Pulp Fiction (1994)

Director:

Quentin Tarantino

Writers:

Quentin Tarantino (stories) &
Roger Avary (stories) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Girls like me don't make invitations like this to just anyone!

Plot:

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Restaurant | Briefcase | Diner | Coffee

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 43 wins & 40 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Vincent Vega
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Jules Winnfield
Tim Roth	...	Pumpkin - Ringo
Amanda Plummer	...	Honey Bunny - Yolanda
Eric Stoltz	...	Lance
Bruce Willis	...	Butch Coolidge
Ving Rhames	...	Marsellus Wallace
Phil LaMarr	...	Marvin
Maria de Medeiros	...	Fabienne
Rosanna Arquette	...	Jody
Peter Greene	...	Zed
Uma Thurman	...	Mia Wallace
Duane Whitaker	...	Maynard
Paul Calderon	...	Paul
Frank Whaley	...	Brett
Burr Steers	...	Roger
Bronagh Gallagher	...	Trudi
Susan Griffiths	...	Marilyn Monroe
Steve Buscemi	...	Buddy Holly
Eric Clark	...	James Dean
Joseph Pilato	...	Dean Martin
Brad Parker	...	Jerry Lewis
Angela Jones	...	Esmarelda Villalobos
Don Blakely	...	Wilson's Trainer
Christopher Walken	...	Captain Koons
Carl Allen	...	Dead Floyd Wilson
Stephen Hibbert	...	The Gimp
Julia Sweeney	...	Raquel
Laura Lovelace	...	Waitress
Michael Gilden	...	Phillip Morris Page
Jerome Patrick Hoban	...	Ed Sullivan
Gary Shorelle	...	Ricky Nelson
Lorelei Leslie	...	Mamie van Doren
Brenda Hillhouse	...	Mrs. Coolidge - Butch's Mother
Chandler Lindauer	...	Young Butch
Sy Sher	...	Klondike
Robert Ruth	...	Sportscaster #1 - Coffee Shop
Rich Turner	...	Sportscaster #2
Venessia Valentino	...	Pedestrian / Bonnie Dimmick
Alexis Arquette	...	Man #4
Linda Kaye	...	Shot Woman
Kathy Griffin	...	Kathy Griffin
Quentin Tarantino	...	Jimmie Dimmick
Harvey Keitel	...	Winston 'The Wolf' Wolfe
Karen Maruyama	...	Gawker #1
Lawrence Bender	...	Long Hair Yuppy Scum
Emil Sitka	...	Hold Hands You Lovebirds (archive footage)
Dick Miller	...	Monster Joe (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rene Beard	...	Bar Tender (uncredited)
Devan Richardson	...	Hop along cassidy (uncredited)
Glendon Rich	...	Drug Dealer (uncredited)
Ani Sava	...	Woman in Bathroom (uncredited)

Directed by
Quentin Tarantino

Writing credits
Quentin Tarantino		(stories) &
Roger Avary		(stories)
Quentin Tarantino		(written by)

Produced by
Lawrence Bender	....	producer
Danny DeVito	....	executive producer
Richard N. Gladstein	....	co-executive producer
Michael Shamberg	....	executive producer
Stacey Sher	....	executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	co-executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	co-executive producer

Cinematography by
Andrzej Sekula

Film Editing by
Sally Menke

Casting by
Ronnie Yeskel
Gary M. Zuckerbrod

Production Design by
David Wasco

Art Direction by
Charles Collum

Set Decoration by
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Costume Design by
Betsy Heimann

Makeup Department
Linda Arnold	....	assistant hair
Christina Bartolucci	....	assistant hair stylist
Christina Bartolucci	....	assistant makeup artist
Thomas L. Bellissimo	....	special makeup effects artist (as Tom Bellissimo)
Michelle Bühler	....	key makeup artist (as Michelle Buhler)
Bill Fletcher	....	wig maker
Audree Futterman	....	key hair supervisor
Erin Haggerty	....	special makeup effects artist
Theodore Haines	....	special makeup effects artist (as Ted Haines)
Iain Jones	....	hair designer
Douglas Noe	....	special makeup effects artist
David E. Smith	....	special makeup effects artist (as David Smith)
Wayne Toth	....	special makeup effects artist
Howard Berger	....	special makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Robert Kurtzman	....	special makeup supervisor (uncredited)
Michael Mosher	....	prosthetics: Ed Sullivan (uncredited)
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management
Paul Hellerman	....	production manager
Heidi Vogel	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Paul Clark	....	additional second second assistant director
John W. Hyde Jr.	....	second second assistant director (as John 'Crash' Hyde Jr.)
Kelly Kiernan	....	second assistant director
Francis R. Mahoney III	....	first assistant director (as Francis R. 'Sam' Mahony III)

Art Department
Peter Borck	....	lead man
Daniel Bradford	....	set designer
Gary L. Brennan	....	carpenter
Ellen Brill	....	buyer
Liz Chiz	....	assistant decorator
Chris Cullen	....	graphic designer
Joseph Donti	....	carpenter
McPherson O. Downs	....	on-set dresser
John Felgate	....	assistant property master
Marc Gillson	....	lead painter
Tim Glueckert	....	carpenter
Samantha Gore	....	assistant art director
Joseph W. Grafmuller	....	set dresser (as Joseph Grafmuller)
B. Harris	....	carpenter
Shane Hawkins	....	construction location foreman
Jean Hodges	....	prop food stylist
Jonathan R. Hodges	....	property master (as Jonathan Hodges)
Steven Ingrassia	....	swing gang
Jose Jimenez	....	carpenter
Jacek Lisiewicz	....	set designer
Giuseppe Maini III	....	painter
Adam Markey	....	carpenter
Brian Markey	....	construction coordinator
Ed Martin II	....	swing gang
Maryann Matanic	....	swing gang
Ray Maxwell	....	construction foreman
Michael McGettigan	....	carpenter
Dave Mendelson	....	carpenter
Mark Peters	....	carpenter
Sally Reed	....	swing gang
Daniel C. Rothenberg	....	set dresser (as Daniel Rothenberg)
Chris Scher	....	construction estimator
Amy Skjonsby-Winslow	....	painter (as Amy Skiumsby)
Wayne Springfield	....	carpenter
Greg Wilson	....	painter
Chris L. Winslow	....	charge scenic artist
Emily Wolfe	....	art department coordinator

Sound Department
Rick Ash	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Bartlett	....	sound editor
Dean Beville	....	sound editor
G.W. Brown	....	sound editor
Jeff Courtie	....	adr mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	foley mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	pre-dubbing mixer
Judee Flick	....	supervising adr editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor (as Stephen H. Flick)
Avram D. Gold	....	sound editor (as Avram Dean Gold)
Dana Gustafson	....	assistant sound editor
John Hulsman	....	sound editor
Ivan Johnson	....	pdl
Ken King	....	production sound mixer
Patricio A. Libenson	....	sound editor (as Patricio Libenson)
Richard Marx	....	sound editor
Stewart Nelson	....	sound editor (as Stewart Nelsen)
Jeena M. Phelps	....	assistant sound editor
Larry Pitman	....	dubbing recordist
Catherine Rowe	....	foley artist
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Larry Scharf	....	boom operator
Charles Ewing Smith	....	sound editor
Scott Weber	....	sound editor
Dean A. Zupancic	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew C. Beville	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Bruce Stubblefield	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stephen DeLollis	....	special effects
Pat Domenico	....	special effects
Larry Fioritto	....	special effects coordinator
Wes Mattox	....	special effects (as Wesley Mattox)
Evan Campbell	....	special makeup effects (uncredited)
Bruce Harris	....	special effects propmaker (uncredited)
Kevin McTurk	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Matthew Avila	....	stunt safety
Cameron	....	stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	stunts (as Chris Doyle)
Marcia Holley	....	stunts
Terry Jackson	....	stunt double: Bruce Willis
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Linda Kaye	....	stunts
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Ken Lesco	....	stunt coordinator
Dennis Madalone	....	stunts (as Dennis 'Danger' Madalone)
Scott McElroy	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Ahern	....	grip (as Christopher Ahern)
Linda R. Chen	....	unit still photographer (as Linda Chen)
Mark Shane Davis	....	key grip
Angelo de la Cruz	....	camera loader
Ziad Doueiri	....	first assistant camera
Bob Gorelick	....	Steadicam operator
Anthony Hall	....	best boy electric
Bruce Jagoda	....	electrician
James Jones II	....	grip (as James P. Jones II)
Michael Levine	....	camera operator
Rob Lewbel	....	electrician (as Robert Lewbel)
Christopher Loring	....	electrician
Larry Markart	....	video playback operator
Robert W. Meckler	....	best boy grip
Marc Meisenheimer	....	key rigging gaffer
C. Roy Nigra	....	grip
John Nuler	....	additional Steadicam operator
Michael Palmer	....	electrician
Alan Parr	....	dolly grip
Joe Ritter	....	first assistant Steadicam
Alan Sherrod	....	director of photography: second unit
Gregory C. Smith	....	second assistant camera
Michael Stocks	....	key rigging grip
Robert J. Studenny	....	grip (as Robert Studenny)
Vance Trussell	....	gaffer
Randolph J. Verdigo	....	grip (as Randy Verdugo)
Kenneth Estes	....	video playback operator (uncredited)
Ron Kunecke	....	night light operator (uncredited)
R. Gern Trowbridge	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Animation Department
Russell Vossler	....	character artist

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Ruth Lambert	....	casting associate
Jeff Olan	....	extras casting: Rainbow Casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jacqueline Aronson	....	costume supervisor
Kristin Dangl	....	costumer
Mary Claire Hannan	....	assistant costume designer
Marilyn Pachasa	....	costumer
Patia Prouty	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Liam Curtin	....	post-production intern
Andrew Dickler	....	apprentice editor
Jere Huggins	....	assembly editor (as Jere P. Huggins)
Donald Likovich	....	assistant editor
Katie Mack	....	second assistant editor
Kara Mazzola	....	post-production coordinator
Ray Neapolitan	....	second assistant editor
Ben Parker	....	post-production assistant
Tatiana S. Riegel	....	first assistant editor
John Sosnovski	....	apprentice editor
Mike Stanwick	....	color timer (as Michael Stanwick)

Music Department
Kristen Becht	....	assistant to music supervisor
Billy Gottlieb	....	assistant to music supervisor
Rolf Johnson	....	music editor
Chuck Kelley	....	music consultant
Laura Lovelace	....	music consultant
The Marketts	....	music performers
Kathy Nelson	....	music supervisor: MCA Records
Karyn Rachtman	....	music supervisor
Mary Ramos	....	music coordinator: Mind Your Music

Transportation Department
Derek N. Alff 'DNA'	....	driver production assistant
Alonzo Brown Jr.	....	driver
Bruce Callahan	....	driver
Steve Earle	....	driver
Don Feeney	....	driver
Scotty Goudreau	....	driver
David Joseph	....	driver: production van
John Key	....	driver
Suzy Mae Martin	....	driver production assistant
Glenn McCraven	....	driver
Richard Middleton	....	driver production assistant (as Richard C. Middleton)
Derek Raser	....	transportation coordinator
George A. Sack	....	driver: water truck (as George Sack)
J.T. Thayer	....	transportation captain (as J.T. Thayer II)
Earl Thielen	....	driver (as Earl 'Mr. Blonde' Thielen)
Tracy Thielen	....	driver (as Tracy 'Ace' Thielen)
Gregg Willis	....	driver
Paul Burlin	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Toni Baffo	....	assistant to producer
Jay Beattie	....	office production assistant
Cheryl Cain	....	assistant production coordinator
Cameron	....	stand-in
Cullen G. Chambers	....	stand-in: Samuel L. Jackson (as Cullen Chambers)
Vicki Cherkas	....	legal advisor: Miramax
Ruben Cortez	....	set security supervisor
Angelique A. Costanza	....	post-production accountant
Angelique A. Costanza	....	production auditor
Robert Earl Craft	....	location manager
Rory Dauson	....	stand-in (as Rory K. Dauson)
Steve Earle	....	mechanic
Nathan Easterling	....	office production assistant
Robert Fraade	....	immigration legal service
Carlos K. Goodman	....	production legal services (as Carlos Goodman)
Michael Haddad	....	assistant craft service
Cynthia Harding	....	accounting intern
Derek Hurd	....	craft service
Gloria Hylton	....	stand-in
John A. Johnston	....	assistant location manager
Scott Johnston	....	stand-in
Iain Jones	....	set production assistant
Sarah Kelly	....	set production assistant
Martin Kitrosser	....	script supervisor
Richard W. Kopenhefer	....	labor legal service
Victoria Lucai	....	assistant to director
Alicia Magnant	....	office production assistant
Thomas Magno	....	set production assistant
Stevie Maislen	....	set production assistant
Gerald Martinez	....	chief graphic designer
Francesca McCaffery	....	office production assistant
Courtney McDonnell	....	assistant to producer post-production
Bradley Morris	....	production secretary
Anna-Lisa Nilsson	....	production coordinator
Cathy Ragona	....	coordinator: Miramax (as Cathy Agcayab Ragona)
Tonya Richardson	....	set production assistant (as Tanya Richardson)
Tristan Sharp	....	office production assistant
Abigail Sheiner	....	accounting assistant
Jeffrey Stephan	....	stand-in
Haley Sweet	....	location assistant (as Haley B. Sweet)
James 'Chip' Weis	....	key office production assistant (as Jim Weis)
Kurt Woolner	....	completion guarantee
Deborah Wuliger	....	unit publicist
Zane	....	assistant accountant
Julia Zane	....	production accountant
Don Asher	....	clearance supervisor (uncredited)
Stephen J. Eads	....	assistant: Bruce Willis (uncredited)
Craig Hamann	....	consultant (uncredited)
Malle Jensen	....	assistant: Mr. Keitel (uncredited)
Tony Kerum	....	caterer (uncredited)

Thanks
Lou Arkoff	....	special thanks
Emporio Armani	....	special thanks
Agnès B.	....	special thanks (as Agnes B.)
Jennifer Beals	....	special thanks
Linda R. Chen	....	special thanks (as Linda Chen)
Jim Hannafan	....	special thanks
Cathryn James	....	special thanks (as Cathryn Jaymes)
Cindy Lou Johnson	....	special thanks
John Logigian	....	special thanks
Stephen Martines	....	special thanks (as Coltin Scott)
Ricardo Mestres	....	special thanks
Rozann Newman	....	special thanks
Mike Simpson	....	special thanks
Scott Spiegel	....	special thanks
Cindy Jo Stanberry	....	special thanks
Emanuel Steward	....	special thanks
Lee Stollman	....	special thanks
Jamie Toscas	....	special thanks
Bill Unger	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• A Band Apart
• Jersey Films
• Miramax Films

Distributors

• Empire (2008) (Romania) (DVD)
• Bac Films (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1994) (UK) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1995) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (1994) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Praesens-Film (1994) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Scotia International Filmverleih (1994) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Spentzos Films (1994) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution
• Amuse Video (1995) (Japan) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Cecchi Gori Group
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (laserdisc)
• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (1995) (France) (video)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2000) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• SF Video (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Spentzos Film Home Video (1995) (Greece) (VHS)
• Starz! Network (1995) (USA) (TV)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Toshiba Digital Frontiers (TDF) (1999) (Japan) (DVD)
• Toshiba Digital Frontiers (TDF) (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Toshiba Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Village Roadshow Entertainment (1999) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Background Engineers Inc.  process projection
• Buena Vista Sound  re-recording
• Emporio Armani  special thanks
• Film Finance  completion guarantee
• Great Northern Brokerage Services  insurance
• Hama Design  special thanks
• I.C.E. Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Judy Garland & Associates  travel arrangements and services
• Lighthouse Studio Rentals  grip and electrical equipment
• Loeb and Loeb  labor legal services
• Mario's Catering  catering
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Rainbow Casting Service  extras casting
• Shark Production Services  grip equipment
• Sound Services  production sound
• Varitel Video  lightworks editing system
• Weddington Productions  post-production sound

Also Known As:

Black Mask (USA) (working title)
Tiempos violentos (Argentina) (Chile) (Mexico) [es]
Pulp Fiction (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Криминальное чтиво (Russia) [ru]
Fiction pulpeuse (Canada: French title) [fr]
Kriminale (Bulgaria: Bulgarian title) [bg]
Pakleni sund (Croatia) [hr]
Petparacke price (Serbia) [sr]
Ponyvaregény (Hungary) [hu]
Pulp Fiction (Poland) [pl]
Pulp Fiction (Greece) [el]
Pulp Fiction (Denmark) [da]
Pulp Fiction (Estonia) [et]
Pulp Fiction (Spain) [es]
Pulp Fiction (France) [fr]
Pulp Fiction (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Pulp Fiction (Italy) [it]
Pulp Fiction (Czech Republic) [cs]
Pulp Fiction - Historky z podsvetia (Slovakia) [sk]
Pulp Fiction - Tempos de Violência (Brazil) [pt]
Pulp fiction - tarinoita väkivallasta (Finland) [fi]
Sifrut Zolla (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Sund (Slovenia) [sl]
Ucuz roman (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

154 min | USA:168 min (special edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A (re-rating) | Canada:R (original rating) | Mexico:C | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) (uncut) | Australia:R | Brazil:18 | Hungary:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating after appeal) (1997) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (video rating) (1995) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) (1995) (uncut) | Philippines:R-18 | India:A | South Africa:18 | Canada:18A (Alberta) (2009) | USA:R | Argentina:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Poland:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1995) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Hawthorne Grill - 13763 S. Hawthorne Boulevard, Hawthorne, California, USA

Company:

A Band Apart

Trivia:

Fabienne says, "Any time of day is a good time for pie." Alabama also says this in True Romance (1993), also written by Quentin Tarantino.

Goofs:

Continuity: The sugar bowl on the table in the diner.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Pumpkin: Forget it. Too risky. I'm through doing that shit.
Yolanda: You always say that. That same thing every time, "I'm through, never again, too dangerous".
Pumpkin: I know that's what I always say. I'm always right, too.
Yolanda: But you forget about it in a day or two.
Pumpkin: Yeah, well the days of me forgetting are over, and the days of me remembering have just begun.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Killer Spirit (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

If Love Is A Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags)

The masterpiece without a message

One of the early scenes in "Pulp Fiction" features two hit-men discussing what a Big Mac is called in other countries. Their dialogue is witty and entertaining, and it's also disarming, because it makes these two thugs seem all too normal. If you didn't know better, you might assume these were regular guys having chit-chat on their way to work. Other than the comic payoff at the end of the scene, in which they use parts of this conversation to taunt their victims, their talk has no relevance to anything in the film, or to anything else, for that matter. Yet without such scenes, "Pulp Fiction" wouldn't be "Pulp Fiction." I get the sense that Tarantino put into the film whatever struck his fancy, and somehow the final product is not only coherent but wonderfully textured.

It's no wonder that fans spend so much time debating what was in the suitcase, reading far more into the story than Tarantino probably intended. The film is so intricately structured, with so many astonishing details, many of which you won't pick up on the first viewing, that it seems to cry out for some deeper explanation. But there is no deeper explanation. "Pulp Fiction," is, as the title indicates, purely an exercise in technique and style, albeit a brilliant and layered one. Containing numerous references to other films, it is like a great work of abstract art, or "art about art." It has all the characteristics we associate with great movies: fine writing, first-rate acting, unforgettable characters, and one of the most well-constructed narratives I've ever seen in a film. But to what end? The self-contained story does not seem to have bearing on anything but itself.

The movie becomes a bit easier to understand once you realize that it's essentially a black comedy dressed up as a crime drama. Each of the three main story threads begins with a situation that could easily form the subplot of any standard gangster movie. But something always goes wrong, some small unexpected accident that causes the whole situation to come tumbling down, leading the increasingly desperate characters to absurd measures. Tarantino's originality stems from his ability to focus on small details and follow them where they lead, even if they move the story away from conventional plot developments.

Perhaps no screenplay has ever found a better use for digressions. Indeed, the whole film seems to consist of digressions. No character ever says anything in a simple, straightforward manner. Jules could have simply told Yolanda, "Be cool and no one's going to get hurt," which is just the type of line you'd find in a generic, run-of-the-mill action flick. Instead, he goes off on a tangent about what Fonzie is like. Tarantino savors every word of his characters, finding a potential wisecrack in every statement and infusing the dialogue with clever pop culture references. But the lines aren't just witty; they are full of intelligent observations about human behavior. Think of Mia's statement to Vincent, "That's when you know you've found somebody special: when you can just shut the f--- up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence."

What is the movie's purpose exactly? I'm not sure, but it does deal a lot with the theme of power. Marsellus is the sort of character who looms over the entire film while being invisible most of the time. The whole point of the big date sequence, which happens to be my favorite section of the film, is the power that Marsellus has over his men without even being present. This power is what gets Vincent to act in ways you would not ordinarily expect from a dumb, stoned gangster faced with an attractive woman whose husband has gone away. The power theme also helps explain one of the more controversial aspects of the film, its liberal use of the N-word. In this film, the word isn't just used as an epithet to describe blacks: Jules, for instance, at one point applies the term to Vincent. It has more to do with power than with race. The powerful characters utter the word to express their dominance over weaker characters. Most of these gangsters are not racist in practice. Indeed, they are intermingled racially, and have achieved a level of equality that surpasses the habits of many law-abiding citizens in our society. They resort to racial epithets because it's a patter that establishes their separateness from the non-criminal world.

There's a nice moral progression to the stories. We presume that Vincent hesitates to sleep with Mia out of fear rather than loyalty. Later, Butch's act of heroism could be motivated by honor, but we're never sure. The film ends, however, with Jules making a clear moral choice. Thus, the movie seems to be exploring whether violent outlaws can act other than for self-preservation.

Still, it's hard to find much of a larger meaning tying together these eccentric set of stories. None of the stories are really "about" anything. They certainly are not about hit-men pontificating about burgers. Nor is the film really a satire or a farce, although it contains elements of both. At times, it feels like a tale that didn't need to be told, but for whatever reason this movie tells it and does a better job than most films of its kind, or of any other kind.