The clock does seem to be ticking on Quentin Tarantino’s time in the director’s chair since he did say that his next big movie would be his last, and so far he hasn’t said anything other than this when it comes to his plans. But instead of sitting on his butt doing nothing when he’s all said and done, he’s already planning to write a novel when he’s all done, as he’s already plotted the book as Jeremy Dick from MovieWeb has revealed. The story sounds as though it will be about a WWII veteran that has become disenfranchised with the war movies he sees in the movies and on TV and seeks something that might actually be worth watching after everything he’s been through. At this point I can already hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ from Tarantino fans that happen to think he’s deep, insightful, and can do pretty much anything. It’s been seen that he’s a proven genius when it comes to his movies, well, at least that’s what people like to say and what the critics tend to reveal. None of them could be wrong, right? Well, like anything it’s a matter of opinion since some folks think that the ‘deep’ portions of Tarantino’s movies tend to be overshadowed by his incessant need for excessive gore and the kind of language that would get a person labeled a lifelong racist in this day and age.
I actually like his movies, they’re well done and carry a story that gets as deep as one wants it to be since Tarantino has his own explanation for why he did this or that, but tends to leave it up to the people to decide what they want to see in each moment. Honestly, the amount of shock value in his movies is highly appealing to those that love to see the insane sprays of blood, flesh, and bone as they paint the floors, the walls, and whoever might be in the vicinity. In this estimation it’s almost as though human beings are like ripe melons filled to the brim with blood and will explode the moment a single bullet punches through us. Also, the idea that a person can take on a band of individuals that are similarly armed and not suffer a single wound other than a few cuts and scratches that can be easily mended is another part of cinema that Tarantino seems to love, since many of his main characters would have been perforated, sliced, diced, riddled with bullets, and otherwise slain a few times over if not for some creative and comical writing that allowed the hero to intimidate their way into a victory or somehow outgun their opponents with the type of blinding speed that only a few individuals might be able to match. In other words, his movies are great, but not always as deep or as realistic as some might want to believe. That’s just fine and dandy though since those that do realize this still don’t care since the story is there and that’s all that matters.
So why do I sound kind of irritated? Well, that’s harder to explain since as much as I do respect Tarantino as a storyteller, the idea of someone saying ‘I’m writing a novel’ and having it sound like it’s the most groundbreaking thing in the world because of who they are is an old tale that has grown rather crusty and stale throughout the years. This is a personal matter if you couldn’t tell since there are untold numbers of stories out there that a lot of people have tried pushing through only to be shoved aside by some of the most insipid and somehow ‘deep’ stories that have been allowed through simply because they’ve been endorsed by the right people. It’s a hope that his novel will be more grounded in reality than his movies have been, since it’s a different medium but can still allow for the same out of control action and story line if he’s bound to return to form. Do I have faith in the guy? Of course I do, he’s been proven to tell a great story, but as he already knows writing a novel is a little different than writing a screenplay, and if you don’t think so then I’d invite anyone that has such a view to try it. Novel writing is a lot different animal than screenwriting as it’s not as concise, doesn’t have to fit a lesser number of pages, and will require more extensive rewrites until it’s a polished gem waiting to be pushed through.
But good or not, his book will likely reach the bestseller list because of who he is and what he’s done. Hopefully he’ll sit back and make certain that he’s putting his name on something worth reading when all is said and done. Chris Evangelista from SlashFilm has a little more to say on this matter.
