The briefcase topic

so there’s also a bit of a discussion at “pulp fiction is about food”, but i guess every tarantino forum has this topic. so what are you thinking about the suitcase?



quentin tarantino himself said, it’s nothing but a lamp and a battery… but what does it mean?

is it the suitcase from REPOMAN?

Somebody said that its the dwarf ( man from other place) from Twin Peaks in the suitcase. i guess it was a joke.

There’s always the theory about the soul of Marceluos Wallace which was taken from the back of his head.

Most likely it was gold.

Maybe it was an Oscar stattuet like some people say.

I dont know. Very smart move from Tarantino not to let the audience know what was in the suitcase. A very contreversial theme it has been.



J.W.

Im not sure about this and my memory maybe dont serve me correctly but when they leave the apartment after killing those suckas nobody has the suitcase. I know that it was just a mistake IF it even happened. Oh shit, i almost forgot that they say the same thing about Dogs.

I think its Marcellus’ soul. The devil took his soul and put it in a briefcase, thats why when Vincent opens the case, the numbers 666 are the unlocking code. Brett, “Flock of Seagulls” and “Seinfeld” are the devils helpers.


  • It is said when The Devil takes a persons soul, he takes it from the back of the neck. Thats why Marcellus has the band aid on it.


  • When the fourth guy tries to shoot Jules and Vincent all 6 bullets miss them. They experienced Divine Intervention. Why? Because they were saving a soul (Marcellus’).


  • Before killing Brett, Jules recites the passage from the Bible, another reference to God being part of the story.


  • Whenever the briefcase is opened, the person looking in it becomes transfixed or mesmerized by it. Vincent opens it, and then at the end of the film Pumpkin aka Ringo says “its the most beautiful thing Ive ever seen”. Whats more beautiful than a persons soul?


  • At the end of the film, Jules decides to quit being a hitman for Marcellus and lead a life of peace. Vincent thinks hes full of shit. Then later, he is killed by Butch. Vincent didnt believe in the Divine Intervention, so, he got killed for it.

I’ve heard this debate for many years… the suitcase works best as a device for letting fans of the movies imaginations for what is in it run wild.



There was speculation at one point that it was a nod to the suitcase from the 50’s movie Kiss Me Deadly… but QT said he hadn’t seen that movie until well after have making Pulp Fiction.



There was also a couple of interviews pre the release of Pulp Fiction way back where QT joked about putting some comic book in a suitcase that no one would ever figure out… which QT was only joking about… I can’t remember the exact comic being mentioned though I gathered it was sorta like the holy grail of comic books.



Its pretty damn awesome though that QT setup the suitcase like he did in Pulp Fiction and never attempt to explain it… just remains a very cool element and point of discussion in a very cool movie. I like movies that leave some mystery… a movie shouldn’t explain every single aspect of itself… should give the audience some stuff to figure out on their own so that it doesn’t work on just one level.

I find it hard to believe that over all the years of watching movies, QT never saw Kiss Me Deadly, but I guess we have to take his word for it.



Hitchcock came up with the phrase “McGuffin”. Which is something that moves the story along, but has no concrete connection to the story itself. Like the money that Marion Crane steals in Psycho. You can even see QTs homage to Psycho in PF when Marcellus is crossing the street and he spots Butch. The same thing happens to Marion Crane in Psycho, only her boss is the one crossing the street.



I really like the way it remains open to speculation. Its yet another awesome aspect of the film.

No where in the Bible does it say the soul is extracted from the back of the neck, then put in a briefcase, that happens to have the combo : 666.



It’s simply an Urban Legend brought up by this topic. Someone asked, and the guy replied, “Maybe it’s a soul!”



I’m sure a lot of people have come to that, but I bet only one person was brillant enought to come up with such a STUPID conclusion of it being a soul…you can’t see a soul…



A soul isi that thing that looks like you, but is transparent, and floats to Heaven from your body when you die…heh heh.

I think its Marcellus’ soul, I think its a cool idea too. So sue me :slight_smile: Until I hear a better theory about whats in the suitcase Im sticking with that one.

I had heard that originally, it was going to be the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs but later QT decided to leave the contents to the viewers own imagination.

I remember reading an interview or something where Ving Rhames said that the scar on the back of his head was real and rather recent, and he just slapped a band aid on it for the shoot.

A man’s soul? Diamonds from a heist gone bloody? A reference to Aldrich’s scathing neo-'50s noir bomb? Or just a postmodern version of Hitchcock’s McGuffin? The suitcase is just one of the tantalizingly ambiguous dark jewels encrusted throughout “Pulp Fiction,” in my opinion THE movie of the 1990s. That’s why I think it’s a good idea not to have Tarantino do a commentary for the DVD version – do you really want every detail explained away? Imagine Bunuel doing a commentary for “That Obscure Object of Desire” or David Lynch doing it for "Mulholland Dr."



BTW, as a huge fan of Tarantino and his work, I decided to join the forum and test the waters. Hope to hear from you guys, and yes, I cannot wait for “Kill Bill.” ;D

I think the top 3 three things QT gets asked is… can I take my pic with you… can I have your autograph… and what the hell was in that briefcase.



Being around QT for a couple of film fests I can safely say this.



The answer to 1&2 has always been a basic no…



The answer to briefcase is… its up to your imagination.



As such it works best as the McGuffin used by famously Hitchcock.

welcome to the board, Captain Koons!!!

Speaking of the glowing contents I was watching Repo Man yesterday. Its been one of my favorite movies for a long time. Its pure cult film fun. I noticed that a camera shot in Repo Man look similar to a shot QT used in Reservoir Dogs. Theres one shot in Res Dogs that reminded me of Repo Man, its the shot when Nice Guy Eddie and the guys are talking about E Lois and the camera is outside on Mr Whites side as theyre driving and in Repo Man theres a shot thats exactly the same and Otto and Bud are driving in the car. I know it sounds minor, but watch both films and see if you can tell what Im talkin about.



Some of my favorite lines from the movie/ special TV version where the swearing is dubbed with hilarious stuff like:



“Flip you melonfarmer”



“Shove Off Pervert”



“Doesnt mean zilch”



"Holy sheep dip"



The dialogue is great too, stuff like :



"I KILL people like YOU!"



Debbie : "Lets go do some crimes"

Duke : "Yeah lets go get sushi… and not pay!"



Layla: "Nice friends Otto"

Otto: “Thanks I made them myself”



“Theres a nice Del Taco across the street they got enchiritos and everything”



"Get the lead out!!"



Duke : "Society made me what I am"

Otto: “Bullshit, your a white suburban punk just like me”



"The life of a Repo Man is always intense"



The whole movie is alot of fun, if anyone hasnt seen it, check it out. 8)

[quote]I find it hard to believe that over all the years of watching movies, QT never saw Kiss Me Deadly, but I guess we have to take his word for it.



Hitchcock came up with the phrase “McGuffin”. Which is something that moves the story along, but has no concrete connection to the story itself. Like the money that Marion Crane steals in Psycho.  You can even see QTs homage to Psycho in PF when Marcellus is crossing the street and he spots Butch. The same thing happens to Marion Crane in Psycho, only her boss is the one crossing the street.



I really like the way it remains open to speculation. Its yet another awesome aspect of the film.[/quote]

I think you hit the nail on the head, you have the same interpretation as I do. I think there is something up with almost every character getting a “second chance.” Uma, Willis, Travolta, Jackson, and Rhames all get this close to death and escape. Vega thinks it is just dumb luck and pays for it.

That post was not about characters getting a second chance. It was about the part the briefcase played in the film.

Ladies and Gentlemen. I’m really glad that we all love

this classic motion picture with passion.



But why does everyone want to know what’s in the

briefcase?



Pulp Fiction is an absolute masterpiece. Every scene.

Every moment. Every second.



Quentin Tarantino has stunned all of us by not showing

us the content(s) of the briefcase. And by doing so he

has only made our viewing experience much much

BETTER.

Hasn’t anyone seen MIB II???



It’s got a one hell of a funny opening sequence which brilliantly explains the contents of the suitcase…



It’s the light of Zathra!



You gotta see this scene. A couple of aliens come to earth to give the MIB’s the light of Zathra, so that they can protect it.



And one of the MIB’s is a black dude with a afro, holding a suitcase!



Love that one!

Correction: it’s Zartha. Sorry for the inconvenience.