Happy birthday to one of the most influential directors of the past four decades. Quentin Tarantino, the man famous for history rewrites and over-the-top violence celebrates his 60th birthday today. To celebrate his birthday, I’ll be ranking the ten best characters in Tarantino film history.
10. Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Tarantino has remarked that he believes Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is his best film. I don’t really agree with this, but I do think it features one of the best-supporting characters in any of his films with Brad Pitt playing Cliff Booth. Pitt actually won Best Supporting Actor for this role and it was well deserved.
When you look at the character that is Cliff Booth, I think every man tries to relate to him. Booth is cool as a cucumber with a charming aura about him. Everything he does from cooking spaghetti to kicking the shit out of Clem just looks cool. Him being the level-headed opposite to Rick Dalton is also a fun dynamic. Booth is just a stuntman for Dalton, but he acts as more than that. He’s like Dalton’s therapist. Anytime Dalton goes through a mental breakdown, Booth talks him off the cliff. Just an all-around great character and the best in this film.
9. Pam Grier as Jackie Brown in Jackie Brown (1997)
Over the years, Tarantino has received criticism for not using women in prominent roles, but three of his films are centered around women. What he does in making Pam Grier a badass character in Jackie Brown was genius. You start the film thinking she’s kind of weak, but as the film progresses she turns into a mastermind that you don’t want to mess with. While Jackie Brown isn’t a fan favorite amongst Tarantino fans, Pam Grier as Jackie Brown is lights out. The way she seduces Max to help her swindle Ordell is a masterclass move. She’ll go down in Tarantino history as one of the most badass characters in his filmography.
8. Brad Pitt as LT. Aldo Raine in Inglorious Basterds (2009)
“And once we’re in enemy territory, as a bushwhackin’ guerrilla army, we’re gonna be doin’ one thing and one thing only… killin’ Nazis.” Brad Pitt as LT. Aldo Raine is not only one of the most badass Tarantino characters ever, but he’s one of the most badass characters in war film history. He leads this rebellious cavalcade of Jewish-American soldiers and they kill nazis in the most satisfying way possible. The scene where The Bear Jew comes out of the cave and tees off on the Nazis’ head was all orchestrated by LT. Aldo Raine.
Maybe one of the funniest scenes in a Tarantino film is the Italian-speaking scene, but Pitt sells it so well. The banter between Hans Landa re-asking LT. Aldo Raine to repeat his name has me doubled over laughing every time I watch it. “Sì… er, corretto. Gorlami.“
7. Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994)
Tarantino’s second film Pulp Fiction showcases an awesome cast of Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, and Tim Roth. Two actors shined more than the rest. The first on this list is Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield. When you see Winnfield and his partner Vincent Vega burst into the apartment and you hear the sternness in Winnfields voice, you get locked in. Then, he locks eyes on the Big Kahuna Burger. That’s one of my favorite scenes and kind of throw-away, funny lines in any of his films. “Big Kahuna Burger. That’s that Hawaiian burger joint. I hear they got some tasty burgers. I ain’t never had one myself.” His character has a tough demeanor but also offers plenty of comedic relief.
6. Jamie Foxx as Django Freeman in Django Unchained (2012)
Django Freeman is one “badass motherfucker”. He has the Cliff Booth coolness to his vibe, but also the thirst to kill those who have wronged him. His revenge spree is unmatched by almost any character in film history. The way Django Freeman progresses through Django Unchained is enjoyable because he starts off weary of Dr. King Schultz. He’s not really sure of his intentions, but he’s free for the moment and he’ll roll with it. That then turns into Dr. King Schultz teaching him how to shoot and we then see the true wrath of Django get unleashed when he’s splattering slave owners’ blood on cotton plants.
I also enjoy the added layer of Django’s vengeance. He wants to right the wrongs against him but also get his wife back. He goes toe to toe with a despicable character in Calvin J. Candie and fights to get the love of his life back. All Django wants to do is be free with the woman he loves and he’s determined to wipe out anyone that stands in his way.
5. Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink delivers the greatest monologue in any Tarantino movie ever when discussing his stance on tipping. “I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.” Reservoir Dogs has a great cast of characters because they all are just breaking each others balls and shooting the shit, but Mr. Pinks monologue about tipping pushes him over the top.
In addition to that hilarious speech, Mr. Pink is such a wiry and unpredictable character. He’s quick to pull his gun and that elevates the sketchiness of his character. While his tipping speech is great, he’s apart of the second best line in the whole film when the colors are being assigned. Joe gives the colors and when Mr. Pink asks “Hey, why am I Mr. Pink?“, Joe responds with “Because you’re a f****t, alright?” Just an all around hysterical character in my favorite Tarantino film.
4. Uma Thurman as The Bride in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
I mentioned before how Tarantino has received guff for his lack of women in prominent roles. Two of his biggest films ever were around The Bride played by Uma Thurman in both Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2. These martial arts, action flicks are a whirlwind of blood and debauchery to the the highest order and it is led by The Bride. This character is labeled as “the deadliest woman in the world” and when you see her throw a knife that plunges into Vernita Green, you completely comprehend the sentiment.
I realize I’ve used the term “badass” multiple times over already to describe some of the characters on this list, but there really isn’t a better word to use. LT. Aldo Raine, Django Freeman, Jules Winnfield, and The Bride are all badasses. The Bride might be the most ruthless of them all. Django has a vendetta, but The Bride’s vendetta to kill is stronger than all.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin J. Candie in Django Unchained (2012)
The Calvin J. Candie character is sinister, disgusting, but also genius in the way he’s written. What wows me the most is that Leonardo DiCaprio actually took this role. He was a few years removed from starring in J. Edgar, Inception, Shutter Island, and Revolutionary Road. Good movies, but they weren’t roles that really pushed boundaries. Him playing Calvin J. Candie was a whirlwind of surprise. Candie is a gross person who drops the N-word with ease and “can choose to do with my property whatever I so desire.” But Leo knocks this role out of the park.
The passion that Leo exudes and makes you believe every thing he does is wild. A quick film bro fact that literally everyone knows about is that when he smashes the glass at the dinner table in a fit of rage, he actually cut his hand. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Calvin J. Candie is a sinister character, but a compelling one.
2. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Much like Calvin J. Candie in Django Unchained, Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa is an evil character. The reason I rank him higher than Candie is because of how articulite Landa is. The opening scene of Inglorious Basterds says it all. When Landa enters Perrier LaPadite’s home and is drinking a glass of milk, the tension builds. He then switches his dialect from french to english and presses the question if Perrier LaPadite and his family are harboring jews. His questioning ends and he switches back to french before having SS officers light the floorboards up with bullets. The shot of him pointing the pistol as Shosanna runs off is truly baleful.
As the film progresses and when he takes Aldo Raine and Smithson Utivich hostage, the way his mind works is even crazier. He explains how he wants to be looked at as a hero by the United States. Landa wants it to be known that he helped the Basterds because he sees the way that the tides are turning where the Nazis are on the ropes. I loved his dialogue as he discusses what he wants once he gets to America and then how the worm turns and he gets a swastika carved into his head.
1. John Travolta as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction (1994)
And clocking in at the number one spot on my ranking of the best Quentin Tarantino characters of all time is John Travolta as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Vincent Vega is swift and suave. Nothing portrays that more than the classic twist scene. He has so much charm to him, but is also a bit terrifying as he’s a hitman. The scene where Mia accidentally overdoses and Vega attempts to save her is bonkers. There’s so much going on in that scene, but it comes back to focusing on Vega.
The duo of Vega and Winnfield is an untouched pairing of wise guys that are just trying to get a job done. I do have to say that he does have one of the more surprising deaths I’ve ever seen in a movie. It comes out of nowhere, but I think that assists in bolstering the love that fans, including myself, have for Vega. “And you know what they call a… a… a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?“
