A Band Apart Together: Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs as Deleuzian Assemblages

Abstract: This article will examine Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) within the context of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's notions of the "assemblage," complex multiplicities that are composed of disparate elements to produce specific effects. It will be argued that Tarantino consistently demonstrates a preoccupation with meta, postmodernist filmmaking, illustrated through nonlinear narrative strategies. When examined in tandem, both films share numerous elements which can be understood as "rhizomatic" connections that form the foundation of Tarantino's singular practice that continues to fascinate and influence to this day.