Memorable Movie Icons
Every Tarantino film introduces someone you can't forget. Maybe it's their twisted sense of honor, their razor-sharp dialogue, or just the way they make violence feel like poetry in motion.
12. Mr Blonde/Vic Vega: Reservoir Dogs
The torture scene, accompanied by Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You," created a disconcerting moment. What makes Mr Blonde truly terrifying is the calm, almost professional way he approaches violence. However, Michael Madsen had a difficult time filming the torture sequence.
Stuck In The Middle With You | Reservoir Dogs by The Dollar Theater
12. Mr Blonde/Vic Vega: Reservoir Dogs (Cont.)
In one part of the scene where Officer Nash pleads for his life by saying he has a child at home, the line was ad-libbed; Madsen himself had just become a father at that time, and was so horrified that he had to stop the shoot.
Michael Madsen’s Darkest Scene in Reservoir Dogs - Full Clip by FilMonger Entertainment
11. Django Freeman: Django Unchained
The titular character's name was originally only “Django”. As the film progressed and Django was considered a free man, he played the role of Dr King Schultz's valet. Foxx converts what could have been a simple revenge story into a complex meditation on freedom.
Django Unchained - Freedom by LeBreton
11. Django Freeman: Django Unchained (Cont.)
This role required both dramatic nuance in scenes like the harrowing flashbacks and comic wit for one-liners like "The D is silent," and “I like the way you die, boy”. As a great actor and a hysterical comedian, Foxx had the required dramatic and comedic chops in spades.
Django Unchained - Freedom by LeBreton
10. Cliff Booth: Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
Brad Pitt's portrayal of Cliff earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and rightly so. Booth, Dalton's stunt double, personal assistant, and best friend, is an indestructible WWII hero, specializing in close-quarters combat. He is a two-time Medal of Honor recipient.
10. Cliff Booth: Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood (Cont.)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood clears up the confusion, definitively stating that Cliff killed his wife, but on more of a heat-of-the-moment instinct likely born from his time as a soldier. This dark secret adds layers to what appears to be a simple loyal sidekick.
9. Calvin Candie: Django Unchained
Few villains in cinematic history inspire such visceral hatred as Leonardo DiCaprio's plantation owner Calvin Candie. The director created the perfect Western villain by tapping into the dark heart of humanity. DiCaprio's performance is convincingly despicable, to the point where the actor himself struggled with the role.
DJANGO UNCHAINED [2012] Scene: "The right N*gger"/Calvin snaps. by John Maverick
9. Calvin Candie: Django Unchained (Cont.)
According to Tarantino, DiCaprio brought ambiguity to the part. The scene where DiCaprio accidentally cut his hand on a wine glass and continued acting, smearing real blood on Kerry Washington's face, demonstrates the star’s total commitment to bringing this monster to life.
DJANGO UNCHAINED [2012] Scene:
8. Major Marquis Warren: The Hateful Eight
Warren is the grim reaper of this snowy Western, a figure who commands the story as the director's focus and master of ceremonies. An ex-Civil War Union cavalry major turned bounty hunter, Warren, boards the wagon like a wise overseer of proceedings.
The Hateful Eight - "Major Marquis exposes Senor Bob" Scene | Last Scene by Obiwan Pelosi
8. Major Marquis Warren: The Hateful Eight (Cont.)
Samuel L Jackson's performance anchors the ensemble piece with his commanding presence and moral complexity. The star likened Warren's epic speech moment to the one in Pulp Fiction in which his character Winnfield recites an epic speech before he finishes off his victims.
The Hateful Eight - "Major Marquis exposes Senor Bob" Scene | Last Scene by Obiwan Pelosi
7. Mr Pink: Reservoir Dogs
Steve Buscemi's motor-mouthed criminal delivers some of the funniest moments in Tarantino's debut feature, particularly his legendary rant about tipping. Mr Pink serves as the film's comic relief while maintaining genuine menace. His paranoid, self-serving nature makes him simultaneously the smartest and most cowardly member.
Reservoir Dogs | Mr. Pink Doesn't Tip by Peacock
7. Mr Pink: Reservoir Dogs (Cont.)
Buscemi brings a nervous energy to the role that captures a small-time crook who's always looking over his shoulder, quite well. The character's fate is said to remain deliberately ambiguous, with only the sound of sirens and gunshots suggesting his final destiny.
Reservoir Dogs | Mr. Pink Doesn't Tip by Peacock
6. Mia Wallace: Pulp Fiction
Before we even see her, Mia Wallace is the most talked-about character in the movie. We know she's the big man's new wife, a "don't touch" figure if there ever was one. But she's also beautiful and bored. Thurman's breakthrough work brought her an Academy Award nomination.
Pulp Fiction - Dance Scene (HQ) by manetaki
6. Mia Wallace: Pulp Fiction (Cont.)
As per sources, the actor initially turned down the role of Mia Wallace. The director was so desperate to have her as Wallace that he ended up reading her the script over the phone, ultimately convincing her to take on the part.
Pulp Fiction - Dance Scene (HQ) by manetaki
5. Col Hans Landa: Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino has said that Landa might be the greatest character he has ever written, and it's impossible to argue with that assessment after witnessing Christoph Waltz's mesmerizing performance. The opening farmhouse scene alone establishes Landa as a terrifying villain, using charm and intellectual superiority.
5. Col Hans Landa: Inglourious Basterds (Cont.)
Tarantino was about to quit the movie and release the script to the web. It was during Christoph Waltz's audition when he whispered into one of his coworkers' ears (Bender), “We have our movie”. Waltz bagged the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons
4. Jules Winnfield: Pulp Fiction
Samuel L Jackson earned Oscar and Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nominations for his memorable portrayal of Jules. The role that launched Jackson into the stratosphere of Hollywood elite showcases a character of biblical proportions who undergoes one of cinema's most compelling transformations.
Elen Nivrae, Wikimedia Commons
4. Jules Winnfield: Pulp Fiction (Cont.)
Jules was originally to be played by Paul Calderon, but Jackson liked the part so much that he flew out to California to audition for it again. His famous "Ezekiel 25:17" speech is a blend of an altered biblical passage and additional lines inspired by a Japanese film.
Pulp Fiction: Apartment Scene Complete Edit by ReservoirFrogs
3. The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo: Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2
In 2010, Entertainment Weekly named the Bride the 99th-greatest character of the preceding 20 years, and in 2015, Empire named her the 23rd-greatest film character of all time. Uma Thurman's collaboration with Tarantino gave us a character who transcends typical revenge narratives.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (8/12) Movie CLIP - The Bride vs. Gogo (2003) HD by Movieclips
3. The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo: Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2 (Cont.)
She became a symbol of maternal determination and lethal grace. According to Thurman, she and Tarantino crafted the Bride during the filming of Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction, in which she starred. Thurman provided the Bride's first name and Tarantino her last name.
The Bride vs Vernita Green | Kill Bill: Vol. 1 scene by SBS On Demand
2. Vincent Vega: Pulp Fiction
It was the role that made John Travolta relevant—again—and should be the first character who comes to mind when thinking about Tarantino films. Vincent Vega represents the synthesis of coolness and vulnerability. His philosophical discussions with Jules reveal a thoughtful hitman grappling with life's bigger questions.
Vincent Buys H From Lance | John Travolta, Eric Stoltz | Pulp Fiction (1994) by Memorable Scenes
2. Vincent Vega: Pulp Fiction (Cont.)
Travolta's career resurrection through this role cannot be overstated. The actor brings a laid-back charm to Vega that makes his violent profession seem almost incidental to his personality. His awkward courtship of Wallace and his casual approach to murder add to the complexity of his character.
Vincent Buys H From Lance | John Travolta, Eric Stoltz | Pulp Fiction (1994) by Memorable Scenes
1. Jackie Brown: Jackie Brown
Her motivations and desires are evident, and her entire thought process is displayed. She feels genuine, which is the nicest part. In movies like Foxy Brown, Pam Grier personified the blaxploitation genre, which Tarantino would surely like to explore further in the modern era.
Jackie Brown (1995) - Fitting Room Exchange Scene (7/12) | Movieclips by Movieclips
1. Jackie Brown: Jackie Brown (Cont.)
Instead, the legend created a mature character study that brought Pam Grier back into the spotlight after years of relative obscurity. It revived her career and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Jackie Brown pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation movies, particularly Coffy and Foxy Brown.
Foxy Brown - I Want You to Suffer! Scene (11/11) | Movieclips by Movieclips
