5. Pulp Fiction (1994)

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.

Directed:

Quentin Tarantino

Produced:

Lawrence Bender

Written:

Quentin Tarantino

Story:

Quentin Tarantino
Roger Avary

Cast:

John Travolta
Samuel L. Jackson
Uma Thurman
Harvey Keitel
Tim Roth
Amanda Plummer
Maria de Medeiros
Ving Rhames
Eric Stoltz
Rosanna Arquette
Christopher Walken
Bruce Willis

Review:

"Prologue—The Diner"

A couple, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, decide to rob the diner where they are drinking.
Prelude to "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"

Hitmen Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are on their way to retrieve a briefcase from Brett, who has transgressed against their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace. Vincent says Marsellus has asked him to escort his wife while Marsellus is out of town. They arrive at Brett's place, where they confront him and two of his associates over the briefcase. Vincent finds the briefcase and Jules shoots one of Brett's associates, then delivers a passage from the Bible before executing Brett with Vincent.
"Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"

The "famous dance scene":[12] Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) do the twist at Jack Rabbit Slim's.

Aging champion boxer Butch Coolidge accepts a large sum of money from Marsellus after agreeing to take a dive in his upcoming match. Vincent and Jules arrive to deliver the briefcase. The next day, Vincent purchases heroin from his drug dealer Lance. He shoots up before driving to meet Mrs. Mia Wallace.

They head to a 1950s-themed restaurant and participate in a twist contest, then return to the Wallace house with the trophy. While Vincent is in the bathroom, Mia finds his heroin, mistakes it for cocaine, snorts it and overdoses. Vincent rushes her to Lance's house for help. They administer an adrenaline shot to Mia's heart, reviving her.
Prelude to "The Gold Watch"

Butch recalls a visit from Vietnam veteran Captain Koons in his youth. Koons brought a gold watch passed down through three generations of Coolidge men since World War I; at the dying request of Coolidge's father, Koons hid the watch in his rectum for two years to deliver it to Butch.

"The Gold Watch"

Butch flees the arena, having double-crossed Marsellus and won the bout. The next morning, at the motel where he and his girlfriend Fabienne are lying low, Butch discovers she has forgotten to pack his father's watch and flies into a rage. He returns to his apartment, retrieves the watch, and notices a gun on the kitchen counter. Hearing the toilet flush, Butch shoots Vincent dead after he exits the bathroom.

As Butch waits at a traffic light in his car, Marsellus walks by and recognizes him. Marsellus chases him into a pawnshop. The owner, Maynard, captures them at gunpoint and ties them up in a basement. Maynard is joined by Zed, a security guard; they take Marsellus to another room to rape him, leaving a silent figure in a bondage suit, "the gimp", to watch Butch.

Butch breaks loose and knocks out the gimp. He is about to flee, but decides to save Marsellus. As Zed is raping Marsellus, Butch kills Maynard with a katana. Marsellus retrieves Maynard's shotgun and shoots Zed, promising to torture Zed to death as he survives the gunshot. Marsellus informs Butch that they are even, so long as he never tells anyone about the rape and departs Los Angeles forever. Butch returns to pick up Fabienne on Zed's chopper.

"The Bonnie Situation"

After Vincent and Jules execute Brett, another man bursts out of the bathroom and shoots wildly, missing every time; Jules and Vincent shoot him. Jules decides their lucky escape was a miracle, which Vincent disputes.

As they drive, Vincent accidentally shoots one of Brett's associates in the face. They hide the car at the home of their associate Jimmie, who insists they deal with the problem before his wife Bonnie comes home. Marsellus sends his cleaner, Winston Wolfe, who orders Jules and Vincent to clean the car, hide the body in the trunk, and dispose of their bloody clothes. They drive the car to a junk yard and Jules and Vincent decide to get breakfast.

"Epilogue—The Diner"

In the diner, Jules tells Vincent he plans to retire from his life of crime, on account of their apparently miraculous survival from the previous story. While Vincent is in the bathroom, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny hold up the restaurant. Jules holds Pumpkin at gunpoint. Honey Bunny becomes hysterical and trains her gun on Jules; Vincent returns with his gun trained on her. Jules recites the biblical passage, expresses ambivalence about his life of crime, and allows the robbers to take the cash and leave. Jules and Vincent leave the diner with the briefcase.