Pulp Fiction. The film "Pulp Fiction": actors and roles

The model, who managed to become the star of one of the best films of all time, who became the muse of one of the most famous directors in the world, today easily retains the title of one of the most bright stars Hollywood.

Uma Thurman's childhood. Not quite an ordinary family

Uma Karuna Thurman was born on April 29, 1970. big city Boston. Her parents, frankly speaking, were quite famous personalities themselves. Uma's mother, Brigitte von Schlebrugge, had Swedish and German roots. In the 60s, she was, at that time, very famous. Arriving in America, Bridget immediately joined the hippie movement, even managing to be married to Timothy Leary, a famous counterculture ideologist who studied the effects of psychedelic drugs on the psyche. By the way, Salvador Dali himself introduced the couple.

Uma's dad is an even more unique person. In the sixties he became a Buddhist monk. Robert became the first US native in history to take such a step. The 14th Dalai Lama, named Tenzin Gyatso, became his good friend. They spent a lot of time side by side, tirelessly praying and meditating in the high mountains of Tibet.

3 years later, Robert left the monastery, returning to ordinary life. Having taken a job as a college teacher, he retained within himself a Buddhist inclination towards clear contemplation and Eastern philosophy. The eccentric professor, of course, raised his children in the same spirit. That is, Uma grew up in an atmosphere of Buddhism.

This is interesting: Later, Uma Thurman admitted that it was Buddhism that made her who she is, determining her attitude towards the world. Uma likes all religions, but only partially. A little from one, a little from the other - but none of them completely suits the actress.

Uma is the eldest child. Later, three brothers appeared, in addition, Robert Thurman also had a daughter from his first marriage. Ganden, Denchen, Mipam are the names of the sons, Taya are the names of the daughters. All of them are Tibetan and carry a hidden meaning.

This is interesting: The name "Uma" means "bliss giver." By the way, for a long time the girl was terribly embarrassed by her own name, it was so unusual in America. The future often called herself Karen.

Acting in plays helped overcome hatred of one's appearance

During Uma’s school years, the family used to leave the United States and go to India, communicating with local gurus there. The invited guest was the same Dalai Lama. It is not difficult to guess that family relationships were imbued with the spirit of Eastern philosophy.

Uma's childhood was marked, to put it mildly, by dislike for her appearance. The girl in the class was head and shoulders above even the boys, suffered from excessive shyness and considered herself ugly, clumsy and strange.

At the age of 10, a good family friend suggested that Uma do it on her too long nose. But even with a shortened nose, Thurman liked herself as before. No way, that is. Thin, awkward, terribly shy. By the age of 14, her height had exceeded 180 cm (now her height is 183 cm), and her weight did not reach 50 kg. What’s even worse is that Uma changed schools more than once, so she always remained in the status of a “new girl,” which made her suffering even worse. Studying in the eighth grade, Uma decides to take part in a standard school theatrical production

. Quite unexpectedly, she discovers that the solution to her dissatisfaction with herself is to transform herself into someone else. On stage, Thurman transformed, miraculously getting rid of the slightest shyness. The girl began to feel infinitely free and liberated. At the same time, her game became better and better.

To New York, for a dream. Young fashion model

Growing up, Uma changed a lot in just one year. At 15, she dropped out of school without finishing it, packed her suitcase, and decided to conquer the big world. Surprisingly, having no money, she moved to New York. Uma was determined to become a model. And then - an actress. Despite this, she still considered herself scary.

The first few months, while the girl was visiting modeling agencies, she had a hard time: in order to somehow survive, she even worked as a dishwasher in a cheap eatery. Fortunately, the torment did not last long. Click Models very quickly signed a contract with Uma. After another couple of weeks, the girl got a personal agent. This is interesting: In 1985, some six months after moving penniless, young Uma

managed to get on the covers of very famous publications. Among them are Glamor and Vogue. Quite an unexpected turn, you will agree. A few months later, Thurman was.

Thoughts about an acting career did not leave her, and now, less than two and a half years after her arrival, the producer of a film company called “Beast of Eden Pictures” invites the seventeen-year-old model to star in the low-budget thriller “Kiss Daddy Goodnight” (1987). That's when Uma made her film debut.

As, in principle, befits a debut, this film turned out to be completely unremarkable. Of course, this was just the beginning. Feeling an increased taste for acting life Without hesitation, Uma accepts another offer - this time from a well-known company called Orion Pictures. She made such blockbusters as “Terminator”, “RoboCop”. Let the youth comedy with interesting name“Johnny Be Good” did not gain critical acclaim, but this project (where a very young Robert Downey Jr. played alongside Uma) was a solid addition to the acting resume of the aspiring actress.

At the age of 18, Uma easily got into the chic historical melodrama “Dangerous Liaisons”, where John Malkovich himself, Michelle Pfeiffer and others played. The film received 3 Academy Awards. Having successfully played the role of the beautiful Cecile De Volanges, Thurman could consider herself a rising star - the audience was clearly delighted. Moreover, both from the appearance and from the performance of the actress.

Malkovich, after collaborating with Uma, claimed that he had never met a person “of such intelligence and inner maturity.” This despite the fact that our heroine was not even twenty then. Upbringing clearly made itself felt.

Sex symbol for intellectuals

Towards the end of the 80s, Uma was almost whole year flies to London, and immediately upon returning home he stars in the tragic comedy “Home is where the heart is.” Much more noticeable was the role of the beautiful June Miller in the infamous drama by Philip Kaufman called “Henry and June.” The erotic scenes here were so explicit that the film received the label NC-17 (age rating 17+) when it was released. The same rating is assigned, for example, to pornography... It is precisely for this reason that the film was never released into wide release. However, by that time this picture was rated highest by critics. From this film, Uma’s reputation as such an “intellectual” was firmly established.

This is interesting: Uma is sure that sexuality has always been the most important component of art. An actor who wants to accurately portray a particular character must take into account that sexuality is perhaps the most essential part of the image.

The best films. "Pulp Fiction"

« Pulp Fiction“- Uma’s most powerful breakthrough as an actress to the very top. Quentin Tarantino broke through there with her. It is rightly believed that this picture is immortal for all time. After the “reading book” is released, the names of everyone involved in its creation will forever remain in history. And Thurman became recognizable to millions of viewers thanks to the inimitable Mia Wallace, who snorted Vincent’s heroin and then was stabbed in the heart with a syringe of adrenaline. And what about her inimitable dance with John Travolta - probably the most famous moment of the film.

Such roles are immortal. In 1995, Uma was nominated for an Oscar. After filming, she became very close to the eccentric Quentin Tarantino (despite this, to this day there is not a single confirmation of whether there is an affair between them.

Uma Thurman and John Travolta dance in the movie "Pulp Fiction"

She had an unsurpassed understanding with Tarantino on the set - both understood each other almost without words. Tarantino had endless faith in Uma and largely gave her the opportunity to create the character of the heroine herself.

Speaking on this, Uma says that it can be very difficult when you are sure that a character should look like this, but you are forced to show it to others. She had similar frictions with directors more than once. Therefore, it is very important to work with people you like - otherwise, according to Thurman, sooner or later you will want to grab someone's hair. Or even in the throat.

"Kill Bill"

And at the beginning of the two thousandth came Quentin, the plot of which was thought out by the director together with Thurman while working together on “Pulp Fiction.” The film was called "Kill Bill". A remarkable moment: work on the film was in full swing, but suddenly it turned out that Uma was pregnant. Since Quentin categorically refused to hire another actress, he simply curtailed all work on this project for one year in order to wait for the moment when his favorite could start filming again...

By the way, the filming was not at all easy: it took place in five countries at once, and Uma had to master martial arts exceptionally well. The actress trained diligently for three months, learning various fighting techniques and the intricacies of fencing with Japanese swords. The success was unconditional - immediately after its release the film became a cult classic, and critics embraced it with open arms. Many of them noted that only a few such stylish and confident films were produced. The sequel, Kill Bill 2, released a year later, consolidated the success of the previous film. For both of these films, Thurman was nominated for the most prestigious award - the Golden Globe. (In addition, she earned about 25 million). Like Pulp Fiction, each of the parts of Kill Bill are Uma's best films.

Personal life of Uma Thurman

In 1989, then nineteen-year-old Uma met English film actor Gary Oldman during the filming of State of Frenzy. Subsequently, the couple began a fairly close relationship. They got married in 1990. Unfortunately, Gary was a terrible husband: constantly getting drunk and cheating on his wife with everyone, he certainly did not help strengthen their relationship. It is not surprising that some 2 years after the wedding, Thurman left Oldman.

For several years she enjoyed freedom, sometimes having minor affairs with Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, as well as legendary musicians from Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones– Robert Plant and Mick Jagger respectively. Everything changed in 1998. Uma became close to Ethan Hawke on the set of the film “Gattaca”. The reason for marrying him was. Uma did not hide this. In 1998, a girl, Maya, was born, and at the beginning of 2002, a boy, Levon Greene, was born.

This is interesting: Uma says that before the birth of the child, she was absolutely sure that she knew herself thoroughly and understood where the boundaries of her heart were. But to realize that love can be truly limitless... It was an indescribable feeling.

Unfortunately, in 2003 the couple separated. In 2007, Uma began a relationship with banker Arpad Busson. They were even engaged, but broke up in 2009 without explaining the reasons.

• The girl's name was given in honor of the goddess of light and beauty from Indian mythology.
• Uma was named by Empire magazine as one of the sexiest stars of all time.
• Thurman's ex-husband, Eaton Hawke, dedicated an entire book to her.
• Uma is a favorite. He calls her his muse.

• A popular song is named after Uma Russian group Uma2rmaH.
• Like other Hollywood stars, Uma pays a lot of attention to charity. She happens to be permanent member an organization called A Place on Earth, which aims to support American orphans. In 2007, Uma, together with the famous actor Kevin Spacey, organized a large-scale a charity concert in Oslo on the occasion of the anniversary Nobel Prize peace.
• Uma renders financial assistance Tibetan monks.
• At the last moment, the contract according to which Uma was supposed to play Arwen in the first part of “The Lord of the Rings” was canceled.
• Since the age of 11, Thurman has given up meat products; she is a convinced vegetarian.
• Uma Thurman's shoe size is 42.

The film “Pulp Fiction” has become a cult black comedy of American cinema and one of the director’s famous works. The tape was released in 1994. Tarantino also had a hand in the original script, for which the film was awarded an Oscar.

The music in the trailer and the film, so easily recognized by fans and simply film lovers, was not written specifically for the film. The soundtrack was composed of compositions by various artists in the genres of rock and roll and surf rock.

The film is divided into stills and quotes. The audience especially remembered the flowery, albeit poorly censored, dialogues of Jules and Vincent about the peculiarities of national cuisines: “Hamburgers! The cornerstone of healthy eating."

Samuel L. Jackson (Jules Winnfield)

Jules Winnfield is a bandit in the employ of crime boss Marcellus Wallace and a Bible scholar. Together with his partner Vincent Vega, he goes to pick up a suitcase belonging to the boss from other bandits. A simple assignment turns into a shootout, after which Jules, who miraculously survived, makes a firm decision to quit his career as a criminal.

She has been working with director Quentin Tarantino for many years. After his debut in “Pulp Fiction,” the actor appeared in Tarantino’s drama “Jackie Brown” (1997), the spaghetti western “Django Unchained” (2012) and another western, “The Hateful Eight,” which was released in wide release in 2016. For his work in Pulp Fiction, Jackson received a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for an Oscar.

Viewers of the 2010s know Jackson primarily for his role as Nick Fury, a Marvel comics hero, in whose image the actor appeared in the films of the series “ iron Man", " ", "The Avengers". In 2018 and 2019, fans of the Marvel universe will see the actor as Fury in the films “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Captain Marvel.”

John Travolta (Vincent Vega)

Vincent Vega is Jules' partner, and together with him he participates in the ups and downs around the suitcase. After the task, on behalf of the boss, he goes to “walk” his wife, Mia. The "outing" turns into disaster when Mia, mistakenly mistaking heroin for cocaine, almost dies from an overdose.

American film actor with Italian roots. He first became known to the public in 1978 after the release of the cult musical film “Grease”, where he played main role. Travolta's career took its next turn upward after the release of Pulp Fiction in 1994. The 80s became a time of decline for the actor, but after his role in the film by Quentin Tarantino, Travolta’s business began to improve again. Travolta is also known as a writer, film producer, dancer and singer. In the musical Grease, Travolta performs several songs that became super hits of their time.

Bruce Willis (Butch Coolidge)

Butch Coolidge is a professional boxer. He agreed to lose the match, taking money for the contractual loss, but he violates the terms and wins the fight, having previously bet all the money received from the bandits on himself. Fabian plans to flee with his money and girlfriend, but events take an unexpected turn.

One of famous actors Hollywood. He became famous primarily thanks to the Die Hard film series, where he played the role of police officer John McClane. Last film The series was released in 2013, but this is not the end - viewers will see Willis in the role of McClane in 2019 in the film Die Hard: Year One. Willis is so widely known that he has now made at least six cameo appearances in different films - that is, as himself. For example, in the film "Ocean's Twelve" (2004).

Uma Thurman (Mia Wallace)

Mia Wallace is the wife of a crime boss. Goes for a walk with Vincent Vega to the Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant, where the heroes perform a twist to the single “You Never Can Tell” and win for dancing Grand Prize. After the “walk” he goes home to Vincent Vega, and from there he almost goes to his forefathers, having mistakenly taken a large dose of the drug.

The role of Mia in “Pulp Fiction” first brought her fame. For this role, the actress was nominated for three prestigious film awards - Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA. Thurman's photo on the film's poster becomes one of the most recognizable images of the actress. In 2003 and 2004, Thurman again appeared on screens in Quentin Tarantino's films - in the Kill Bill series, where he played the main role. And in 2014, the erotic drama “Nymphomaniac” was released, where Thurman plays one of minor roles. The collaboration with Trier continues; the actress will appear on screens in his film “The House That Jack Built” in 2018.

Tim Roth ("Pumpkin" Ringo)

Ringo is a petty robber who, together with his girlfriend Yolanda, robs a diner where he had just had coffee. Jules and Vincent end up in the same cafe, allowing a couple of robbers to get away with their loot.

He firmly joined the team of director Quentin Tarantino and played his best roles in the latter’s films - “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), “Pulp Fiction”, “The Hateful Eight” (2016) and in the black comedy “Four Rooms”, where Tarantino was one of four directors who participated in the filming (each filmed his own episode). Art house fans are familiar with Tim Roth for his role as Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, as well as for Peter Greenaway's drama The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989).

Amanda Plummer (“Sweet Bunny” Yolanda)

Yolanda, Ringo's girlfriend, robs with him the cafe where Jules and Vincent are having breakfast, discussing the former's desire to leave the criminal world.

The role in “Pulp Fiction” became one of the most famous in the actress’s career. In 1991, Amanda Plummer appeared on the screens in Terry Gilliam's film "The Fisher King", built around one of the legends of the Arthurian cycle. The film received high marks from critics and collected many awards (Oscar, Golden Globe, Venice Film Festival awards). To date, Amanda's last film work was her role in the fantasy thriller The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

Harvey Keitel (Winston "The Cleaner" Wolfe)

Winston Wolfe, nicknamed “The Cleaner,” helps Jules and Vincent clean up themselves and the inside of the car, where one of them smashed a man’s head. Wolfe then takes the car, along with the body in the trunk, to a car scrap yard.

Harvey Keitel's film career began in 1967 with the film Who's Knocking at My Door? The film became the debut for both the actor and the director, with whom he later collaborated closely. Harvey played in Scorsese's tragicomedy Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), the crime drama Mean Streets (1972), the neo-noir thriller Taxi Driver (1976), and in the film The Last Temptation (1988), where Keitel played Judas Iscariot - and these roles brought fame to the actor. The 78-year-old actor continues to act and does not take long breaks in his career. In 2017, viewers saw him in French comedy"Madam."

Maria de Medeiros (Fabian)

Fabian is the girlfriend of Butch Coolidge, a boxer. She had to pack her things in her rented apartment, but forgot her gold watch, Butch’s family heirloom. The hero was forced to return for them, and this entailed a chain of unexpected and unpredictable events.

Maria de Medeiros is an actress from Portugal who has also worked as a film director, screenwriter and singer. At the age of fifteen she acted in films for the first time. Plays on theater stage in France (where he lives). In 2007 she recorded music album. As a film actress, she is known mainly to European audiences. She starred in French, Portuguese, Spanish films. In the USA, in addition to Tarantino, she worked with director Philip Kaufman (melodrama Henry and June, 1990).

The film "Pulp Fiction" - official trailer (video):

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Plot

Following on from Tarantino's previous film Reservoir Dogs, parts of the plot "Pulp Fiction" were separated, mixed up and shown in the “wrong” order; a technique previously used by directors of the French New Wave, in particular Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, as well as Stanley Kubrick in The Killing.

In total, there are six parts in the script, and three of them have original titles: “Vincent Vega and the Wife of Marsellus Wallace” ( Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace's Wife), "Golden Watch" ( The Gold Watch) and "The Bonnie Situation" ( The Bonnie Situation).

The first and last parts (Robbery) intersect in time and take place in the same place. Two chronologically sequential parts (“Vincent Vega and the Wife of Marcellus Wallace” and “The Golden Watch”) are also shown one after the other.

Vincent and Jules

Vincent buys a bag of heroin from his old drug dealer Lance, injects himself intravenously, and goes after Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). They go to the Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant, where Mia snorts cocaine in the toilet, after which she and Vincent perform a twist to Chuck Berry's single "You Never Can Tell" and win the grand prize. Vincent takes Mia home, where she overdoses after mistaking his bag of heroin for cocaine.

Horrified by the possible consequences, Vincent takes Mia to Lance, where, following instructions from a manual for nurses, he tries to bring the lifeless girl back to life using a direct injection of adrenaline into the heart. Mia immediately comes to her senses, after which Vincent takes her home. Having agreed that Marcellus will not learn anything about this situation, they part.

"Golden Watch"

The story of professional boxer Butch Coolidge begins with a childhood dream in which his father's army comrade, Captain Koons (Christopher Walken), gives him his family's heirloom, a gold watch. During a lengthy monologue, it turns out that while in Vietnamese captivity, Butch’s father hid the watch “in his ass” for five years so that it would not be taken away. And after his death, Koons hid them in his for another two years.

Waking up, Butch finds himself forced to participate in a fixed match, in which he was paid by Marcelas Wallace to lose. However, Butch violates the agreement by betting the money received from Wallace on himself through a trusted bookmaker, knocks out his opponent (later it turns out that he died; the fight itself is not shown) and escapes by taxi, where he tells the girl driver for a cigarette about his feelings about the death of a man from his hands. Butch does not consider himself a killer, since he was just fighting in the ring and did not intend to kill anyone.

Waiting for him at the motel is his girlfriend, Fabian (Maria de Medeiros), who was supposed to collect things from their rented apartment. The next morning, it turns out that in her haste she forgot Butch's family gold watch, and he has to return for it in Fabian's car. He carefully enters the apartment, finding no one there, takes the watch and, having already calmed down, begins to prepare himself toast for breakfast. Suddenly he realizes that he calmed down too early - on the table in the kitchen there is an Ingram MAC-10 submachine gun with a silencer, and it means that the killers waiting for him are somewhere very close. The only place he hasn't had time to look yet is the toilet. Butch takes the weapon in his hands and points it towards the bathroom, from where the sound of water being flushed can be heard. The toilet door opens to reveal Vincent Vega. Seeing Butch pointing a formidable weapon at him, Vega also freezes, amazed by the current situation. The still, silent scene lasts several seconds when the sudden click of the toaster fires leads to an instant climax: the on edge Butch reflexively fires a long burst at Vince. And again, this cannot be called premeditated murder: Butch clearly did not intend to kill him. Stunned by this state of affairs, Butch goes to the exit, not forgetting, however, to carefully erase his fingerprints from the weapon.

Butch leaves the apartment and goes to the hotel in Fabian's car. Stopped at a red light good mood, he suddenly sees Marcelas, who, while crossing the road, notices Butch in the car. In a panic, Butch sharply presses on the gas, hits Wallace with a car and, jumping out into the intersection at a red light, gets into an accident. Having come to his senses, an enraged Marcelas grabs a pistol and begins to shoot at Butch, wounding a bystander. Butch, stunned by the accident, has difficulty running.

On a deserted street, Butch drops into a pawn shop, ambushes Wallace, knocks him down and takes away the gun. The owner of the pawnshop, Maynard, takes out a gun and calms down the raging Butch, who is already ready to shoot Marcelas right on the spot, with a blow from the butt. While both Marcelas and Butch are unconscious, Maynard ties them up and calls his acquaintance (according to the script - his brother), Ranger Zed. Next scene: Marcelas and Butch are tied up and sitting in chairs, their mouths gagged, and Zed is in no hurry to make an arrest. Marcelas and Butch look at each other in confusion.

Cast

Russian dubbing

The film was dubbed at the Nevafilm studio by order of Disney Character Voices International in 2008.

• Dubbing director: Gelena Pirogova
• Translation author: Dmitry Usachev
• Author of the synchronous text: Ekaterina Barto
• Sound engineer: Tatyana Veresova
• Sound editor: Dmitry Vasiliev
• Casting: Olga Efimova
• Creative consultant: Yulia Baranchuk

Creation

For a long time, Quentin Tarantino could not decide who he would play in the film - Jimmy or Lance. He ultimately chose Jimmy because he felt that the scene bringing Mia to life was too difficult and he needed to be behind the camera when filming the scene.

According to Tarantino, the role of Butch was to be played by an actor who had already achieved Hollywood fame. It was assumed that the role of this boxer would go to Sylvester Stallone (an allusion to the film “Rocky”), but in the end it was given to Bruce Willis, who wanted to play the role of Vincent. [ ]

Tarantino was smitten by Uma Thurman's big feet (he finds them very sexy) and therefore offered her the role of Mia. Tarantino read the script to her over the phone so that the actress would agree. [ ]

The restaurant scene ("Honey Bunny" and "Pumpkin") was specifically written for Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer.

Quentin Tarantino wanted the character of Michael Madsen (Vic Vega) from Reservoir Dogs (1992) to return to the film, so the role that later went to John Travolta was written specifically for Michael (Daniel Day-Lewis also auditioned for the role). But Michael Madsen was unable to take part in the film due to contractual obligations on other projects. Tarantino had to change the character's name from Vic to Vincent.

The role of Wolfe was specifically written for Harvey Keitel.

Steve Buscemi was originally supposed to play the role of Jimmy, but due to his contractual obligations on other projects, he was unable to do so. However, he still appeared in the film in a cameo role: Steve played a waiter taking an order from Mia and Vincent at the Jack Rabbit Slim’s restaurant.

Despite the fact that Tarantino specifically wrote the role of Jules for Samuel L. Jackson, the actor might not have played it, since the producers really liked Paul Calderon's audition for this role. But in the end, Jules was played by Jackson, and Paul played the role of a bartender in Marcelas's bar.

Quentin Tarantino offered Kurt Cobain, founder and lead singer of Nirvana, a role in the film, but the musician refused. About this to the British tabloid The Sun Cobain's widow Courtney Love said. Tarantino also offered Courtney Love herself a cameo role, but she, following her husband’s example, also refused it. According to the website World Entertainment News Network, instead of Cobain and Love, the director ended up casting Rosanna Arquette and Eric Stoltz.

The film's budget was $8 million, of which $5 million went to actors' fees.

In the "adrenaline shot into Mia Wallace's heart" scene, John Travolta pulls the needle out of Uma Thurman's chest. When editing the film, the scene was played in reverse, and thus the necessary effect of reality was achieved.

Tarantino wrote two of the three short stories before the script for Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. After the success of these films, Tarantino decided to complete the script. He also wanted the three short stories to be directed by different directors.

The car Vincent drives is a red 1964 Chevrolet Malibu convertible, which belonged to Quentin Tarantino and was stolen during filming. The car was recovered on April 18, 2013, 19 years after it was stolen, in San Bernardino County, California.

No music was written specifically for the film, but its soundtrack consists of compositions by various artists in the style of rock and roll, surf rock, pop, and soul.

The word "fuck" is used 265 times in the film.

We were working on the film

References to other works

The story of Mia overdosing and being revived by an injection of adrenaline into the heart is a verbatim reproduction of the story told in the documentary American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince. (English)(1978), directed by Martin Scorsese.

Mia calls Vincent a cowboy, and Vincent calls Mia a cowgirl in response. It is noteworthy that John Travolta previously played in the film “Urban Cowboy” (1980), and Uma Thurman - in “Even Cowgirls Are Sad Sometimes” (1993).

Harvey Keitel played the role of a similar "Cleaner" in the film No Return (1993).

Vincent and Mia's dance references a similar scene in one of Tarantino's favorite films, Band of Outsiders.

Angela Jones starred in the film Curdled, which was executive produced and co-written by Quentin Tarantino. Her character is also from Colombia and is interested in murder.

Movie links

The scene where Uma Thurman's character in the Jackrabbit Slim's restaurant talks about the pilot episode of the television show in which she took part, "about foxes" was partially based on the film "Kill Bill", that is, the "blonde vixen" is their leader (Ellie ), “a Japanese vixen knows kung fu” (Oren Ishii), “a dark-skinned vixen is an explosives expert” (Vernita Green), there is also “a particularly sexy French girl” (Sophia Fatale), and she herself played “the deadliest woman in the world, skilled with knives."

The situation where the syringe sticks out of Uma Thurman's body is also played out in the film Kill Bill. 

Movie 2 in the scene where Bill shoots Beatrix Kiddo with a syringe containing truth serum.

The phrases that Ringo and Yolanda shout at the very beginning of the robbery can be heard in the intro to the program “Culture Shock” on the radio “Echo of Moscow”. In film"From Paris with love" (English) From Paris with Love

) Travolta's character calls the Royale cheeseburger with cheese his weakness.

Parodies

The taxi driver who takes Butch away after the fight is named Esmarelda Villa Lobos (as indicated on her license card, but in the end credits there is a different spelling - Esmarelda Villalobos).

The chopper Butch takes from Zed is a modified Harley-Davidson FXR.

In 2012 music project"Movie" composed a music track using dialogue and sound effects from the film.

Three phrases from the film became titles musical groups: Zed's Dead (English), Yolanda Be Cool and 25/17 .

Awards

The film was awarded the following awards:

• Academy Award - Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery)
• Palme d'Or - Quentin Tarantino, director (the award was presented on May 23, 1994 at the Cannes Film Festival)
• Golden Globe - Best Screenplay feature film(Quentin Tarantino)
• BAFTA - Best Supporting Actor (Samuel Jackson)
• BAFTA - Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary)

The film claimed

There are successful and unsuccessful films, and there are real film masterpieces - those that not only entered the history of cinema, but also became its main milestones. One of the legends of world cinema, undoubtedly, is "Pulp Fiction" by Quentin Tarantino– a film called “an icon of postmodernism.” And the most popular scene in it is the dance performed by the characters The minds of Thurman and John Travolta. So, let's twist again!

Music, according to Tarantino, "defines the identity of a film, it is the tonal center around which the entire film revolves." The tracks for “Pulp Fiction” were selected by the director at the stage of writing the script; they set the emotional background of a particular scene and became a significant part of the plot. Tarantino independently selected his favorite songs of the 1960s for the film in the style of funk, soul, rock and roll, and twist. And the most famous and recognizable was the composition “Let’s twist again” - business card"Pulp Fiction".

The twist scene looks so easy, casual and delicate that it’s hard to believe that it was the scene that caused problems during filming. The dance was filmed for 13 hours straight, almost without pause! And the problem was that Uma Thurman felt too constrained and could not “catch the courage.” Let's start with the fact that the actress had doubts about her participation in the film for a long time. And the dance scene caused her the greatest doubts.

The dance movements were invented by Quentin Tarantino and John Travolta based on a twist that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. For Travolta, this was not difficult, because he had been dancing since he was eight years old! While rehearsing the scene, he spent a long time teaching Uma Thurman. The movements were remembered quickly, but the necessary ease was not there. The actress recalls: “Oh, I was so awkward, so embarrassed and so shy!” Uma Thurman was very timid by nature, and realizing the importance of this scene for the film, she was even more nervous. It was even necessary to remove everyone from the set except the cameraman and lighting technicians so that the actress would not feel constrained.

But the twist still looked forced. Then Tarantino showed the actors a still from Godard’s film, in which the characters danced in the same restaurant. Travolta recalls the moment: “Look how they dance,” Tarantino said. – They are not professional dancers, but they dance just great, only because they dance for themselves, for their own pleasure. They don't care whether those who watch them like their dance. Now they live in music, they are immersed in it, moving with it. This is exactly what I want from you.”

Travolta says that at that moment Tarantino looked like a 13-year-old boy: “But with all this, he was so spontaneous and sincere that one could not help but admire him. By his example, he not only liberated us, but provoked us to the most unexpected inventions and improvisations.” And the result exceeded all expectations!

It is difficult to overestimate the role he played in the history of cinema

Quentin Tarantino himself noted that, in his opinion, a good story should have a beginning, a main part and a denouement, but not necessarily in that order. Of course, the plot of the film" Pulp Fiction"was inspired by the examples of the masters of the past, whom Tarantino admired for many years as a film fan. The film consists of a number of scenes that are closely interconnected. But even among people who have highlighted Pulp fiction more than once, a complete picture of what is happening can be difficult to form, since the order of the scenes is mixed and the chronological sequence is not observed. How long do the events of the film last? There are only two main days - from Jules and Vincent's car ride to work, to Butch and Fabian's departure from the city in Zed's chopper. Full chronology starts not even with the meeting of little Butch and Captain Koons, but with events even before the First World War, which begin the story of that very golden watch. There is even a re-edited version of Pulp Fiction, in correct chronological order. It is worth arranging the scenes shown in the film in a linear sequence, omitting the events that are only mentioned (the story of the Coolidge family and the Samoan Antwan, whom Marcellus threw out of the window).

• Conversation between Captain Koons and little Butch Coolidge in the living room. The officer gives the boy a gold watch - the property of the Coolidge family with a difficult fate.
• Jules and Vincent Vega are driving in a car and discussing the peculiarities of Europe, such as different names for cheeseburgers, beer in the cinema, mayonnaise instead of ketchup, and the rights of police to search people on the street.
• Vince and Jules get out of the car, take the weapons from the trunk and go to the apartment apartment house to find Marcellus Wallace's unreliable partners. Men discuss the boss's wife, television pilots, massage of women's feet. Armed with guns, they enter the apartment, where Jules quotes a passage from the Bible. The mafiosi kill three guys, miraculously escaping from execution, and take away a diplomat with a yellow glow inside.
• On the way to Marcellus's bar, Vince accidentally shoots snitch Marvin in the head. The criminals are forced to turn to a guy named Jimmy for help. They have an hour and a half to do something with the corpse, wash off the blood and get the car in order. Marcellus sends Mr. Wolfe, a cleaner, to help them. As a result, the car is washed clean of blood, as are the shooters themselves.
• Jules and Vincent decide to have breakfast at a diner. At this moment, Ringo and Yolanda try to rob the cafeteria, but Jules foils the plans of the unlucky criminals. A conversation ensues, and Samuel L. Jackson's hero takes the righteous path. After the situation is resolved, the men leave.
• Marcellus Wallace talks with a boxer named Butch. He invites him to give up the fight for money, putting his pride far away. After this, Butch runs into Vincent at the bar, who treats him without an ounce of respect.
• Vincent visits a drug dealer named Lance. He buys heroin from him and says that someone scratched his favorite car, which had been in the garage for three years before.
• That evening, Vince Vega, on behalf of his boss, takes Marcellus' wife Mia for a walk. He visits Jack Rabbit Slim's, admires the five-dollar milkshake, and participates in dance competition. Returning to the Wallaces' home, Mia snorts heroin and overdoses. Vincent takes the comatose girl to his drug dealer, and they save her with an injection of adrenaline straight to the heart. After everything they have experienced, Mia and Vincent agree to keep what happened a secret.
• On the evening of the second day, a boxing match takes place, where Butch Coolidge thwarts plans for selling bets and kills, not on purpose, his opponent Wilson in the ring. Marcellus enters the locker room, where his wife Mia and Vince Vega are also present. He is beside himself with rage and orders to find an unreliable partner.
• Butch arrives at the hotel room of his girlfriend Fabian. They make love and go to bed. The next morning, Butch realizes that the girl left his father’s watch in the rented apartment and he must go to where armed criminals are clearly waiting for him. He gets into Fabian's car and goes there.
• Arriving at the place, Butch manages to take his father’s watch, and finding an automatic weapon on the table, he kills Vincent, who went to the toilet. On the way back, Butch accidentally runs into Marsellus and they have a scuffle, a chase and a fight. The men are captured by two perverts and Wallace is raped. Butch frees himself and does not leave him in trouble. They agree on a future relationship, and Butch leaves Los Angeles forever, along with Fabian.

Accidents and influence on the plot

Quentin Tarantino fills his story with a whole series of little things, random and unplanned events, or the consequences of other decisions in the past, or not the most thought-out plan. But these plot twists have a direct impact on the behavior or, more importantly, the worldview of their main characters. That is, unforeseen situations, solutions minor characters, expose the personalities of Jules, Butch, Vincent and force them to reconsider their attitude not only to a specific situation, but to other people and even their own future. Let's remember these same accidents in no particular order.

1. When Vincent Vega and Jules, in their usual gangster style, deal with two guys in the apartment, a third suddenly appears on the scene (fourth, if you count Marvin). They did not consider that another person, still with a weapon, could be hiding in the toilet. He suddenly jumps out with a gun, firing six bullets that miss Vincent and Jules. They kill the guy in cold blood, but this accident, just an accident for Vincent, becomes a turning point for Jules (Samuel L. Jackson).

1. When Marcellus is chasing Butch, the latter is ready to kill the mobster at any opportunity. Just a couple of minutes ago, Butch was glad that he managed to avoid death at the hands of Vincent, that he managed to take his father's watch. He was driving in his girlfriend's car, humming a song until, as a friend, he met Marcellus at an intersection. The latter simply went out to buy donuts and coffee while he and Vince were waiting for Butch, and also became a victim of an unexpected meeting. This accident with minimal chances changes the situation and Butch’s attitude towards what is happening. Now he is ready to defend himself and kill his pursuer. That is, for the third time in a day (after the sad boxing match and the reprisal against Vince) to become a killer, which before the whole situation with the corrupt match was something alien to him. He grabs the gun from the burly man, gags the shop owner and prepares to shoot Marcellus in the head in cold blood. But an accident happens - the owner of the store turns out to be not a timid one and takes the situation into his own hands. He suddenly knocks out Butch, and later, together with his friend or brother Zed, turns out to be a sadist and rapist. Seeing what is happening in this basement, Butch, freed, again changes his attitude towards Marcellus. He was ready to kill him recently, but, nevertheless, he does not leave it to two perverts to deal with. The identities of Zed and Maynard lead Butch to commit another murder.

1. While Mia (Uma Thurman) is sitting with Vincent at Jack Rabbit Slim's, she hears about a dance competition. They engage in an iconic scene that later, as an act of bonding, leads Vincent to the toilet to, among other things, consider his future behavior with the boss's wife. While Vincent Vega talks to himself in the restroom, Mia falls into a drug-induced coma. Travolta's character suddenly has to deal with a frightening prospect. For Lance, Vincent's call also comes as a complete surprise. He peacefully watches TV at home, eating a “Fruit Brute” breakfast cereal with milk. A couple of minutes later, the drug dealer already has to participate in the resuscitation of a person with a huge syringe.

1. Butch had what he thought was a well-thought-out plan. Break your boss's bets, profit from a boxing match yourself, get your money and run away. Train tickets were purchased, a motel room was booked, where Fabian's girlfriend was already waiting for him. But an unforeseen accident happens - Fabian forgets to take the most important thing from his previous apartment - Butch's father's gold watch, which is so dear to him. This oversight leads to a series of events and murders that Bruce Willis' character would confidently call the worst day of his life.

1. Vincent and Jules have just completed the task assigned to them. They dealt with their boss's unreliable partners, took away a mysterious diplomat with a golden glow inside, and even escaped accidental death at the hands of a stranger. Suddenly the unexpected happens - Vincent Vega unintentionally kills Marvin in the back seat of the car, as the gun accidentally went off. This leads the heroes to a new series of incredible events and acquaintances.

1. For Jimmy (Quentin Tarantino), who spent his mornings in a robe with a cup of coffee, life was simple and clear. He was waiting for his wife, who was supposed to come from her work shift at the hospital at nine in the morning. And now an unforeseen situation with an acquaintance, Jules, now puts this whole life on the brink of collapse. Moreover, we are talking not so much about complicity in murder and breaking the law, but about the loss of a spouse.

1. And although Jules is already determined to change his life after the shooting incident, a new surprise in the restaurant gives him confidence. Vincent and Jules were just having breakfast in a cafe when a couple of unlucky robbers, Bunny and Pumpkin, decided to rob him. Moreover, they had never robbed a cafe before, as they themselves admitted to each other - the decision was a spontaneous result of a short dialogue.

1. It is interesting that weapons in the film Pulp Fiction are not always used for their intended purpose, but are often used accidentally or not as intended. At the beginning of the Pulp fiction film, a huge revolver fires six bullets, but they miss their targets, although they should not have left Vince and Jules a wet spot. The machine gun in Butch's hands kills Vince, although this happened almost by accident, and the weapon was intended specifically for the character of Bruce Willis. Butch wants to shoot Marcellus in the head, but the shop owner, Maynard, prevents him from doing so. Vince's gun suddenly blows Marvin's head off, which shouldn't have happened. Jules' gun is not used for its intended purpose to kill Gringo, but, on the contrary, becomes a tool to control the situation.

Violence on camera, in one form or another, almost always stands out in the plot of films. It is often the apogee of individual story arcs, character lines, and directors traditionally lead us to it emotionally. This is done by increasing tension, with the help of music, dialogues and means visual storytelling, right down to working with a palette of colors and lighting. Quentin Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction” actually makes fun of violence - this is such an important element in cinema. While other directors still avoid unnecessary cruelty in the frame, Pulp Fiction doesn't just do the opposite - the Pulp fiction film uses violence on camera as part of the narrative and an integral element in revealing its characters. Moreover, these very scenes are most often the result of random spontaneous events.

While public condemnation of incorrect things inclines us to take crimes seriously, Tarantino shows, through the example of his heroes, how everything is relative. Vincent Vega and Jules have a casual conversation, discussing mayonnaise, burger names, and drugs in Europe. Who performed foot massage on whom, and how TV series are launched. They only stipulate in a couple of sentences that they will now kill several people in cold blood, and the dilemma boils down to the fact that they had to take shotguns and not come too early. These few minutes that the men linger at the door have no fundamental significance and will not decide the fate of the guys on the other side. Vincent and Lance have a spontaneous, meaningless dialogue about why they should scratch other people's cars while breaking the law. It's about about selling drugs, about their use, which destroys Vince's life and body.

Bunny (Yolanda) and Pumpkin (Tim Roth) make fun of the way banks are robbed today - that you don't need a gun, just a phone. They drink coffee and have breakfast, and then decide to carry out an armed attack. Vince Vega and Jules discuss how good it is to eat pork, who the hobos are, and what it's like to walk the world. They've already killed four people this morning, washed pieces of brains and blood from a car, and now they're still facing a couple of robbers. And the most striking reason that Tarantino gives the viewer to ridicule violence, of course, relates to the plot of “The Bonnie Situation.” The five men (Vince, Jules, Jimmy, Mr. Wolf, Marcellus) are completely oblivious to the fact that poor Marvin was killed. All they worry about is scraping the residue off their car and clothes in time, and doing it all before Bonnie arrives. Jules is more worried about getting blood on the towels at Jimmy's house than he is about what they did.

Symbolism in Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino deliberately and not always focuses our attention on objects, places of action and even passages from the Bible, to which we return again and again while watching the film “Pulp Fiction”. Let's look at six of these elements of symbolism that play an important role in character development or simply moving the Pulp fiction plot forward.

One of the most discussed subjects in world cinema, over a quarter of a century it has acquired the most incredible theories and interpretations of the yellow glow. The simplest ones say that there are gold bars inside (which is not confirmed by the weight of the diplomat), diamonds from the robbery in “Reservoir Dogs,” a gold suit from the movie “ Real love”, for which Tarantino previously wrote the script. The most famous theory says that inside is the soul of Marcellus Wallace, locked with the combination 666, which he sold to the devil, who, according to legend, extracted it from the back of his head, on which Marcellus now has a small patch. True, what relation can a couple of young guys, supposedly partners, have to such a mystical object and why then Ringo, in a cafe, says that this is a wonderful sight.

In fact, the content of the diplomat is not so important. A much more decisive role for the plot of Pulp Fiction is played by its fate and the need to preserve it at any cost. Vince and Jules kill three people for him, then Marvin accidentally dies, a situation ensues with Bonnie, and then the danger of losing valuable cargo in a cafe, giving it to robbers. As if according to the behests of Hitchcock himself, this item simply moves the story forward, through the hands of the main characters, and carries more symbolic than practical meaning. As he himself said several times in interviews Tarantino, inside is exactly what each viewer wants to figure out on their own.

Toilets. We will separately look at three fateful trips to the toilet of Vincent in Pulp Fiction, each of which accelerated the plot of Pulp fiction unexpected turn. But if you remember, toilets appear in the film not only in these three cases. Mia goes off to powder her nose, but in reality, to snort cocaine at Jack Rabbit Slim’s. At the apartment of Marcellus' young partners, the third guy hides in the closet before emptying his large revolver at the intruders. Vince Vega and Jules wash their hands in Jimmy's bathroom and discuss the poignancy of their situation. Two metaphors are usually cited here. One concerns the toilet, as a place where we do “dirty things”, and then have the opportunity to “clean up”, which suits the heroes of the film Pulp Fiction, due to the crimes they commit. And the second metaphor considers the toilet as a place where a person is vulnerable, and after leaving, the plot finds the characters “with their pants down.”

As with the diplomat, this gold watch that little Butch receives from Christopher Walken's character is symbolic and drives the plot. In this case, for Butch, this small object moves his story forward, confronting him first with Vincent in the apartment toilet, then with Marcellus on the street, and then with the perverts in the basement of the store. Among other things, the gold watch gives Butch's life a certain meaning. Yes, he wants to drink cocktails somewhere on a tropical island instead of with his girlfriend Fabienne. But he would have received good money anyway for rigging the fight and collaborating with the mafia. But it’s precisely this connection that Butch wants to get rid of. The gold watch reminds him of the past generations of his family - of the men who fought with honor on the fronts of the First and Second World Wars, of his father, who died honorably in captivity, saving his subordinates in Vietnam. Butch would later return to the path of honor when he decided to save Marcellus from being bullied.

Samurai sword. In the scene where Butch (Bruce Willis) breaks out of the rapists' confinement, he stops. Until recently, he was ready to shoot Marcellus in the head, but now he decides not to leave him to the perverts to deal with. At first, Willis's character's choice falls on a hammer, which is quite ordinary for a hardware store. Then onto a baseball saw - a traditional movie attribute under the counter in American stores. The chainsaw turns out to be a less ordinary object, but the samurai katana seems alien here. Maynard and Zed tortured people here and killed them, which is quite likely. But today I found myself here unusual person, who picked up the same extraordinary object. For Butch, this is a decision to save Marcellus, and the sword itself is a connection with his ancestors, who lived and died with honor, like Japanese samurai centuries before.

Confederate flag. Although the events of the film Pulp Fiction unfold on the streets of Los Angeles, we see the confederate flag - one of the sad symbols Civil War in the USA in 1861-1865. We see this item in the same Maynard’s shop. There is a popular interpretation of this symbolism in Pulp Fiction. In fact, when Butch saves Marsellus from a terrible fate, he frees a black man who was decided to be violated by two white men with a Southern accent and a Confederate flag hanging next to the national one. And although Zed determines the fate of the first victim with a rhyme, certain symbolism and references to racial problems in the United States can be found here.

This is no longer just an element of symbolism in the film, but one of the most famous symbols of Pulp Fiction itself. The passage is most concerned with the development of the character of Jules. The phrase had previously meant nothing biblical to him. He simply considered it a pathetic addition to the cold-blooded murder of a man at whom he pointed his finger. After the incident with avoiding death from bullets, Jackson's hero begins to look for meaning and apply verses from the Bible to himself and his life, and then to situations. In the cafe scene and dialogue with Gringo (Tim Roth), Jules discusses who is the shepherd - who is weak, and who is the tyranny of evil.

It is noteworthy that throughout the two and a half hours of the film "Pulp Fiction" by Quentin Tarantino, only once do we hear confirmation that the events are taking place in Los Angeles. Marcellus Wallace tells Butch that he has lost all privileges in the city and must get out today. As in Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino pays more attention to developing his characters than to revealing locations. Without a doubt, Los Angeles is full interesting places, are iconic, but the film does not exploit them. We will not see the letters HOLLYWOOD or other symbols of the city in the frame. Most of events and dialogues take place indoors, with a focus on people and their stories. Moreover, due to the many cultural references, the surroundings of the Jack Rabbit Slim’s restaurant, and the cafeteria, you might think that we are in the middle of the twentieth century. But it's still the 1990s, and that's another incredible thing about Pulp Fiction. It's summer in the picture, although Jules and Vince Vega note that it can be chilly here in the mornings without clothes. Most of the events take place during the day, but there are also evening scenes, again, often indoors, and not in open locations, as one might expect.

Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction

It was no coincidence that Tarantino included in his New film a lot of references not only to pop culture, your favorite films of the past, but also to your first successful project » Mad Dogs" In fact, the two stories take place in the same cinematic universe and also in Los Angeles. In addition to the fact that they are similar in narrative spirit, the events take place in the same city, in the summer, indoors and outdoors, in “Pulp Fiction” one can find a number of direct references and allusions to Reservoir dogs.

The most famous reference to Reservoir Dogs comes from one of the main characters. Vincent Vega and Vic Vega (Mr. Blonde from “Reservoir Dogs”) are not just namesakes, but siblings. Quentin Tarantino himself confirmed this fact, as well as the fact that he initially thought of inviting Michael Madsen to play the role, as a background to his past adventures, but he chose to participate in another project, which he obviously had time to regret later. And secondly, Tarantino had been nurturing for several years the idea of ​​making a film about the two Vega brothers, the events of which, for obvious reasons (they were both killed), would precede both “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction.”

Tarantino played not just a cameo, but a full-fledged role of Jimmy - a man who agrees, at his own peril and risk, to help out Jules and his partner. So, it’s interesting that in the credits this character is listed simply as Jimmy, but if you set your sights, you can find information that the character’s last name is Dimmick. Larry, aka Mr. White, from Reservoir Dogs, had the same last name, hinting at a family connection between the two characters.

The appearance of Steve Buscemi in a small cameo as a waiter at Jack Rabbit Slim’s is already a bold reference to Tarantino’s past work. And it’s worth noting that in Reservoir dogs his character, Mr. Pink, talks at length about the work of waitresses and recalls that he himself worked for the minimum wage.

Tarantino invented the fast food chain Big Kahuna Burger, and it did not exist in reality in Los Angeles, although with the advent of popularity for his films, the fictional brand began to be used by various establishments. Jules notes that this Hawaiian burger, which he takes from Brad's table, is very tasty and advises Vince to try it in the future. Interestingly, the trademark appeared for the first time in the movie “Reservoir Dogs.” Michael Madsen's character, Vic Vega, brings a carbonated drink to the warehouse with a Big Kahuna Burger emblazoned on the glass. In the future, the invented trademark will appear briefly in “Four Rooms”, “From Dusk Till Dawn” (in the first film and the new series), in “Death Proof” and even in Robert Rodriguez’s film “The Adventures of Sharkboy” and Lava''.

We can once again mention the mysterious contents of the diplomat, which Vince and Jules must take possession of on an important assignment from Marcellus. One of the theories, and Tarantino confirmed that he originally intended this meaning, says that inside the diplomat there are diamonds from the robbery in Reservoir Dogs. Hence the glow and the thoughtful glances of first Vince, and then Ringo, at the contents.

In one of deleted scenes in the movie “Reservoir Dogs,” the characters Eddie, Mr. White and Mr. Pink mention a certain nurse named Bonnie, and even in the context of the words “Bonnie’s situation.” In Pulp Fiction, this is the title of an entire section of the film, and Nurse Bonnie is Jimmy's wife and appears in the frame where the characters visualize her coming home at an inopportune moment.

Actress Linda Kaye played a woman in Reservoir Dogs who is forced out of her car by Mr. Pink. In Pulp Fiction, her character is not deliberately hit by a bullet from Marcellus Wallace when he wants to shoot Butch after a car accident.

In fact, Jules, like Vincent Vega, is a cold-blooded killer who makes his living by following the orders of his boss. He does not question whether a person deserves to die. He worries about the cleanliness of the towels in the bath, but is completely indifferent to the death of the young guy Marvin. He quotes the Bible, but for a long time he does not even think about the meaning of the words he utters. In Pulp Fiction, Tarantino lets us know that even hitmen can be human when he turns the hero's arc 180 degrees. In a conversation with the cafeteria robber, Jules admits that he understands how difficult it is to change his life, and that he is trying his best, which is why he will save the lives of Pumpkin (Ringo) and Bunny (Yolanda), and will not allow Vince to shoot them for $1,500, in particular.

The rethinking of his life and the world around him that Jules experiences is interesting for a number of reasons. At the very beginning of the film Pulp Fiction, he is presented as a detached killer who conducts a dialogue about foot massage, television pilots, and cheeseburgers in Europe. A few minutes later, he kills three people in cold blood, following his typical behavior. He follows the orders of his boss and does not think much about whether the person pointed at is worthy of death. Moreover, in a dialogue with Tim Roth’s character, at a table in a cafe, Jules admits that on any other day he would have killed them long ago without raising an eyebrow. And yet, in the last scene of the film "Pulp Fiction" Jules exchanges not only money for life. He saves one life in a kind of exchange for the three deaths he brought at the beginning of the story. Thus, Quentin Tarantino emphasizes in his story that we always have a choice, even in the extreme conditions of a violent world. This is the culmination of the idea, following the choice Butch made earlier to save Marsellus from being bullied by rapists.

It's amazing how Quentin Tarantino created this memorable image of world cinema by showing us a criminal who is paid to kill. Moreover, Vincent is also a drug addict who smokes, drinks alcohol and injects heroin. Such, at first cinematic glance, an unsightly and unpleasant character, is revealed through dialogues. We almost feel sorry for him when Vince unintentionally blows Marvin's brains out in the car and looks like a confused child. When he is offended and embarrassed at moments when his voice is raised at him. Vince gives Mia Wallace the famous injection with a huge syringe and saves her life. He is ready to easily kill another person (Yolanda and Ringo) in order to help his friend Jules out of trouble or out of principle, for the sake of $1,500. He is not able to refuse the boss, either with a request to kill some guys or to take his wife to a restaurant in the evening. He does the iconic dance and wonders why a simple milkshake costs a whopping $5. Thus, the plot reveals this killer and drug addict as a character and personality - a full-fledged participant in the history of Pulp Fiction. As a result, after a successful combination of circumstances with shots missing, Vincent Vega, unlike Jules, does not see any signs in what happened and death overtakes him, as if quoting that very phrase from the Bible about vengeance for sins.

In fact, Vincent is the link between the two characters' arcs, which transform throughout the story. Vince spends a significant portion of his screen time, especially in the first and final acts, in the company of Jules. While the latter accepts signs from above and changes his attitude towards life and the future, John Travolta’s character remains a cynic. He views the luck with the shots as just a coincidence, and judges Jules' decision to get involved in criminal activity as stupid. Subsequently, without following his friend into retirement, Vincent receives two trials. The first is the situation with Mia, the chance to become a corpse at the hands of her own boss. And the second situation, without an alternative or choice, leads Travolta’s hero to death, as if quoting the same passage from the Bible that Jules was so fond of. If Vince Vega had not died, he would still be the same narrow-minded guy who, when not killing people, spends time with women, friends, pays attention to the differences in Big Macs, and wonders what a pilot is in TV series.

It is noteworthy that although Vincent Vega- a criminal, also with heroin, alcohol and cigarette addiction, he lives by a certain concept of honor, as it seems to him. He is ready to carry out any order from his boss Marcellus. And it’s not so important whether it’s to kill strangers, deliver a mysterious diplomat, or take Butch by surprise. Tarantino again satirizes the lives of such criminals with the storyline and Mia. Vince easily kills people with a pistol, wipes brains out of his hair, but he is shivered by the task of taking the boss's wife to a cafe in the evening. He understands that Marcellus can test him and himself voices the idea that this is his personal test of loyalty.

Three trips to the bathroom for Vincent

Every time John Travolta's character goes to check the restroom, something unexpected happens for him, for the viewer, and has serious consequences. Thus, events important to the plot occur in contrast to a completely ordinary process, reduced to jokes, like going to the toilet. Vincent Vega performs in two scenes minor characters in the unfolding events and in one - the protagonist who must resolve the current situation.

1. Vincent goes to the toilet in the Wallace house. For him, this is an occasion to gather his thoughts and plans regarding Mia and his future behavior, while remaining loyal to his boss Marsellus. While Travolta's character is having a dialogue with himself in front of the mirror, Mia (Uma Thurman) finds heroin in his coat pocket and falls into a coma. Until this point in the plot, Vincent's biggest concern was the temptation to go further than just dancing with his boss's wife. Now his whole life hangs by a thread in an instant, and all he had to do was go to the restroom for 2 minutes.
2. Vincent Vega is waiting for Butch at his place, according to the latest famous place residence. He's probably been waiting for a while and decides to go to the toilet to relieve himself. Vincent leaves his automatic weapon in the kitchen and retires. At these moments, Butch enters the apartment, driven by the desire to find his father's watch. In the famous scene where the sound of toast finally seals the fate of John Travolta's character, a murder occurs. A couple of minutes away decide the fate of one of our protagonists.
3. For the third time during the film, our long-haired bandit goes to the restroom, a robbery begins in the cafe, and Jules’ life is under a small, but still threat, as is the fate of the diplomat, because of whom they had to endure so much. It is noteworthy that before this, two friends are engaged in a dialogue on philosophical topics about the meaning of life, about Jules’ future, and about pork. And then Vincent Vega says his famous phrase, reducing the importance of topics to going to the restroom. A few minutes later he is ready to kill two unlucky robbers.

A character whose life flashback begins the story of Pulp Fiction, if you arrange the pulp fiction scenes in the correct chronological order. We see a little boy who is visited by a stranger. Man in military uniform(Christopher Walken) served with Butch's father in Vietnam. He transmits family value the Coolidge family, which went through three wars, and gives the child several instructions. In this particular moment, the boy is silent, and we cannot draw any conclusions about his personality and attitude towards his father's death and this entire conversation on the living room floor. However, Tarantino leaves a strong plot anchor here, which will later be revealed through Butch's relationship to his father's gold watch and his family's past.

It’s even more interesting to speculate why Butch Kuldizh risked challenging the boss of organized crime, risking his and Fabian’s lives in order to earn tens of thousands of dollars more. After all, cooperation with Marcellus could promise even greater dividends in the future. The plot of Pulp Fiction does not reveal to us the nature of their relationship and the circumstances of their meeting in the past. At the same time, Butch is clearly not happy with the fact that he has to deal with criminals, the scum of society. That the bald black mafia boss tells him what to do, degrades his boxing career and personality as a whole, tells him to shove his pride away and sell out, show himself to be a weakling in the ring and lose his honor for a couple of wads of banknotes.

When Butch (Bruce Willis) crosses paths with Vince Vega (John Travolta) at the same bar after talking to Marsellus, he is in for another act of humiliation. Vincent knows that Butch is a boxer and, apparently, the fact that his presence here and conversation with the boss is not accidental. He calls Butch first "Palooka" and then "Punchy", insulting him as an athlete, calling him a punching bag and a person, in fact, with a broken brain. Butch keeps himself in check, but he also sees with what disposition Marcellus treats this most disrespectful rude, while to Butch, just a couple of minutes ago, he offered to sell his honor and shove his pride into his butt. In one of his interviews, Quentin Tarantino hinted that it was Butch who scratched Vincent's car - although it is not entirely clear where he found it at Wallace's establishment if Vince Vega and Jules arrived by taxi. Butch, in one of the scenes, tells himself that this is how he will defeat all these scum, because they constantly underestimate him. He kills Vincent in cold blood in the toilet, ending their correspondence.

Even more interesting is Butch's decision to return to the basement of the store and save Marcellus from the rapists. The latter was destined not only to be a victim of violence and humiliation, but also, most likely, to be killed in order to avoid the consequences. When Butch stops in the doorway, something in him switches. The reason is that, although he has already killed two people in less than 24 hours, Butch is not a bad person. He's not a criminal. He is influenced by the glorious past of his family, where his great-grandfather, grandfather and father fought and died for their country. Butch's father saved his subordinates from death. Moreover, in the flashback, Captain Koons says that he hopes Butch never has to experience the situation he found himself in with Major Coolidge. When two men find themselves in such a situation (captivity in Vietnam), you have to take responsibility for your comrade. This seems incredibly ironic, for Butch Coolidge, apparently, resurrects these parting words from the depths of the subconscious and Marcellus, whom he recently planned to shoot in the head in cold blood according to the principle: either you or me, becomes such a comrade in misfortune for him.

It is also interesting to pay attention to Butch's attitude towards his girlfriend Fabian. He appears to the viewer as an emotional man who scolds, who can easily lose his temper. Butch just killed his opponent in the ring and isn't too worried about it. He challenged an entire criminal organization. However, with his girlfriend Fabian he is completely different. He clarifies why she wants to have a small belly, how she spent the day, what she will eat. Even when he breaks down at her, shouting (first after learning about his father’s forgotten gold watch, and then on a motorcycle), he later tries to soften the situation. Butch asks if the girl ordered breakfast and what the pancakes tasted like.