Protagonist

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I haven’t read the whole forums.



Does anyone think that there are any protagonists in the movie at all? Now I know there are at least 3 stories, and each of them has their own main character, but are any of these main characters positive at all? I mean, Jules and Vincent are fucking FUNNY as all hell, and Vincent is really cool(and he can dance), but face it: they’re talking about burgers, then murdering three guys in the same scene; and Vincent is a smackhead, and no one likes a smackhead (except a smack dealer). They’re fucking murdering sociopaths who have obviously taken occupational theropy, and ended up as hitmen/oddjob doers.



Mia (although she doesn’t really have her own story, is definately a main character), is a cokehead tease, who is dating a completely immoral, violent, mob boss. She is pretty cool though.



Butch is the only person who has a chance at being a protagonist. He doesn’t throw away his pride and act like a prick and throw the fight. He does, still: keep the bribe, beat the other dude to death; Kill vincent, and then smile about it and turn on the radio; almost kill Marsellus while smiling and saying, “Big Boy.” By slashing Maynard, we accept that he is not only rightfully killing one messed up dude, but is also redeeming himself by saving Marsellus.



This story is full of anti-Heroes, no?



The auxilaries are definately not positive characters: Marsellus; Jimmy(who is revealed to be Jules’ ex-partner, working for marsellus); Bret, “Flock Of Seagulls”, and “the Fourth Guy” aren’t very moral, or smart, but maybe not that evil (unless you accept the theory that they are the devils helper in stealing Marsellus’ soul); Pumpkin(Ringo) and Honey-Bunny are dimestore robbers, and although we know they wouldn’t kill anyone, aren’t that great.



Does anyone see any other possible protagonists, or feel that these guys are good heroes?



This thread is definately an argumentative thread, so feel free to say why you disagree. Just know, flamers usually suck. Unless they’re classy.

I don’t quite get your argument. I mean, where does it say a film has to have a clear protagonist? this is an ensemble movie…

I’d say it’s Vince. Who else appears in EVERY SINGLE PART? And after what Vincent tells and does we can track the timeline. And in the opening credits, Travolta’s name appears first.

A leading actor, character, or participant in a literary work or real event.



I’d say Vincent, Jules and Butch.

I think he meant is there a good guy in the movie? The answer is no, but it’s a gangster movie, a movie about bad guys basically.

so what if there’s no “good guys” there’s no “good guys” or “bad guys” in real life anyway. it still a brillant film even if there’s no “good guys” look at the godfather that has no “good guys” in that film its still brillant if your hung up on “good guys” and “bad guys” go and watch something else dont go dissing pulp fiction becuase it hasn’t got any “good guys” and so what if there not “good guys” there still alot cooler than you

Yea, it makes their charcters have more deminion then limited to good and bad roles. Im working on a script, and my good guy shoots rapists in the knee caps and kidnaps and beats unsuspecting losers. So what? Hes not “Good.” Hes not “Bad.” Charcters that tend to cling to those roles tend to boring and predictable.

Maybe predictable but not necassarily boring. Just look at the old movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Casablanca or Ikiru. They were squeaky clean compared to most charectures nowadays, but they were awesome films. Everyone likes to see good win when they should. ;D Why must every protagonist have visibles flaws now? The only films with clear cut good guys seem to be ones where they carry guns. :-</E>



And how does shooting rapists in the kneecaps not make him a good guy? :police:

[quote=“WeaselCo”]
And how does shooting rapists in the kneecaps not make him a good guy? :police:
[/quote]

Thats what the vigitalante side of my feels lime sometimes :wink:

yeh there are alot of good films with “good guys” and “bad guys” and there good films. But PF doesn’t need either and its still brillant.

Vincent, Butch, and Jules are all protagonists in their own stories. What you mean is: are there any good guys? Not really.



Pulp Fiction is in the crime genre, with a capital ‘C’. Traditionally, robbers, hitmen, and gangsters are bad guys. James Cagney always got it in the end. That’s the crime genre. Criminals get what’s coming to them. On a side note, I think Tarantino works very much in the old vein. He isn’t morally ambivalent, as so many people seem to think. His stories are basically morality plays.

good point

no i think there were no protagoinast in the movie pulp fiction. i think that they were all antaginst

i think that in all of quentain tarantinos there is only one good charcter and that is beatrix kiddo in kill bill 1&2.

This is actually the massege of Pulp Fiction. There are no good guys and bad guys. They are all people, trying to live in a cruel world and Quentin shows us that by showing us diffrent storys from diffrent characters point of view.

[quote=“killerinstinct”]
i think that in all of quentain tarantinos there is only one good charcter and that is beatrix kiddo in kill bill 1&2.
[/quote]

You honestly think that a woman that killed many people (probably more than 100) for money is a good character? And murdering some1 for revenge is still murder… not to tell she cut her way through the crazy 88 who did nothing to her. (ok she just defended herself at this one but meh i def wouldnt call her good)

[quote=“Larry”]
You honestly think that a woman that killed many people (probably more than 100) for money is a good character? And murdering some1 for revenge is still murder… not to tell she cut her way through the crazy 88 who did nothing to her. (ok she just defended herself at this one but meh i def wouldnt call her good)
[/quote]

Jules is probably the only realy good guy. He was evil but changed to the better.