Economy in film is the transaction of time, minutes and seconds the material production, dialogue and action the currency, mis-en-scene the logistics. Money, behavior, language all derive their value from time, death is the ultimate evaluator of our actions, everything boiling down to a clock. The characters all have flaws, their desperation playing out on the screen with minimal commentary from the director. Sheronda, the country girl working for Ordell, might be the most overlooked character in the film, symbolizing everything Jackie is fighting to avoid.
Another overlooked facet of the film is how lived in and singular the sets feel: the bond office, the hotel bar, the beachfront apartment, the shopping mall; the setting is always recognizable and livable. Same with the music which is not an after-the-fact scene stealer but ingrained in the narrative, songs and bands that the characters actually know, listen to, and share, important in fleshing out the relation to time and history in the characters and the film itself.
Jackie (Pam Grier) knows she needs to pull off a flawless scam, or she'll be dead. Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson) will pop her, just like that guy they found in the trunk of a car. So she thinks hard, and so do a bail bondsman (Robert Forster) and an ATF agent (Michael Keaton). Everyone has a pretty good idea of exactly what's happening: They just can't figure it out fast enough to stay ahead of Jackie. The final scenes unfold in a cloud of delight, as the audience watches all of the threads come together.
This is the movie that proves Tarantino is the real thing, and not just a two-film wonder boy. It's not a retread of "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction," but a new film in a new style, and it evokes the particular magic of Elmore Leonard--who elevates the crime novel to a form of sociological comedy. There is a scene here that involves the ex-con Louis (Robert De Niro) and Ordell's druggie mistress (Bridget Fonda) discussing a photograph pinned to the wall, and it's so perfectly written, timed and played that I applauded it.
Tarantino has a lot of good scenes in this movie. The scene where one character lures another to his death by tempting him with chicken and waffles. The scene where a nagging woman makes one suggestion too many. The scene where a man comes around in the morning to get back the gun a woman borrowed the night before. The moment when Jackie Brown uses one line of dialogue, perfectly timed, to solve all of her problems.
At the heart of the story is the affection that grows between Jackie and Max. In a lesser thriller, there would be a sex scene. Tarantino reasonably believes that during a period when everyone's in danger and no one's leveling about their real motives, such an episode would be unlikely. Max silently guesses part of what Jackie is up to and provides a little crucial help. Jackie takes the help without quite acknowledging it. And their attraction stays on an unspoken level, which makes it all the more intriguing.
Other critical areas used to host scenes in this motion picture include downtown Los Angeles, Sam's Hofbrau on East Olympic Boulevard, Cockatoo Inn on Imperial Highway, and Carson Bail Bonds on East Carson Street. The backdrop of these regions ranges from industrial warehouses to beachfront bars and everything in between. These settings capture the essence of what life is like in this part of Southern California, from strip malls to old-school diners.
The opening scene of Jackie Brown depicts the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). We see Jackie Brown hurrying through the airport terminal. The opening titles play over the wall tiles of Terminal 3, which are only accessible to passengers and staff. Tarantino revisited the area to film a scene for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood in 2019.
The iconic dialogue between Ordell and Louis Gara at Melanie's apartment in Jackie Brown begins with light and humorous topics as they watch movies. However, the conversation gradually shifts to more serious subjects as they discuss ways to make money. The audience is also introduced to Melanie (Bridget Fonda), who is a woman who lives in a beachfront property in the beach house and enjoys spending time by the water. The scene gives a glimpse into the lifestyle of some of the characters in the movie while also showcasing their different personalities.
The apartment used for filming this scene is located at 6403 Ocean Front Walk, Playa Del Rey. It is a two-story building with a balcony overlooking the ocean. The interior was built as a composite of two different locations that were combined together to create an authentic atmosphere for filming. It is important to note that this location is privately owned, so please respect any residents when visiting the area.
In this scene, Jackie is taken into police custody for allegedly planning to sell drugs. She is being questioned by both Detective Mark Dargus (played by Michael Bowen) and ATF agent Ray Nicolette in a police station. The room is small, sparsely decorated, and has fluorescent lighting. It conveys an air of intimidation and authority that Jackie must face during her interrogation. We see another scene at the police station where Ordell is worried that Jackie might cooperate with the authorities like Livingston did. To prevent this, Ordell decides to arrange for Jackie's bail and plans to kill her as soon as she is released.
During filming, the police station scenes in the movie were shot at a part of the production offices at 6025 W Slauson Avenue in Culver City. The building only appears in the film from interior views. The filmmakers also utilized the building's interior to shoot the scene where Jackie exchanges money inside a department store dressing room.
Max and Jackie grab a drink at the former Cockatoo Inn in Hawthorne. This iconic scene from the film is set against the backdrop of a run-down dive bar, decorated with vintage signs and neon lights. Later, Louis picks up Ordell from the bar, and Ordell realizes that there is only $40,000 in the bag instead of $50,000. Melanie kept $10,000 for herself, and Ordell suspects that Jackie took his money and kills Louis in a fit of anger.
The money exchange scene takes place in the Billingsley department store in the Del Amo Fashion Center mall. This is an iconic moment in the film, where Jackie attempts to pull off a daring heist. In the scene, Jackie plans to exchange bags with Melanie and Louis to hide the $500,000 from Nicolette. However, instead of giving Melanie all the money, Jackie only gives her $40,000 and leaves the rest in the dressing room for Max to retrieve. Afterwards, Jackie pretends to be upset and leaves the store. She then goes to the mall and calls Nicolette and Dargus (Michael Bowen) out of hiding, claiming Melanie has taken all the money and ran away.
The script for Jackie Brown is incredibly effective in its use of tension and comedic relief to keep viewers engaged throughout the film. Every scene is carefully crafted to further the story while providing plenty of action-packed sequences that make it thrilling to watch. Tarantino's signature style of nonlinear storytelling adds another layer of complexity to the plot; one can truly appreciate his knack for creating a unique experience from start to finish.
However, from my recollection there was a few scenes missing from Jackie Brown. One in particular that showed the carpark scene where Melanie meets her end from an alternate point of view (such as was done inside the department store when the money exchange takes place - you see it from three distinct points of view).
And with that, Jackie Brown is underway. A lot of words follow; some of them quite memorable, a few even kind of beautiful. (The scenes between Greer and Robert Forster are absolutely terrific.) But nothing that follows is quite as communicative as these nine perfect shots.
The fitting room scene where Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) makes a money exchange in a department store was shot as a series of three separate scenes. The first one features Jackie, the second features Louis Gara and Melanie Ralston (Robert De Niro and Bridget Fonda), and the final scene shows Max Cherry (Robert Forster).
> I saw the new Q. Tarantino move, 'Jackie Brown'. There's a scene in which
a
> gun-runner is about to go into a house to (he thinks) kill a woman whose
> testimony in a trial will hurt him.
>
Even before we know air stewardess Jackie's name, we get a sense of her resolve and inner steel. There's never been any doubt about Tarantino's skill in setting a scene. This has to be one of his very best efforts.
Thanks, man. When I re-watched this scene to write this that whole exchange about her derriere made me laugh so hard. I'd forgotten all about it. It's just nice to see a movie about two older people flirting in a very real way.
Reservoir Dogs was the audience's first introduction to the filmmaking mind and world of Quentin Tarantino. It was an excellent first film, but one scene made some audience members uncomfortable, and that was when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) pulled out a straight razor and cut a cop's ear off.
The producers asked Tarantino to cut out the scene, saying that it would have broader audience appeal if the scene was cut out. Tarantino refused to cut out the scene. Tarantino said that it would no longer be Reservoir Dogs without the ear slice scene.
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