The Film opens in a diner as a couple of thieves discuss the possibility of holding up restaurants. This leads us into three distinct strands: a date between a hit man and the wife of his boss, the boxer who is supposed to throw a fight and the cleaning up of a hit man´s mistake. The stories are told in non chronological order and we finally return to the diner to the final scene.
1. What is contained in the briefcase ?
There is no real answer to this and Tarantino has actually said that he didn´t knew what to put in the case so he decided to leave it for the viewer´s to decide. However, it has been suggested that it contains the evil that men do and as the combination of the briefcase is 666 (the number of the beast), I´m prepared to go with this. Another great suggestion is that it contains the diamonds from "Reservoir Dogs".
2. What films have influenced Tarantino in the making of "Pulp Fiction" ?
The dance competition is clearly influenced by Jean Luc Godard´s 1964 film "Bande a Part" which Tarantino has named his production company after (a band apart).
The unknown contents of the briefcase are a homage to Robert Aldrich´s film "Kiss Me Deadly", made in 1955.
When Butch stops at the lights and sees Marsellus crossing the road, we are reminded of Alfred Hitchcock´s "Psycho" when Janet Leigh steps at a set of lights to see her boss crossing the road.
The pawn shop rape is cleary reminiscent of "Deliverance", made in 1972 by John Boorman, director of recent "The General".
"The Bonnie Situation" contains Jules and his friend Jimmy, clearly a reference to François Truffaut´s film, "Jules et Jim".
The character of "Wolf"(Harvey Keitel) in this story is taken from Jean Reno´s portrayal of a cleaner in Luc Besson´s "La Femme Nikita", a role reprised by Keitel himself in the John Badham remake "Assasin/Point Of No Return".
In addition, the films of John Woo, Sam Peckinpah, Brian de Palma and Don Siegel are all important.
3. Why did Mia overdose at her house ?
She thought she was snorting cocaine whereas she was taking Vincent´s extremely pure heroin. His heroin had been packaged as cocaine would normally be because his dealer(Eric Stoltz) had run out of the standard heroin packaging.
4. Why did Butch return to the pawn shop to save Marsellus ?
As I said before, Redemption is one of the central themes of this film and this scene along with Jules´saving of Honey Bunny and Pumpkin in the diner are the best examples of this. Butch´s conscience made him go back to save Marsellus and this acted as his redemption for killing Wilson in the previous night´s boxing match.
5. Why did Vince leave his gun on the counter at Butch´s apartment when he went to the bathroom ?
Quite simply, he didn´t, the gun belonged to Marsellus. Vince was clearly with somebody else at the apartment as he didn´t react when Butch came in, thinking it was his partner. Jules had given up the life by this point and Marsellus was probably filling in on this job. For further evidence look at the scene where Butch runs Marsellus over: the "big man" is carrying two cups and as he is near to Butch´s apartment, we can assume he is Vince´s partner.
6. Why are Honey Bunny´s lines different from the beggining of the film and at the end ?
A lot of people seem to think it is a mistake. My opinion is that Tarantino was showing us the difference between perceptions of different people in the diner, the second time being Jules´perception. It makes little sense for Tarantino to shoot the scene twice, unless there was a reason.
7. What was Winston Wolf during in a tuxedo at 8.30 in the morning? Where was he ?
The script explains that Winston was in a hotel suite where people were gambling. If you listen closely, you can hear someone in the room telling the gamblers to "place their bets".
8. What was the book that Vince was reading on the toilet ?
"Modesty Blaise", a pulpy novel written by Peter O´Donnell in 1965, which is very keeping with the film´s title.
9. How does a guy like Jimmy know a gangster like Jules ? Why does Jules refer to him as "his partner" ?
Quentin has said in an interview (Premiere) that Jimmy used to work for Marsellus, but when he married Bonnie she made him quit, and Jules respects that.
10. Who was Marvin and why did Jules and Vince take him with them?
I think we can assume that Marvin also works for Marsellus, as Vince refers to ´our guy´ before they go up to the apartment.
11. TRIVIA
a)During the opening scene you can see the bottom half of Vince as he makes his way to the bathroom. Look out for his book, t-shirt, and ´strut´.
b)The Buddy Holly waiter in Jack Rabbit Slims is played by Steve Buscemi who as Mr. Pink in "Reservoir Dogs" refused to tip waitresses.
c)When Butch is sneaking yp to his apartment, there is an advert for Jack Rabbit Slims on the radio.
d)Lawrence Bender plays the ´long haired yuppy scum´ in the restaurant hold up.
e)The guy who comes out of the bathroom is played by Alexis Arquette, who is brother of Rosanna, Patricia and David.