Worshiped like a film star by fans of his ultrahip and violent movies, reviled and condemned by the self-appointed guardians of mortality, Quentin Tarantino has become the cult hero of the nineties. Using exclusive material from her interviews with Tarantino and those close to him, Jami Bernard traces his fascinating rise from high school dropout and B-movie junkie to the darling Hollywood, exploring the philosophy and mythology of the writer and director who has, with just a few explosive films, turned the movie world on its head.

With the furor over Reservior Dogs, the triumph of Pulp Fiction, and the bitter conflict over Natural Born Killers, Tarantino’s meteoric rise has been perspective of those who have worked, played, and done battle with him, Jami Bernard looks beyond the media icon and reveals the man–and his message.