Miramax Films

1995 Oscars Changed The Fate Of 'Forrest Gump', 'Pulp Fiction' & 'The Shawshank Redemption

Oct 232017

Year after year movies set new heights, unveil new themes and give us thought provoking storylines to be cherished forever. In February, the Oscar telecast is viewed by millions of movie lovers around the world, as the star-studded ceremony is one of the most anticipated events in the entertainment industry. People wait for the entire year to watch their favorite films and artists winning the golden trophy.

However, at several instances in the history of Academy Awards, questions have been raised on the winners and those nominated.

It was 1995, when three of the most watched cult classics in the history of cinema, competed for Best Film category. The night of March 27, 1995 changed the fate of the then three best film nominees and the final winner. It was Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’, Robert Zemeckis’s ‘Forrest Gump’ and Frank Darabont’s ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ – films that stood in the toughest face-off against each other. Let’s take a look at what makes these three films special keeping in mind that no arguments since last 22 years have been able to create a dent in the individual popularity of each of these films.

Starting from ‘Forrest Gump’, the film took away six Oscars out of thirteen nominations. Tom Hanks, who later became popular by the name of the most memorable role he has ever done – ‘Forrest’, carried the film solely on his shoulders. Critics defined this film as “a heart-breaker of oddball wit and startling grace”, in no time after the film’s release, people started believing that ‘Forrest Gump’ is one movie titled ‘constitutive’, when it comes to the list of films one must watch in their lifetime. The film not only had the grace to transport one into a new world, but also stood strong with a remarkable performance not often available to the audience.

How 1995 Oscars Changed The Fate Of Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction And The Shawshank Redemption © Paramount Pictures

When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro announced the Best Film (1995) winner, it left viewers watching the telecast throughout the world disappointed as ‘Pulp Fiction’ lost the award to ‘Forrest Gump’.

People have always known Quentin Tarantino as a film-maker with an exceptional vision. No director or film-maker in Hollywood has been able to knit stories of hatred and bloodshed like Tarantino. With his second attempt in aestheticizing violence through ‘Pulp Fiction’, Quentin succeeded in building his own audience. ‘Pulp Fiction’ not only garnered critical acclaim at various film festivals during 1994, its very unsympathetic and exhilarating shrewdness hit the most unexplored areas of cinema. Even after receiving seven Oscar nominations, not winning the most deserved one would always remain an unfulfilled dream for ‘Pulp Fiction’ fans.

How 1995 Oscars Changed The Fate Of Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction And The Shawshank Redemption © Miramax Films

‘The Shawshank Redemption’ slowly became a worldwide phenomenon, years after critics called it a film which “stands the test of time and still resonates with viewers.” A simple humane story of survival over the years became the most loved film ever. ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ won no Academy Award that night, but still maintains its stronghold as the highest rated film on IMDb.

The night of March 27, 1995 is still a mystery, as for many it was the most significant event of their careers, while for others the most life transforming. Beyond awards and recognitions, the path-breaking stories of each of these three films not only made them the best of cult classics but timeless epics of Hollywood.

From ‘Pulp Fiction' To ‘The Hateful Eight', This Is How Quentin Tarantino Aestheticized Violence & Became One Of The Greatest Film-Makers Of All Time

Celebrities

Aug 242017

It was 1992 when aestheticization of violence in movies became a new thing, Hollywood was looking forward to. A young film-maker wanted us to see his craft in extended dialogues, ensemble cast consisting of lesser known actors, and popular culture of the west. It was Quentin Tarantino’s zest in curating themes out of the box, novel and hard-nosed. Since then, there has been no looking back for him, and after decades he is known as a director who has mastered his art of depicting the neo-noir version of films.

Quentin Tarantino And His Bloodletting Characters Redefined Hollywood Films Forever © Miramax Films

Quentin Tarantino is a smart film-maker. Sometimes, he just wants the audience to see his revengeful plots built inside a small set and the other time, he goes to extreme parts of the world to give his viewers what they have never seen before – intense dramatization and an all consuming bloodbath. Only Tarantino could have conjured the mix between modern-day storytelling and cinematic appeal, through his epics like ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Django Unchained’, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘The Hateful Eight’.

Quentin Tarantino And His Bloodletting Characters Redefined Hollywood Films Forever © The Weinsten Company

In 1992 came ‘Reservoir Dogs’ that launched Tarantino as a force to be reckoned with. The film depicted violence in abundance, and in 1995 it was barred from release on home video in the UK. The 90s independent movie ultimately became a cult classic.

While, ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994) was unsympathetic, boldly rude and exhilarating, the biting shrewdness, aesthete background score and soundtrack, amplified improvisations of dialogues, the surreal twists and a coruscating equilibrium between the adrenalin scene and heroin scene allowed the film to somewhere end on a deadly note, still keeping everything alive.

Berserk, pithy and villainous stories of hatred and betrayal, marks the beauty of Tarantino’s heavy weight films. His work is perfect to the extent that he could even predict the duration for which his audience is likely to be entertained, and thus sometimes divided his movies into two parts just like he did in the ‘Kill Bill’ series, in order to never let go of the interest building factor. Later, the four-hour original cut, titled ‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’, was screened in 2011, in selected theatres.

When a comparison is drawn between QT s earlier films and his modern day creations, his plots have become more layered and are now based on a real novelistic approach. Storylines are denser and more polished like never before. It is the language that matters the most to him. The screenplay of Tarantino movies is like the branches of a tree, reaching out in various directions.

QT recently tried his hands onto war genre but keeping alive his bloodletting attribute, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ was a thrill ride. A rare attention to detail in bringing alive the events and atrocities spun around war and killing of Hitler, certainly make the viewer glued to the mayhem. From the hands of the seasoned master originated ‘The Hateful Eight’, a film much intricate from the aspect of production, all set in the snowbound and isolated locations. In the light of paranoia, thrill and extreme suspense, the film effortlessly pulled off the bloodshed effect, a characteristic of Tarantino’s films.

Tarantino’s films first generate trouble and then make us go through its very effect – the madness. The audience’s faith in him lies peculiarly because of all the chaos they believe in witnessing, and knowing that the end could never be something they have seen before.