Tarantino’s most explicit genre pastiche has a style unto itself unlike anything else in his filmography.
In Death Proof, Tarantino’s flashy style merges with the grunge of exploitation cinema for the ultimate product of passionate homage to celluloid filmmaking, a fierce celebration of a bygone era in film history, one that was more communal as well as artful. We find a marriage of snappy Tarantino dialogue and the amateurishly written exchanges of slasher films; two stringent attempts to fabricate a cool appearance brought together through a bizarre, genre-melding screenplay.
The imitation of classic poor image quality is intricately done, deepening the extent to which the pristinely imperfect atmosphere is maintained. Carefully crafted editing mistakes and nonprofessional choices in cinematography are done effectively to simulate the genuine cinematic errors of vintage low-budget cinema. It blurs the line between poor craftsmanship and purposeful homage to the point where it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s either; so long as those characteristics are present, the tone is well-kept.
It’s clear that Tarantino also chose to echo the less-than factual grasp on psychology found in such films; as he revels in the fantasy of taking vengeance upon an unrelenting psychopath, he takes the extra steps to portray him as tawdrily pathetic when his power is taken away, and utterly defenseless when fought back against. Of course, real-life psychopaths are far less emotional (and experienced ones far more calculated) than what is seen here, but the exploitation aspect of the film makes this inaccuracy much less egregious than it could be.
Ultimately, the man’s overt homage to this cinematic era, though at times a little too worshipful, maintains its campy demeanor with poise and sufficient amounts of reverence, and it produces the same immature fun as those films it celebrates. Really, it’s no surprise that the film where Tarantino is most forthright about his admiration for cinema is the one where campiness doesn’t have to combat coolness; perhaps if he could be a little more honest with himself otherwise it wouldn’t be a problem.
