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Pulp Fiction

  • 19941994
  • RR
  • 2h 34m
IMDb RATING
8.9/10
2M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
135
6
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Uma Thurman in 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.
Play trailer1:21
24 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
IMDb RATING
8.9/10
2M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
135
6
  • Director
    • Quentin Tarantino
  • Writers
    • Quentin Tarantino(stories by)
    • Roger Avary(stories by)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Uma Thurman
    • Samuel L. Jackson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Quentin Tarantino
  • Writers
    • Quentin Tarantino(stories by)
    • Roger Avary(stories by)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Uma Thurman
    • Samuel L. Jackson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3.4KUser reviews
    • 296Critic reviews
    • 94Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #8
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 70 wins & 75 nominations total

    Videos24

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:21
    Official Trailer
    Movie Scavenger Hunt: Can You Find These MCU Easter Eggs?
    Clip 3:45
    Movie Scavenger Hunt: Can You Find These MCU Easter Eggs?
    A Guide to the Films of Quentin Tarantino
    Clip 2:44
    A Guide to the Films of Quentin Tarantino
    Who Are the "Hunters"?
    Clip 3:20
    Who Are the "Hunters"?
    Pulp Fiction | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:32
    Pulp Fiction | Anniversary Mashup
    How 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' Connects the TarantinoVerse
    Clip 5:09
    How 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' Connects the TarantinoVerse
    What Mindy Kaling Is Watching
    Clip 3:28
    What Mindy Kaling Is Watching
    25 Years After 'Pulp Fiction', Tarantino Delivers a 'Hollywood' Masterwork
    Clip 3:13
    25 Years After 'Pulp Fiction', Tarantino Delivers a 'Hollywood' Masterwork
    Moran Atias Picks Her "Seinfeld" Spirt Animal
    Clip 3:28
    Moran Atias Picks Her "Seinfeld" Spirt Animal
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes
    Clip 1:58
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes
    Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly Solve Movie Mysteries
    Clip 1:48
    Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly Solve Movie Mysteries
    "Watching Tarantino with Tarantino"
    Featurette 0:34
    "Watching Tarantino with Tarantino"

    Photos384

    Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Bruce Willis and Maria de Medeiros in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Bruce Willis and Sy Sher in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Quentin Tarantino and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Uma Thurman and Ving Rhames in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction (1994)
    Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer in Pulp Fiction (1994)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Travolta
    John Travolta
    • Vincent Vegaas Vincent Vega
    Uma Thurman
    Uma Thurman
    • Mia Wallaceas Mia Wallace
    Samuel L. Jackson
    Samuel L. Jackson
    • Jules Winnfieldas Jules Winnfield
    Bruce Willis
    Bruce Willis
    • Butch Coolidgeas Butch Coolidge
    Tim Roth
    Tim Roth
    • Pumpkinas Pumpkin
    Amanda Plummer
    Amanda Plummer
    • Honey Bunnyas Honey Bunny
    Laura Lovelace
    Laura Lovelace
    • Waitressas Waitress
    Phil LaMarr
    Phil LaMarr
    • Marvinas Marvin
    Frank Whaley
    Frank Whaley
    • Brettas Brett
    Burr Steers
    Burr Steers
    • Rogeras Roger
    Ving Rhames
    Ving Rhames
    • Marsellus Wallaceas Marsellus Wallace
    Paul Calderon
    Paul Calderon
    • Paulas Paul
    Bronagh Gallagher
    Bronagh Gallagher
    • Trudias Trudi
    Rosanna Arquette
    Rosanna Arquette
    • Jodyas Jody
    Eric Stoltz
    Eric Stoltz
    • Lanceas Lance
    Jerome Patrick Hoban
    • Ed Sullivanas Ed Sullivan
    Michael Gilden
    Michael Gilden
    • Phillip Morris Pageas Phillip Morris Page
    Gary Shorelle
    • Ricky Nelsonas Ricky Nelson
    • Director
      • Quentin Tarantino
    • Writers
      • Quentin Tarantino(stories by)
      • Roger Avary(stories by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Samuel L. Jackson Through the Years

    Samuel L. Jackson Through the Years

    Take a look back at Samuel L. Jackson's movie career in photos.
    See more Samuel
    View image
    View image
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mr. Blonde, a.k.a. Vic Vega, played by Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dogs (1992), is the brother of Vincent Vega. Quentin Tarantino even had a spin-off film in development, titled "Double V Vega", which was a prequel to both movies. This film was scrapped, because both actors were too old to play younger versions of themselves.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 50 mins) In the apartment miracle scene where Jules and Vincent are about to be shot at by the kid in coming out of the adjoining room, there are bullet holes already clearly visible in the wall behind them.
    • Quotes

      Mia: Don't you hate that?

      Vincent: What?

      Mia: Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?

      Vincent: I don't know. That's a good question.

      Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence.

    • Crazy credits
      The coffee shop manager in the robbery scene at the end is credited as "Coffee Shop" because he is cut off as he speaks: "I am not a hero, I'm just a coffee shop--"
    • Alternate versions
      The Canadian DVD version of the film includes the two alternate scenes mentioned above, plus a few additional ones. A longer scene of Vincent Vega purchasing heroin at Lance (Eric Stoltz)'s house, complaining about how rude people are. Eric's character complains about how he had asked for directions one time and was given incorrect instructions. Another additional scene takes place in Esmarelda's cab, where Butch does a lengthier explanation of how he feels about killing the man in the boxing ring. The other scene included on this DVD takes place at the auto parts yard, where Winston Wolf and the yard owner's daughter flirt and make plans for breakfast. All of the deleted scenes are shown in a separate section of the DVD, introduced by Tarantino, and are not included in the actual film.
    • Connections
      Edited into You're Still Not Fooling Anybody (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      Misirlou
      Written by Fred Wise, Milton Leeds, Bob Russell, and Nicholas Roubanis

      Performed by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

      Courtesy of Rhino Records

    User reviews3.4K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    The masterpiece without a message
    One of the early scenes in "Pulp Fiction" features two hit-men discussing what a Big Mac is called in other countries. Their dialogue is witty and entertaining, and it's also disarming, because it makes these two thugs seem all too normal. If you didn't know better, you might assume these were regular guys having chit-chat on their way to work. Other than the comic payoff at the end of the scene, in which they use parts of this conversation to taunt their victims, their talk has no relevance to anything in the film, or to anything else, for that matter. Yet without such scenes, "Pulp Fiction" wouldn't be "Pulp Fiction." I get the sense that Tarantino put into the film whatever struck his fancy, and somehow the final product is not only coherent but wonderfully textured.

    It's no wonder that fans spend so much time debating what was in the suitcase, reading far more into the story than Tarantino probably intended. The film is so intricately structured, with so many astonishing details, many of which you won't pick up on the first viewing, that it seems to cry out for some deeper explanation. But there is no deeper explanation. "Pulp Fiction," is, as the title indicates, purely an exercise in technique and style, albeit a brilliant and layered one. Containing numerous references to other films, it is like a great work of abstract art, or "art about art." It has all the characteristics we associate with great movies: fine writing, first-rate acting, unforgettable characters, and one of the most well-constructed narratives I've ever seen in a film. But to what end? The self-contained story does not seem to have bearing on anything but itself.

    The movie becomes a bit easier to understand once you realize that it's essentially a black comedy dressed up as a crime drama. Each of the three main story threads begins with a situation that could easily form the subplot of any standard gangster movie. But something always goes wrong, some small unexpected accident that causes the whole situation to come tumbling down, leading the increasingly desperate characters to absurd measures. Tarantino's originality stems from his ability to focus on small details and follow them where they lead, even if they move the story away from conventional plot developments.

    Perhaps no screenplay has ever found a better use for digressions. Indeed, the whole film seems to consist of digressions. No character ever says anything in a simple, straightforward manner. Jules could have simply told Yolanda, "Be cool and no one's going to get hurt," which is just the type of line you'd find in a generic, run-of-the-mill action flick. Instead, he goes off on a tangent about what Fonzie is like. Tarantino savors every word of his characters, finding a potential wisecrack in every statement and infusing the dialogue with clever pop culture references. But the lines aren't just witty; they are full of intelligent observations about human behavior. Think of Mia's statement to Vincent, "That's when you know you've found somebody special: when you can just shut the f--- up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence."

    What is the movie's purpose exactly? I'm not sure, but it does deal a lot with the theme of power. Marsellus is the sort of character who looms over the entire film while being invisible most of the time. The whole point of the big date sequence, which happens to be my favorite section of the film, is the power that Marsellus has over his men without even being present. This power is what gets Vincent to act in ways you would not ordinarily expect from a dumb, stoned gangster faced with an attractive woman whose husband has gone away. The power theme also helps explain one of the more controversial aspects of the film, its liberal use of the N-word. In this film, the word isn't just used as an epithet to describe blacks: Jules, for instance, at one point applies the term to Vincent. It has more to do with power than with race. The powerful characters utter the word to express their dominance over weaker characters. Most of these gangsters are not racist in practice. Indeed, they are intermingled racially, and have achieved a level of equality that surpasses the habits of many law-abiding citizens in our society. They resort to racial epithets because it's a patter that establishes their separateness from the non-criminal world.

    There's a nice moral progression to the stories. We presume that Vincent hesitates to sleep with Mia out of fear rather than loyalty. Later, Butch's act of heroism could be motivated by honor, but we're never sure. The film ends, however, with Jules making a clear moral choice. Thus, the movie seems to be exploring whether violent outlaws can act other than for self-preservation.

    Still, it's hard to find much of a larger meaning tying together these eccentric set of stories. None of the stories are really "about" anything. They certainly are not about hit-men pontificating about burgers. Nor is the film really a satire or a farce, although it contains elements of both. At times, it feels like a tale that didn't need to be told, but for whatever reason this movie tells it and does a better job than most films of its kind, or of any other kind.
    helpful•2K
    302
    • kylopod
    • Nov 17, 2005

    FAQ33

    • Why is Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) the only one on the poster ?
    • Why does Jules call Pumpkin "Ringo"?
    • Why did Brett steal the briefcase?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 14, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Black Mask
    • Filming locations
      • 1435 Flower Street, Glendale, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Miramax
      • A Band Apart
      • Jersey Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $8,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $107,928,762
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,311,882
      • Oct 16, 1994
    • Gross worldwide
      • $213,928,762
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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