Cinephiles may not be unfamiliar with Quentin Tarantino, the blood-soaked auteur known for his unique filmmaking style. Tarantino utilizes every opportunity to create a masterpiece in entertainment where creativity knows no bounds. Each of his movies profoundly impacts the cinema and inspires others with his fresh and extraordinary approach to crafting a film described as “Tarantinoesque.”
Key Takeaways
- Hideo Kojima and Quentin Tarantino are highly regarded in their mediums and have positively impacted the industry.
- Both of them have non-linear narratives in their work, thus becoming a source of confusion.
- Tarantino paid homage to old movies like Game of Death.
- Kojima’s Death Stranding had an easter egg of Norman Reedus.
- Hideo Kojima’s MSG 4 has the longest cutscene duration of 71 minutes.
- Kojima is the Tarantino of the gaming industry due to his unique storytelling and inspiring creativity.
Tarantino And Kojima
Tarantino established his presence in 1994 with Pulp Fiction in Hollywood, and since then, this audacious guy hasn’t stopped producing bold and eccentric movies. His movies have distinctive hallmarks often praised by movie lovers, from having frequent collaborators like Samuel L. Jackson and taking trunk shots to heavily incorporating bloodshed in movies and perfect choice of music.
But I have also encountered such special attributes in games. Guess who the mastermind behind them is? The GREAT Hideo Kojima.
Hideo Kojima is known for his award-winning game series Metal Gear Solid. His games are highly regarded for their in-depth, intricate, and original narratives.
He’s ultimately the writer, director, and designer for his games, oozing his personality through them and delivering a consistent direction.
As a fanboy of both Kojima and Tarantino, I have witnessed an uncanny resemblance in their works. I will break down for you how the working style of both visionaries remains on the same page, making Kojima the Tarantino of the gaming world.
Non-Linear Narratives
Both Tarantino and Kojima used the technique of non-linear narratives that often become the subject of confusion for the audience.
Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. One starts with the Bride (played by Uma Thurman) being attacked and shot in the head. The face of the attacker isn’t shown, but his name is revealed through the handkerchief he uses to wipe the Bride’s blood. This entire sequence sets the tone of the movie.
Via VeryAliGaming
Now, Tarantino intersperses flashbacks in the movie as it progresses. For example, in the episode “The Origin of O-Ren,” the backstory of O-Ren Ishii is presented.
The whole sequence is pictured in an anime form confusing viewers about a sudden change in the video type.
Both volumes are presented in non-chronological order jumping back and forth in time.
Kojima uses the same narrative style. His critically acclaimed series Metal Gear Solid has players encounter time jumps, providing context for the game’s events. Such flashbacks reveal important plotlines and characters’ key incidents from the past.
In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, players take the mantle of Naked Snake. His past is revealed through flashbacks during the game’s progression, setting the grounds for the game’s plot.
However, this is not the only confusing part of the MGS series. The family tree is one of the most difficult things to understand. Why? Because the series features an ensemble character cast spanning multiple games and decades, making players lose track of the family tree.
Movie and Other Media References
It isn’t surprising that Quentin Tarantino has a habit of sneakingly infusing old movie references. For instance, the famous Mexican Standoff scene between White, Orange, and Cabots references 1987’s City In Fire.
Furthermore, Uma Thurman wears a black-stripped Yellow jumpsuit in Kill Bill Vol. 1, a classic homage to Bruce Lee’s yellow suit from Game of Death.
Hideo Kojima’s games are also filled with many Easter eggs. The iconic one comes when Psycho Mantis asks, “You’ve been playing Super Mario Sunshine, haven’t you?” while breaking the 4th wall in the Gamecube version of MGS1.
This depends on whether the player has a saved file of Super Mario in their console’s memory card.
Additionally, in Death Stranding, when Sam (played by Norman Reedus) goes to the toilet, the door closes with a poster of Reedus displaying, “RIDE WITH NORMAN REEDUS,” highlighting his previous collaboration with AMC.
Best Actors
Quentin and Hideo take a meticulous approach to casting, choosing actors they think can embody and bring life to their characters.
During an interview, Quentin stated he has no particular actor in mind when writing a character. However, having previously worked with Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, he specifically designed Beatrix for her in the Kill Bill movies.
Likewise, Hideo personally takes casting very seriously. He makes decisions based on how well the actor’s chemistry fits with the written character. He wants to have a special connection with the motion actors and voice actors to pull off the characterization and game-making smoothly.
Kojima’s Longest Cutscenes
Hideo Kojima’s love for cinema is great. He always tries to blend his love for cinema and passion for storytelling. This is one of the major reasons Koijma’s games have the longest cutscenes.
Even on the list of longest cinematic sequences, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Death Stranding are among the top four, with the former having a 71-minute cutscene.
Kojima Is Tarantino
As a cinephile and gamer, I firmly believe Hideo Kojima is the Quentin Tarantino of the gaming industry. Both individuals have left an incredible mark in their respective mediums.
Like Tarantino, Kojima is bold enough to experiment with new ideas and non-linear storytelling and is unafraid to explore themes. With every release, Kojima defies expectations and elevates video games by inspiring creativity, just as Tarantino does for cinema.
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Ever since I was introduced to the gaming realm, I have discovered a whole new world of creativity and adventure. Although I travel through the structured world of business studies, I find my true solace in imaginative writing and thrilling actions in RPG games. That’s exactly what I do: blend both of my passions to create appealing literary pieces. From Hellblade to Metal Gear Solid, third-person games are my go-tos. Join me on my journey as I unveil some classic gaming details and witness the gaming domain through my lens.
If you’re up for a duel in Injustice, find me on Steam.
