Pulp Fiction contains many recognizable elements and tropes from the crime and film noir genres - professional hitmen, crime bosses, murder gone wrong, etc. - but the presentation and layout are wholly original. The movie has its moments of shocking violence and sequences of almost unbearable tension, but the overall effect is comedic. Despite the ghastliness on display and the morally bankrupt characters who commit atrocities, the viewer can't help but laugh (as long as they aren't too squeamish).
