Over the years, Quentin Tarantino has built quite a reputation for being an amazing filmmaker, screenwriter, and even actor. Although he will go down in history for his work on films like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and more, those movies were not what should be considered his original cult classic hit. In fact, before Tarantino became a household name with his work, his passion for storytelling and a knack for writing sharp, gritty dialogue paved the way to success.
Over the years, many fans have realized that the genesis of his career began with a story he sold to fund his debut film, Reservoir Dogs. This original cult hit was True Romance, a script that Tarantino wrote and sold, which became a stepping stone that enabled him to make his directorial debut.
The Quentin Tarantino script that started it all
In 1993, Tony Scott gave the world the now iconic film, True Romance. Although the late film director brought the story to life, it was actually Quentin Tarantino who came up with the idea of the crime romance that shook the world. Although the 61-year-old may have portrayed it rather differently, it was the writing behind it that made it a fan favorite.
In a post to Reddit, a fan recently questioned whether the Christian Slater film was possibly one of Tarantino’s best-ever screenplays. With the film featuring a star-studded cast, including Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, and James Gandolfini, they delivered memorable performances in scenes that made the film iconic.
Although some social media users seemed to agree with the post, others seemed to think that the script did not even make it to Tarantino’s top 5. After all, with the filmmaker’s arsenal having works like Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, and more, some users believed there were better works.
While most netizens seemed to agree, some brought in other screenplays that they believed had been way better.
Although fans may be arguing over which Tarantino screenplay should be deemed the best, the director has ended up revealing his own favorite and it is not one of his own.
Quentin Tarantino’s favorite screenplay
Over the years, Quentin Tarantino has given the world many iconic cult classics. However, the 61-year-old’s work has always paid homage to some of his favorite writers and screenplays. In a 1994 interview with Film Comment, the filmmaker opened up about which screenplay had taken his breath away. In fact, he even revealed that it had quite an impact on his film, Reservoir Dogs.
Le Doulos has always been probably my favorite screenplay of all time—just from watching the movie. I just loved the wildness of watching a movie that up until the last twenty minutes I didn’t know what the fuck it was I was looking at. And the last twenty minutes explained it all.
Tarantino’s love for Jean-Pierre Melville’s films shone through in his debut film. After all, the French filmmaker’s influence is seen through its focus on a band of criminals, its sharp dialogue, and its emphasis on the codes of loyalty and deception.
With Tarantino being able to put what he loved into practice, the 1992 film could just be his favorite work of his own. However, the director has chosen to stay rather unbiased on his own works of art.
Watch Quentin Tarantino’s True Romance and Reservoir Dogs on Apple TV+
