Quentin Tarantino's 1994 masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, weaves together four intertwining tales of violence and redemption in Los Angeles, featuring mob hitmen, a boxer, and a gangster's wife.
Synopsis
In the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, the lives of two mob hitmen, a washed-up boxer, a gangster's drug-addicted wife, and a pair of small-time diner bandits collide in a series of bizarre and violently unexpected events. Told through a non-linear narrative, their stories intersect in a chaotic dance of dark humor, sharp dialogue, and sudden brutality that challenges the very idea of redemption.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
October 14, 1994 |
Running time |
154 minutes |
Genre |
Crime Drama Black Comedy |
Budget |
$8,000,000 |
Box Office |
$213,928,762 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Quentin Tarantino |
Produced by |
Lawrence Bender |
Written by |
Quentin Tarantino Roger Avary (Story) |
Music by |
Various Artists Karyn Rachtman (Supervisor) |
Cinematography |
Andrzej Sekuła |
Edited by |
Sally Menke |
Production Co. |
A Band Apart Jersey Films |
Distributed by |
Miramax Films |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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The Plot
The Briefcase and the Bribe
Hitmen Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega arrive at an apartment block on a mission for their boss, the gangster Marsellus Wallace. Their target is an associate named Brett, who is in possession of a specific briefcase belonging to Marsellus. Upon entering the apartment, the tension rises as they confront Brett and his associates. Vincent takes possession of the briefcase and checks its contents, confirming they have secured the objective. In a display of ruthless efficiency, Jules shoots one of Brett's associates. Before delivering the final blow to Brett for his attempt to double-cross Marsellus, Jules declaims a fierce passage from the Bible, reciting it with intensity before he and Vincent execute Brett.
Following the hit, the duo delivers the retrieved briefcase to Marsellus Wallace. However, they are forced to wait as Marsellus is in the middle of a business transaction with champion boxer Butch Coolidge. Marsellus is busy bribing Butch, instructing him to "take a dive"—intentionally lose—in his upcoming boxing match.
Vincent and Mia's Night Out
The following day, Vincent prepares for a separate assignment: escorting Marsellus's wife, Mia, while the boss is out of town. Before meeting her, Vincent visits his drug dealer, Lance, to purchase heroin. He shoots up immediately before driving to the Wallace residence. He and Mia head to Jack Rabbit Slim's, a 1950s-themed restaurant, where they share a meal and conversation. During the evening, they participate in the restaurant's twist contest and eventually return to the Wallace home clutching a trophy.
The night takes a sudden, dark turn when Vincent excuses himself to the bathroom. While he is away, Mia discovers the heroin in Vincent's coat pocket. Mistaking the powder for cocaine, she snorts it and immediately suffers a massive overdose. Panic ensues as Vincent discovers her unconscious state. He rushes her to Lance's house in a frantic bid to save her life. In a chaotic and high-stakes medical emergency, they manage to revive her by plunging a syringe filled with adrenaline directly into her heart. Shaken but alive, Mia and Vincent agree never to speak of the incident to Marsellus.
The Gold Watch
Contrary to his agreement with Marsellus, Butch Coolidge decides to double-cross the gangster. During the boxing match, not only does he refuse to take the dive, but he wins the bout so decisively that he accidentally kills his opponent in the ring. Butch flees the scene to a motel where his girlfriend, Fabienne, is waiting for him; they are lying low and preparing to escape the city. However, the plan hits a critical snag when Butch discovers that Fabienne has forgotten to pack his father's gold watch, a deeply sentimental heirloom. Consumed by rage and desperation, Butch decides to risk everything to retrieve it.
Butch returns to his own apartment, moving cautiously. He successfully retrieves the watch, but as he prepares to leave, he notices a suppressed Ingram submachine gun resting on the kitchen counter. Suddenly, he hears the toilet flush. The bathroom door opens, and Vincent Vega steps out, having been lying in wait. Reacting instinctively, Butch grabs the Ingram and shoots Vincent dead, leaving the gun behind as he flees the apartment.
The Pawn Shop Nightmare
While driving away from the apartment, Butch stops at a traffic light. By sheer chance, Marsellus Wallace is crossing the road at that exact moment and spots him. Butch accelerates, hitting Marsellus, but the gangster survives and chases Butch into a nearby pawnshop. The confrontation is interrupted by the shop owner, Maynard, who captures both men at gunpoint. He ties them up in the basement and is soon joined by a security guard named Zed. They drag Marsellus into another room to rape him, leaving a silent figure clad in a bondage suit, known as the "gimp," to watch over Butch.
Butch manages to break loose from his restraints and knocks the gimp unconscious. He is on the verge of fleeing the shop when he experiences a change of heart and decides he cannot leave Marsellus behind. Butch arms himself with a katana from the pawnshop and returns to the basement. He kills Maynard, allowing Marsellus to grab Maynard's shotgun and shoot Zed. In the bloody aftermath, Marsellus makes a deal with Butch: they are "even," provided Butch tells no one about the rape and leaves Los Angeles forever. Butch agrees, picking up Fabienne on Zed's chopper, and they ride away to start a new life.
The Bonnie Situation
The narrative loops back in time to the moments immediately following the execution of Brett in his apartment. After Vincent and Jules kill Brett, a fourth man bursts out of the bathroom, firing a handgun wildly at them. Miraculously, every shot misses. Jules and Vincent return fire, killing the assailant. Jules is deeply shaken, professing that their survival was a divine intervention—a miracle. Vincent, however, dismisses it as mere luck.
As they drive away from the scene with Brett's associate, Marvin, in the backseat, the debate continues. In a moment of carelessness, Vincent turns to ask Marvin a question and accidentally shoots him in the face, killing him instantly and covering the car interior in blood. Needing a place to hide, they drive to the home of Jules' friend, Jimmie. Jimmie is furious and terrified, demanding they solve the problem before his wife returns. Marsellus dispatches his "cleaner," Winston Wolfe, to manage the crisis. The Wolf directs Jules and Vincent with military precision: they clean the car, hide Marvin's body in the trunk, dispose of their bloody clothes, and successfully transport the vehicle to a junk yard for disposal.
Epilogue: The Diner Standoff
With the car disposed of and dressed in borrowed clothes, Jules and Vincent head to a diner for breakfast. Here, Jules reveals his decision to retire from his life of crime, firmly convinced that the "miraculous" event at the apartment was a sign from God. While Vincent goes to the bathroom, the diner is suddenly held up by a couple known as "Pumpkin" and "Honey Bunny."
The robbery goes awry when Jules refuses to yield. He overpowers Pumpkin and holds him at gunpoint. Honey Bunny becomes hysterical, training her gun on Jules. The tension peaks as Vincent returns from the bathroom, aiming his gun at Honey Bunny, creating a volatile Mexican standoff. Rather than killing the robbers, Jules recites the biblical passage he used earlier, but this time with a contemplative tone, expressing ambivalence about his violent path. He allows the robbers to take the cash from his wallet and leave unharmed. With the situation defused, Jules and Vincent walk out of the diner together, carrying the briefcase, as the film concludes.
