Few directors working today have such a discernible voice and style asQuentin Tarantino. Whether it’s an extended scene of specifically-framed dialogue or a moment of aestheticized violence, Tarantino has developed an array of filmmaking techniques that have come to be associated with his work. One of the strangest ongoing tendencies of Tarantino’s, however, is his frequent close-up shots of women’s feet.
There were essentially zero female characters in his directorial debut,Reservoir Dogs(1992), but had there been just one, it’s likely the director would have zoomed in on her five little piggies at one point or another. With his next film, though, it was off to the barefooted races.
Related:Kill Bill: Volume 1 A 20th Anniversary Retrospective
Some Examples From His Filmography
First up isPulp Fiction(1994). Of course, Jules and Vincent talk about foot massages right before their famous apartment scene with theBig Kahuna Burgerand whatnot. They discuss how their boss Marcellus once (allegedly) threw a guy out of a window for giving his wife Mia a foot massage.
Later on, the audience also gets a close-up of Mia’s feet, dancing through her apartment to meet Vincent Vega in her introduction scene. Before the audience ever sees Mia’s face, they get a close-up of her feet. And then while they’re out on the town in Jack Rabbit Slims, enjoying their milkshakes and 1950s ambiance, Vincent brings back up the rumored foot massage.
Bridget Fonda’s character Melanie rubs her foot on the beverage Robert De Niro’s character inJackie Brown(1997). Which is, just, gross. But in his next film,Kill Bill: Volume 1, Tarantino graces his audiences with what is essentially an entire scene revolving around the feet of Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix.
After waking up from a coma, Beatrix escapes the hospital and finds the “Pussy Wagon”, her new ride. She had to use a wheelchair, though, since she wasn’t yet used to walking again. When she climbs inside the car and ditches the wheelchair, she stares at her feet attempting to get them moving. She famously utters the line, “Wiggle your big toe”.
Then, there’sDeath Proof(2007). The film stars Kurt Russell surrounded by several women likeRosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and you could say things got off on the right foot: the opening shot of the movie features a pair of feet on the dashboard of a car. Plus, before the runtime reaches four minutes, there are three separate shots of trotters. And that is, quite literally, only the beginning.
With his next project, Tarantino dipped his toe in the waters of war films by releasingInglourious Basterds(2009). It starred Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, and Christoph Waltz, and of course, it featured its fair share of barefooted lower limbs. When a character named Bridgett von Hammersmark (portrayed by Diane Kruger) visits the office of S.S. Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz), he fits a shoe on von Hammersmark’s foot to confirm his suspicions about her.
Finally, there’s Tarantino’s most recent film:Once Upon a Time in Hollywood(2019). When Brad Pitt’s character Cliff picks up a hippie girl to give her a ride across town, she lounges her bare feet on Cliff’s dashboard. And then, when Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) goes to view her new movie in the theater, she puts her feet up on the chair in front of her. In classic Tarantino fashion, he initiates aclose-up. He truly has no shame in this regard, and has been very vocal before in this regard.
Tarantino Speaks on the Subject
As one of the more prolific modern directors, Tarantino has taken part in his fair share of interviews over the years. He’s been questioned relentlessly regarding hisuse of violence, racial slurs, and other controversial topics throughout the past three decades.
Perhaps among the more innocent of subjects he’s been criticized for is his seeming obsession with women’s feet. Fans have poked fun at him for years on this subject, but that hasn’t halted his barefooted visions one iota.
Speaking with GQ Magazine, Tarantino put his foot down and finally gave his own opinions on the subject. “I don’t take it seriously,”he said.“There’s a lot of feet in a lot of good directors' movies. That’s just good direction. Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by Luis Buñuel, another film director. And Hitchcock was accused of it and Sofia Coppola has been accused of it.”
His Final Film
On more than one occasion, Tarantino has declared he’ll retire from filmmaking once he makes his tenth movie. Right now, since he considers theKill Billmovies to be one project, he’s directed nine films. So, obviously, if he sticks to his word, his next projectcould very well be his last.
There’s been speculation that his next project is of the science fiction variety — specifically one set in theStar Trekuniverse. The other film that fans have theorized he might be planning isKill Bill: Volume 3. He’s talked about the possibility of a trilogy several times in the past twenty years, but there’s no telling what he’ll do in the end.
If it is another entry in theKill Billfranchise, there will undoubtedly be a foot shot or two. That’s almost like speculating that the film might also feature a tad bit of violence. However, it’s hard to imagine there would be many opportunities to showcase a woman’s bare feet amidst a deep space epic. That said: if anyone can find a way, it’s Quentin Tarantino.
Related:Kill Bill Vol. 3 Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know
