Pulp Fiction briefcase contents - not simply a 'McGuffin'

[NormanL]

Some have speculated that it contains Marsellus Wallace's soul, but that theory depends on the notion that the band-aid on the back of his neck is covering a spot where his soul has been removed from him (supposedly, it was 'pulled out of his body' through the opening under the band-aid.) However, *director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino has stated that the band-aid was in reality covering a sore on actor Ving Rhames' neck, so the 'soul theory' is not valid.*

 

*Tarantino has also said, in at least one interview, that the briefcase contains (paraphrasing), "nothing in specific; it contains whatever you want it to contain".* Some people have interpreted this to mean that it is a plot device, and I wouldn't disagree with that on a 'concrete' level; that is, there is no one specific physical item inside the case, and the retrieval and delivery of it does contribute to moving the action along. However, *I do not think that Tarantino was referring only to the audience by his remark - he is also referring to the characters themselves.*

 

Finally, *in the Johnny Rodriguez interview it was stated that what is in the briefcase dramatically alters one's understanding of the movie.* This is true, because *Pulp Fiction has an underlying theme of Buddhism.* This can be figured out once one realizes that *for Jules, the briefcase contains enlightenment.*

 

For Ringo, gold; for Marsellus, money; for Vincent, drugs.

[sineast]

Hmmm, that's strange. I always thought the briefcase contained outtakes from

Kiss Me Deadly.

[fredbaetz]

Or maybe the soul of Christina Bailey {Cloris Leachman}

 

Edited by: fredbaetz on Nov 8, 2009 1:13 AM

[MovieProfessor]

No . . . No . . . It contains: "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of!"

[sineast]

Or maybe not her soul, but her unmentionables (and mentionables), which she wasn't wearing

underneath the raincoat. Put those in a briefcase for a few weeks with little air and they

turn almost radioactive. BOOM. There goes the beach house.

[fredbaetz]

No,No,No,,,,The dreams are in that Black Bird either in San Francisco or Istanbul...

[scsu1975]

> {quote:title=NormanL wrote:}{quote}

> *Tarantino has also said, in at least one interview, that the briefcase contains (paraphrasing), "nothing in specific; it contains whatever you want it to contain".*

 

So I guess the House version of the Health Care Bill was in there.

[clore]

>>Hmmm, that's strange. I always thought the briefcase contained outtakes from Kiss Me Deadly.

 

Plus a copy of REPO MAN which used a similar gimmick.