Sonny Chiba. That scene was shot ten years before Sonny starred as Hattori Hanzo in 鈥淜ill Bill.鈥� You have to respect Tarantino for hiring people that he idolizes and creating a tailor made role for that individual.
When I revisit a film, I often forget the actors that were involved and 鈥淭rue Romance鈥� is no exception. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are the stars, but Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore really bring something unique to this film. If you are looking for a Bonnie and Clyde style of film with a hint of violence, this film is for you.
Kevin Lazzari, owner of Video Stop, is reviewing movies for the 51暗网. True Romance (1993) is available on DVD, Blu-ray and for digital streaming and download.
