Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence in Los Angeles. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-twentieth century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue.
Tarantino wrote Pulp Fiction in 1992 and 1993, incorporating scenes that Avary originally wrote for True Romance (1993). Its plot occurs out of chronological order. The film features self-referential elements, monologues, casual conversations with eclectic dialogue, and an ironic combination of humor and violence. TriStar Pictures turned down the script as "too demented". Miramax Films co-chairman Harvey Weinstein was enthralled, however, and the film became the first that Miramax Films fully financed.
Pulp Fiction premiered at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Palme d'Or, and was a major critical and commercial success. It received seven nominations at the 67th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Best Original Screenplay; Travolta, Jackson, and Thurman were nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress respectively. As a result of the film's success, Travolta's career was reinvigorated. The film's development, marketing, distribution, and profitability had a sweeping effect on independent cinema.
Pulp Fiction is regarded as Tarantino's magnum opus, with particular praise for its screenwriting. The self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a touchstone of postmodern film. It is considered a cultural watershed, influencing films and other media that adopted elements of its style. The cast was also widely praised, with Travolta, Thurman, and Jackson earning high acclaim. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named it the best film since 1983 and it has appeared on many critics' lists of the greatest films. In 2013, Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Narrative structure Pulp Fiction follows a nonlinear narrative structure with several plot lines that intersect at various points. Its structure is spliced into 7 parts, which are listed below. Bolded sections are those explicitly referenced in the film's title cards.
"Prologue – The Diner" (I) "Prelude to 'Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife" "Prelude to 'The Gold Watch "The Gold Watch" "The Bonnie Situation" "Epilogue – The Diner" (II)
If the seven sequences were ordered chronologically, they would run: 4, 2, 6, 1, 7, 3, 5. Sequences 1 and 7 partially overlap and are presented from different points of view, as do sequences 2 and 6. According to Philip Parker, the structural form is "an episodic narrative with circular events adding a beginning and end and allowing references to elements of each separate episode to be made throughout the narrative". Other analysts describe the structure as a "circular narrative".
Plot
A young Butch Coolidge is visited by Captain Koons, an Air Force pilot. Koons reveals a gold watch to Butch and explains that the watch is a family heirloom and belonged to Butch's father, who served with Koons and died in a POW camp in the Vietnam War. Koons continues the tradition by giving the watch to Butch.
Years later in Los Angeles, two hitmen, Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, drive to an apartment to retrieve a briefcase from Brett, a dishonest business partner for their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace. Vincent mentions that Marsellus has instructed him to take his wife, Mia, to dinner the following night. At the apartment, they find Brett, Roger and an informant for Marsellus, Marvin. When Brett attempts to appease the two hitmen, Jules casually shoots Roger. He then recites a paraphrased passage from the Book of Ezekiel before he and Vincent kill Brett. Another man bursts out of the bathroom and fires at them, but misses every shot. Jules and Vincent kill him and leave with the briefcase and Marvin.
While Jules is driving, Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the head, covering them in blood. They hide the car at the home of Jules' friend Jimmie, who demands they dispose of Marvin's corpse and the blood-stained car before his wife, Bonnie, comes home. Marsellus sends a cleaner, Winston Wolfe, who directs Jules and Vincent to hide the body in the trunk, clean the car, dispose of their bloody clothes and take the car to a junkyard. Afterwards, Jules and Vincent eat breakfast at a diner. Jules tells Vincent that he plans to retire from his life of crime, convinced that their survival at the apartment was divine intervention.
While Vincent is in the bathroom, a pair of thieves, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, hold up the diner and demand Marsellus' briefcase from Jules. Jules overpowers Pumpkin and holds him at gunpoint, making Honey Bunny hysterical. She points her gun at Jules; Vincent returns and points his gun at her. Jules defuses the situation, allowing the two to keep the money from only his wallet and letting them leave.
Jules and Vincent meet Marsellus at a bar, where Marsellus is bribing an aging Butch to intentionally lose in his upcoming boxing match. The following night, Vincent purchases heroin from his drug dealer, Lance. He shoots up and drives to meet Mia at her house. They eat at a 1950s-themed restaurant and participate in a twist contest, then return home. While Vincent is in the bathroom, Mia finds his heroin, mistakes it for cocaine, and snorts it. She passes out from an overdose, and Vincent rushes her to Lance's house, where they revive her by injecting her heart with adrenaline. Vincent and Mia agree never to tell Marsellus about the incident.
Butch double-crosses Marsellus by killing his opponent. He plans to flee with his girlfriend, Fabienne, but discovers that she has forgotten to pack the gold watch. Returning to his apartment to retrieve it, he notices a gun on the kitchen counter and hears the toilet flush. Vincent, who has been staking out Butch's apartment, emerges from the bathroom. Butch kills him with the gun and leaves. While returning to the motel, he sees Marsellus crossing the road. Marsellus chases Butch into a pawnshop. Maynard, the shop owner, captures them at gunpoint and gags them in the basement. Maynard and his accomplice, Zed, take Marsellus into another room and rape him. Butch breaks free and kills Maynard with a katana, freeing Marsellus who incapacitates Zed. Marsellus instructs Butch to tell no one about the incident and leave Los Angeles forever while he himself intends to "get medieval" on Zed. Butch picks up Fabienne on Zed's motorcycle.
Cast
Main characters John Travolta as Vincent Vega: Jules's partner-in-crime, working for Marsellus Wallace. Tarantino cast Travolta in Pulp Fiction because Michael Madsen, who had played Vic Vega in Reservoir Dogs (1992), chose to appear in Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp instead. Madsen expressed regret over his decision. Harvey Weinstein pushed for Daniel Day-Lewis in the part. Travolta accepted a reduced rate; sources say either US$100,000 or US$140,000. The film's success and his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor revitalized his career.For $100,000, see e.g., Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 3, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment). For USD$140,000, see e.g., Note again that all the main actors were paid identical weekly salaries. It appears that these figures cited for Travolta do not include his participation, if any, in the film's profits. Vincent is the brother of Vic Vega, also known as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, and in 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for a movie starring Travolta and Madsen as the "Vega Brothers", though the concept never came to fruition. Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield: Vincent's partner-in-crime, working for Marsellus Wallace. Jackson's first audition was overshadowed by Paul Calderón; Jackson had assumed the audition was merely a reading. Weinstein convinced him to audition a second time and his performance of the final diner scene won over Tarantino.Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 5, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment). Jules was originally scripted with a giant afro,Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 3, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment). but Tarantino's personal assistant mistakenly bought a Jheri curled wig. Tarantino was enraged but Jackson persuaded him to keep it since the hairstyle had gained popularity through the rap group N.W.A. Film critic Owen Gleiberman took it as a "tacit comic statement about the ghettoization of [Black people] in movies". Jackson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Calderón appears in the film as Paul, a bartender at Marsellus's social club, as well as Marsellus's assistant. Tarantino wrote the role for Laurence Fishburne, who turned it down. According to Tarantino, Fishburne refused it because his team did not see it as a starring role; Fishburne later said he turned it down because he felt the film glamorized heroin. Eddie Murphy was also considered. Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace: Marsellus Wallace's wife and an aspiring actress. Miramax favored Holly Hunter or Meg Ryan for the role of Mia. Robin Wright, Jennifer Beals, Debra Winger, Marisa Tomei, Alfre Woodard and Meg Tilly were also considered but Tarantino wanted Thurman after their first meeting. She dominated the film's promotional material, appearing on a bed with cigarette in one hand and pulp novel in the other. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Despite being launched into the celebrity A-list, Thurman chose not to do any big-budget films until Batman & Robin (1997) three years later. Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge: An aging boxer on the run from Marsellus after having double-crossed him. The role was originally written for Matt Dillon, who turned it down. Mickey Rourke also turned down the role. Willis was already a star but most of his recent films had been critical and box-office disappointments. As related by Peter Bart, participating in the modestly budgeted film "meant lowering his salary and risking his star status but the strategy paid off royally: Pulp Fiction not only brought Willis new respect as an actor but also earned him several million dollars". Willis' appearance and physical presence were crucial to Tarantino, "Bruce has the look of a '50s actor. I can't think of any other star that has that look". Butch's look was modeled on Aldo Ray in Nightfall and his demeanor based on Ralph Meeker's portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly. Chandler Lindauer plays a young Butch. Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe: A "cleaner" who aids Jules and Vincent. Tarantino wrote the part of Wolfe for Keitel, who had starred in Reservoir Dogs and was instrumental in its production. In Tarantino's words, "Harvey had been my favorite actor since I was 16 years old."Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 23, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment). Keitel had played a similarly employed character in Point of No Return (1993). Tim Roth as Ringo/"Pumpkin": A robber and Yolanda's boyfriend. Roth had starred in Reservoir Dogs alongside Keitel. He had used an American accent in Reservoir Dogs but used his natural, London accent in Pulp Fiction. Though Tarantino had written the part with Roth in mind, TriStar head Mike Medavoy preferred Johnny Depp or Christian Slater. Early in development, Tarantino had contemplated casting Roth as Vincent and Gary Oldman as Jules, rewriting the characters as "two English guys".