The movie opens with actor Heath Ledger staring deadpan into the camera as one of two ruthless thugs beats him senseless in front of his shocked girlfriend (Jessica Chastain). Then comes director Quentin Tarantino's menacing soundtrack that rattles around like an orchestra during scenes where gunshots ring out and gunfire reverberates throughout the crowded theaters. At times, there are sinister echoes of Pulp Fiction when Ledger kills someone offscreen by snapping their neck or tossing them down a stairwell. There are screams from screaming corpses