The hottest dance in cinema history: let’s twist again
The hottest dance in cinema history: let’s twist again

Video: The hottest dance in cinema history: let’s twist again

Video: The hottest dance in cinema history: let’s twist again
Video: Либеров – как творить в несвободной стране / Arts In An Unfree Country - YouTube 2024, November
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Pulp Fiction.dance performed by heroes Uma Thurman and John Travolta
Pulp Fiction.dance performed by heroes Uma Thurman and John Travolta

There are films, successful and unsuccessful, and there are real film masterpieces - those that not only went down in the history of cinema, but also became its main milestones. One of the legends of world cinema, undoubtedly, is Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino - a film called "an icon of postmodernism." And the most popular scene in it is a dance performed by heroes Uma Thurman and John Travolta … So, let’s twist again!

The famous twist
The famous twist

Music, according to Tarantino, "defines the personality of the film, is the tonal center around which the entire film revolves." Tracks for "Pulp Fiction" were selected by the director at the stage of writing the script, they set the emotional background of a particular scene, became a significant part of the plot. Tarantino independently selected for the film his favorite songs of the 1960s in the style of funky, soul, rock and roll, twist. And the most famous and recognizable was the composition “Let’s twist again” - the calling card of “Pulp Fiction”.

John Travolta as Vincent Vega
John Travolta as Vincent Vega
Shot from the movie Pulp Fiction
Shot from the movie Pulp Fiction

The twist scene looks so light, laid-back and filigree that it's hard to believe that it was she who caused problems during filming. The dance was filmed for 13 hours straight, almost without pauses! And the problem was that Uma Thurman felt too constrained and could not "catch the courage." To begin with, the actress doubted for a long time about her participation in the film. And the scene with the dance caused her the greatest doubts.

On the set of the Tarantino movie
On the set of the Tarantino movie

The dance moves were invented by Quentin Tarantino and John Travolta based on the twist popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It was not difficult for Travolta, because he has been dancing since he was eight! While rehearsing the stage, he taught Uma Thurman for a long time. The movements were remembered quickly, but the necessary lightness was not there. The actress recalls: "Oh, I was so awkward, so embarrassed and so shy!" By nature, Uma Thurman was very timid, and realizing the importance of this scene for the film, she was even more nervous. It was even necessary to remove everyone from the set, except for the operator and lighting fixtures, so that the actress would not feel constrained.

Twist by Uma Thurman and John Travolta
Twist by Uma Thurman and John Travolta
Unique dance
Unique dance

But the twist still looked tortured. Then Tarantino showed the actors a shot from Godard's film, in which the characters were dancing in the same restaurant. Travolta recalls this moment: “Look how they dance,” Tarantino said. - They are not professional dancers, but they dance just great, just because they dance for themselves, for their own pleasure. They do not care if their dance is liked by those who look at them. Now they live in music, they are immersed in it headlong, move with it. This is exactly what I want from you."

Twist by Uma Thurman and John Travolta
Twist by Uma Thurman and John Travolta

Travolta says that at that moment Tarantino looked like a 13-year-old boy: “But with all this, he was so direct and sincere that it was impossible not to admire him. By his example, he not only liberated us, but provoked the most unexpected inventions and improvisations. And the result exceeded all expectations!

It is difficult to overestimate the role that has played in the history of cinema Quentin Tarantino is a minor film hero and a first-class director!

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