I was 13 when I watched this movie and even than I knew there was something powerful about Butch coming back. No matter how much animosity and hatred there might be between 2 men even thieves and criminals, they will stand together against these types of sick bastards.
No. This is a perversion of morality. It’s an attempt to subvert the actual moral and ethical truth that there is no honor amongst thieves. Once you have grown and wised up totally the ways of the world you will realize this. Honor only truly exists amongst rational and truthful people.
@@Jaecht88I remember being 11 watching it with my Dad in theaters but have seen way worse with mother when I was even younger in smaller movie theaters
One thing I'm surprised everyone misses is that after Marcellus is free, the audience sees that what Jules said earlier in the film is true: that Marcellus Wallace does NOT like to be fucked by anyone but Mrs. Wallace.
I noticed that the 2nd time I watched pulp fiction back in 95! It will be easily missed on the first watch. But it’s actually a pretty common joke people would make regarding pulp fiction..so wouldn’t say “everyone” missies it!
No matter what beef you and another man have between you, never leave him in a situation like this. That's what it boils down to in my opinion. "I wouldn't wish that on my own worst enemy" kind of thing. It's just human decency in it's barest form.
I would really like to have a (VERY WELL MADE) fan edit that shows everything in chronological order. The shot of Bruce and Fabienne riding off into the sunset would really make a really great close to the film, and to see the credits rolling here would be the icing on the cake.
@@TiltBrook Haha, a trick question! The first scene chronologically is the talk Captain Koons (Walken) gives to the young Butch about his father’s watch. 😉 In the film, it is the dream he has just before the fight (that he refuses to go down on); however if it was the very first scene, you could frame it as establishing Butch’s character (you know he’s a boxer) in a random fight-sort of as a teaser, before we move into the ‘proper’ part of the film (Jules and Vince). Also remembering now, the Honey Bunny and..(Ringo?) scene has now been displaced, and is actually INTERCUT(!!! I’m just thinking about this as I go along…) with the scene of Jules and Vince in the diner. But you’d go straight from the Walken intro to the Vince and Jules action; you’d recap with Butch; etc. (this is where Vince’s arc with Mia Wallace occurs); the Bonnie situation happens, and the dual perspective diner scene occurs; (It doesn’t show Butch getting anxious or nervous about the fight at all, all you see is him escaping, suggesting he’s done this a million times) etc.; Vince DIES; and the film starts and ends with Butch and it was his story all along. (That’s why Bruce Willis was the ‘And’). Only a masterfully skilful film craftsman could make it convincing.
@@ridethelaprasi have a friend who actually did this, he told me the movie has so many continuity errors that for the trained eye it's almost unwatchable 🤣
@fromthescreen123 On top of that, Butch's whole day in reclaiming that watch is just another story for it. So if Butch has a kid, they'll not only learn of the Coolidge army service, but of Butch risking life and limb for it, and saving an enemy from a perverse end.
Being gone from LA wasn’t a punishment for Butch, it was protection, for him and Marcellus. If he had been seen again in LA, Marcellus would have lost a degree of respect and fear attached to his reputation of a man not to be crossed.
I remember seeing this in the theater when it released, and thinking 2 things during this scene. 1, the shot of him deciding to close the door and go help Marselles, was probably the best visual example of the old adage "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." And 2. When Butch is searching for a weapon my brain instantly said "He's going to find a katana, it's a pawn shop, there's always one damn katana lying around in a pawn shop." And when the camera cut to the katana POV, I smiled to myself like "...yep, there it is. Only a katana would evoke that kind of stunned reverence in a dude like Butch" I also love how when they are talking about "So what now?" Marselles doesn't even really register he meant "what now?" regarding Butch. It had completely slipped his mind.
@@Empty-Mask yeah i think i wrote that up while i was at work, where I am frequently pulled away from my computer. so i will often lose track of what point I was making, or what sequence i'm at, in a list of points. happens to me all the time, and gets annoying when I post and then reread it and am like "...shit, that's a jumbled piece of ass right there!" 🤣
For me and my friends, the best part was we all saw ourselves in Butch search for weapons. Baseball Bat : +5 ATT, durability low. Too fragile, next. Chainsaw : +25 ATT, high durability, 10% chance of the motor stalling at each strike. Too unreliable, next. Katana : screw the stats we're taking the katana !
@@ironmonkey1512 nah, they make it pretty apparent during the various interactions they have, that it was personal. Butch took it personally when he was told to ignore his pride for the money. And Marcelles took it personally for being betrayed. When Butch is punching him in the face, repeating back his line of "feel that sting? that's pride fucking with you!" as he keeps punching him. that's the kind of thing you say/do when it's personal. Not just business. And Marcelles saying a line like "If that motherfucka goes to indo-china I want a brother in a bowl of rice to put a cap in his ass" "Scour the earth for that motherfucker." That sounds way more than just business to me.
I saw this for the first time on the big screen in 1994 when it was released. I was 12 or 13 and we got dropped off at the mall and bought tickets for some horrible Sinbad comedy but my shit disturber best friend snuck us into Pulp Fiction. My mind was blown forever. I'll never forget him whispering to me a moment before Butch pushes the door open saying "what do you think is going on?!". I got to brag for weeks to everyone after about sneaking into it. Classic film...a masterpiece for sure. Over the years I've come to realize it's likely the most important film of the 90s.
Hey, "House Guest wasn't great, but it wasn't THAT bad. Phil Hartman was in it, lol Na jk. It's got an 18% on rotten tomatoes 😂 but even that's a little harsh imo. But I was little when I saw it so maybe it is worse than I remember
The way I look at is if you pay for a movie ticket, you’re not paying to see a specific film, you’re paying for a seat in a theater and what you watch is arbitrary.
when vincent died i was mad. i thought i wouldt like the gold watch chapter. but when you watch the last scene where jules retires an vincent is mad and says to be continued. then it all makes sence and you see this chapter diffrently.
The idea that gimp is some drifter they picked up years ago adds so much horror to this scene. He's probably watched them murder many recalcitrant victims and takes pride in his own survival.
@@jimfree0 lol. By anyway, Marcellus looks to be around 35 in the PF timeline of around 1993. So that means he would have been 15 when Charlie Varick came out and as he's a gangster, and CV is a mafia movie, he probably saw it on cable in his 20's. Boom.
You did not disappoint with the scene breakdown. You’ve even touched on some things I missed after seeing all these years. Love your videos and keep them coming.
In this shot 2:54 you can also see the number plate with "Tennessee" on it, the state where his great grandfather's watch came from, he is definitely thinking about the watch monologue at this moment
And at the bottom of the plate it says "The Volunteer State" No way that wasn't a deliberate choice on Tarantino's part, linking Butch's destination with a willingness to step up and help others.
A stellar scene in a movie absolutely chock full of them. When I saw this movie, I remember feeling like I was watching something special, like something that would go down in history.
yeah, obviously QT worked his directorial magic and that can't be underplayed... but Roger Avery wrote this whole sequence (and the whole Butch storyline). He may not have been a perfect guy, but he never gets any credit for Pulp Fiction.
The music is non-diegetic (i.e. it is only in the soundtrack, it is not being ‘heard’ in the world of the film), hence in ‘reality’ there was no music playing, and nothing drowning out the rape sounds. Hence Butch still had to be super quiet. Maybe that was the music playing in his own head as a coping mechanism?
It came out of nowhere, and yet it was absolutely riveting. And when you think of it from a storytelling perspective, it permits the whole Butch & Marcellus story arc to transcend from one having to "win" while the other one loses, and instead... something ELSE can transpire.
When you said something about Butch refusing to leave a man behind, it suddenly occurs to me that Butch might be a veteran, and that's why the war movie on the TV that wakes him up in the hotel room is so traumatic.
Man shout out to From the Screen. I highly doubt he got to monetize this video but he still made it for us. It's content creators like this who are keeping youtube alive. Thank you for showing us the scenes, even when they're graphic, and keeping the music in, and not referring to people dying as "game overed" or some other phrase that would've ruined the tone of the video.
It’s also not accidental that in the shot with the door open it’s backdropped with an American split in half with the confederate flag being the other side. The side closest the door whilst the American flag was back towards Marcellus. Quentin was trying to say something with that imagery.
I feel like Tarantino loves to take move genres typically relegated to shallow militarist propaganda and patriarchal , or meaningless violence porn, such as action and thrillers and similar genres, and makes palpable MEANING out of violence, betrayal, and the underbelly’s of society and cruelty of humans. A film maker like Tarantino says meaning cab be made out of a n y genre, including blends of dark comedy, action, revenge, and thriller. I hate that he’s famous for a reason HAH
@ That’s a fair criticism. It’s funny too because his best movies, Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds are the only two I can think of that don’t have the N Word in it (I think) . Django is probably his third best movie tho
@@TheBonVivant_ Hubby saw Inglorious Bastards and he said somebody ( i don’t know who because war films aren’t my thing) said the n word. Kill Bill though i think is n word free. I loved the last 10 minutes of Once upon a time in Hollywood. Loved it! And the scene with Sharon watching her film.
You hit it right on the money! Iv been saying for years that Butch reflects on the Watch, and the struggle his fathers went through to get it to him. Also the strength of Brotherhood, and how a stranger brought him his father’s watch, and how much that means to him. This is Butches POW camp moment, and he can’t leave a brother in arms to suffer. And there it can’t be understated how Walken hid the watch up his A$&, and the SA taking place to Marcellus, there’s a parallel of abuse of the weak by evil, Marcellus is weakened, and is being taken advantage of by an evil person.. which in turn harkens to Jules’ crisis of faith... You don’t know how happy it makes that someone finally agrees with me!👍🏽👍🏽
After the watch story, Butch led his life just like his father, live with honor. Butch messed up by taking the money to throw the fight and it was killing him inside despite screwing him over. He knew his honor was stained and just leaving him there would make it worse. Even if Butch knew if he will be killed after saving Marseilles, his honor was more important than his life. Marseilles had his reputation to protect on the street thus telling him not to show his face around LA. Plus, don’t want Butch telling people about what happened either. Both men were on different spectrums of life but both had honor.
Appreciate you making the content you do. Can’t imagine spending a ton of time to produce something thoughtful for free then catch a ton of people being argumentative for funzies
@@bigpictureguys8415 thank you :) It takes a good three 3-5 days with watching the movie, watching the scene repeatedly, making notes, doing research, writing the essay, doing the recording and then editing it. Comments like this are nice :)
Marcellus said their beef was over, but he didn’t know that Butch killed Vincent. I always wondered if that would change his mind later when he found out.
Given how incompetent of a gangster Vincent is, one could argue that Butch did Marcellus a favor on that count. Y’know, on top of the massive favor that this scene is about.
I don't believe so. He would have known that Butch killed him out of self defense and Vincent did kill one of his informants by shooting him in the face 'accidently'.
Your analysis is so interesting, that I feel disappointed when I haven't watched one of the movies that you breakdown. Luckily, I'd seen Pulp Fiction so I got to enjoy this one. Great job! Please keep them coming.
This is the first time I’ve come across one of your videos and I had to subscribe immediately! It felt like listening to a close friend break down why his favorite movie scene is this and it made me appreciate it that much more.
Another cool detail is how Marcellus can actively have his back turned towards Butch in the sense that he would certianly not leave his back behind (especially at this moment) to someone he does not trust with his life
Wow... um incredible timing! I actually just finished a video I had been working on for release on thanksgiving for the scene where Butch is about to leave the shop. This however is also a great analysis! Great to see another creator cover the scene!
Somebody made a video about pulp Fiction is about redemption and I never noticed. 😮 That’s the Beaty of watching videos. People have different perspectives every viewing. 🎥
The entire movie operates in shades of grey. None of the characters are good people, but when faced with something truly black, something completely evil, there’s no argument about the need to stop it.
3:29 There are just certain things you do; one of them, if you have ANY kind of heart and spine, is 'you don't let a man get violated without his consent'. I never looked for a 'deeper meaning' in this scene, but to me, at least, the point came across as rather obvious.
A detail which I think is very important: at 6:40 Butch drops the katana just after Marcellus drops the gun. I think that up until that point, Butch was still not entirely convinced that Marcellus was going to just let him go (even though he told him to step aside, instead of shooting him on the back moments ago ). Marcellus drops his weapon just as Butch asks "what about between me and you?"
Something I noticed for the first time about this scene. As Butch is about to leave the pawn shop, framed behind him is a Confederate flag and an American flag. Slavery and freedom. Or it could just be a couple of flags.
I wouldn't put it past QT knowing how meticulous he is with set design, although I think a more straightforward answer is that it sort of ties the feel of a seedy, run down LA pawnshop together. Sometimes good set dressing is just that, good set dressing.
One of the greatest scenes of cinema. I remember watching this for the first time. It blew my mind. So many questions. The scene drives the imagination. The things we don´t see are so intriguing.
Another interesting thing is that in the beginning of the movie we see Marcellus saying Butch that pride is not that important, later on in this scene we see Marcellus being molested and losing his pride. He kinda lost what he was trying to persuade Butch was not that important. I'm surprised nobody has noticed this
Good review. You didn't mention that the chopper being named "Grace". Since I first saw this movie I knew it was going to be a timeless classic, on a level with Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, The Sound of Music, and Doctor Zhivago. Given the subject matter, that's always been kind of troubling.
Right up until I watched this video I always thought that Marsellus should of blasted Butch for getting him into that situation, but you're explanation made so much sense that I've now changed my mind. In one of his trillion audio bites Quentin describes why in Res Dogs that Mr Orange tells Mr White that he's a cop even though he'll probably get shot. Quentin describes it in one word: "Jingy" from Japanese dialect, I think? It simply means Honour or respect. P.s "Z pulls out to turn around" 😮😮😮😮
30 years on, I recall clearly seeing this film at the Cinema. When the credits rolled, it was dead quiet. A few seconds later, loud extended applause. Nobody seemed to understand exactly what they had just experienced, but they knew it was brilliant.
Great scene, but I have to levy one gripe... 6:04 ...spot the continuity error. Notice how he cycles the shotgun there, but then at [ 6:11 ], he has the forearm pulled back and the bolt open for no reason, clearly showing the audience that the gun's empty. Actors do this with pump shotguns a lot, especially side-ejectors, as if they're trying to show the audience that they don't know what they're doing.
Yeah guns in cinema rarely do justice to the details. Like when they rack a semi auto pistol as if to ready a shot or grab a freshly fired bullet casing like it wouldn’t burn your fingers. Only thing imo that gets fucked up more blatantly is when actors fake playing instruments.
@@tonerios3732 And typewriters too. They're always pecking on those keys their their index fingers, even if the character is someone who would know how to type due to their profession. It's insulting!
Okay, the cut with the slow-mo cycling shot ends with the slide open, sure, but it’s closed again when Marcellus points the gun at Zed. It’s honestly not that glaring of a detail. It just means that there wasn’t a round in the chamber beforehand because no one had fired it
As Butch pushes to door open to leave there's a Tennessee (his destination) license plate on the wall behind him. Also on that wall is a Confederate (traitor) Battle flag, the last thing he'll pass if he abandons Marsellus and leaves. Next to it, back into the shop, is a US (patriot) flag, the flag his father and grandfather died for. He chooses the path past the US flag.
Butch not throwing the fight is a sign of his code of honor, his honor extends to the ring to the fight itself, also why he couldn't stand to see a man helpless to fight back
ooh~ easy sub. excellent analysis. looking forward to seeing you tackle other topics and movies in the future. May I humbly suggest Boys Don't Cry, from 1999? i honestly think its one of the more culturally important films of the past few decades. I put it up there with American History X.
I mean, Marcellus did not mention to Butch there was someone inside his house ready to kill him. At this point, Marcellus did not know that Vincent was killed by Butch. Did he forget about it or was it on porpoise?
@@IIIhenriqueIII yeah I always wondered about this. Did he expect Butch to go home and get some things before he left town? In which case Vincent would kill him…
Zeds dead baby. Zeds dead.
but what happened to the gimp?
@@Jjrmtv The Gimp's probably dead, too.😅
Chronology.
The last line of the movie.
Zeds dead is also an electronic music duo.
My favorite line in the movie.
"Nah man. I'm pretty fuckin far from OK."
Indeed.
He's just butthurt.
@@mackychloe
Prime example of men learning to talk about their feelings
Diddy stutter? He will not take that take that no more! 😂
I think. they literally picked the wrong guy to F@(k!
I was 13 when I watched this movie and even than I knew there was something powerful about Butch coming back. No matter how much animosity and hatred there might be between 2 men even thieves and criminals, they will stand together against these types of sick bastards.
@@arminoleg1624 100%
13 is definitely too early to watch this movie. It sure build some unintended trauma in you
No. This is a perversion of morality. It’s an attempt to subvert the actual moral and ethical truth that there is no honor amongst thieves. Once you have grown and wised up totally the ways of the world you will realize this. Honor only truly exists amongst rational and truthful people.
@@Jaecht88 If you get traumatized by movies in your teens bro touch grass lol
@@Jaecht88I remember being 11 watching it with my Dad in theaters but have seen way worse with mother when I was even younger in smaller movie theaters
One thing I'm surprised everyone misses is that after Marcellus is free, the audience sees that what Jules said earlier in the film is true: that Marcellus Wallace does NOT like to be fucked by anyone but Mrs. Wallace.
BRAVO!!!
Hahaha I never caught that either. Good catch!
You win the internet
I noticed that the 2nd time I watched pulp fiction back in 95! It will be easily missed on the first watch. But it’s actually a pretty common joke people would make regarding pulp fiction..so wouldn’t say “everyone” missies it!
good catch
No matter what beef you and another man have between you, never leave him in a situation like this. That's what it boils down to in my opinion.
"I wouldn't wish that on my own worst enemy" kind of thing. It's just human decency in it's barest form.
That and the fact that, as a man, you can't just let people like Zed stay around 😂 They gotta go
@@RejectReality97 gotta go!
Ehh he should have left him there or called people to help him after a few hours
@@MrPopo-nn7kp who's he Gona call? He's on the run
exactly, if you lack THIS, its over for you, youre complete scum. regardless of what happened between you and the person.
One thing people often miss is the motorcycle is named "Grace". By grace he was saved.
Nice.
Also, Tarantino had a girlfriend named Grace. ;-)
@@jdamommio And I'm sorry, babe. He had to crash that Honda.
The whole movie is about grace.
@@jdamommio Right on.
In case you don't know or thought about it - @07:39, the "zed's dead" scene is the last scene, chronologically, in the movie.
I would really like to have a (VERY WELL MADE) fan edit that shows everything in chronological order. The shot of Bruce and Fabienne riding off into the sunset would really make a really great close to the film, and to see the credits rolling here would be the icing on the cake.
Ty! What’s the first scene chronologically?
@@TiltBrook The first scene chronological would be the first scene in the movie.
@@TiltBrook Haha, a trick question! The first scene chronologically is the talk Captain Koons (Walken) gives to the young Butch about his father’s watch. 😉
In the film, it is the dream he has just before the fight (that he refuses to go down on); however if it was the very first scene, you could frame it as establishing Butch’s character (you know he’s a boxer) in a random fight-sort of as a teaser, before we move into the ‘proper’ part of the film (Jules and Vince).
Also remembering now, the Honey Bunny and..(Ringo?) scene has now been displaced, and is actually INTERCUT(!!! I’m just thinking about this as I go along…) with the scene of Jules and Vince in the diner.
But you’d go straight from the Walken intro to the Vince and Jules action; you’d recap with Butch; etc. (this is where Vince’s arc with Mia Wallace occurs); the Bonnie situation happens, and the dual perspective diner scene occurs; (It doesn’t show Butch getting anxious or nervous about the fight at all, all you see is him escaping, suggesting he’s done this a million times) etc.; Vince DIES; and the film starts and ends with Butch and it was his story all along. (That’s why Bruce Willis was the ‘And’).
Only a masterfully skilful film craftsman could make it convincing.
@@ridethelaprasi have a friend who actually did this, he told me the movie has so many continuity errors that for the trained eye it's almost unwatchable 🤣
I always liked to think it was a Hattori Hanzo sword that Butch uses in this scene.
Thats awesome lol
Since it’s Tarantino there’s a big possibility that it actually is
@@sterkriger2572 Someone would have to ask QT himself if he was already developing the Kill Bill saga at the time he made Pulp Fiction.
@@williamhermann6635 doesn’t matter if he had planned it here or if he remembered this scene and dropped the reference later.
I think it was referenced when bills brother said he pawned it
The "watch monologue" makes so much sense when in context with these otherwise bizarre and quite horrifying scenes.
@@chriswilson3126 Yeah when I was in my teens I literally thought it was just a cool monologue but it has so much meaning to Butch’s story and arc
@fromthescreen123 On top of that, Butch's whole day in reclaiming that watch is just another story for it. So if Butch has a kid, they'll not only learn of the Coolidge army service, but of Butch risking life and limb for it, and saving an enemy from a perverse end.
"as Zed pulls out and turns around" is some crazy narration 😂
Zaddy yaaas
Being gone from LA wasn’t a punishment for Butch, it was protection, for him and Marcellus. If he had been seen again in LA, Marcellus would have lost a degree of respect and fear attached to his reputation of a man not to be crossed.
I remember seeing this in the theater when it released, and thinking 2 things during this scene. 1, the shot of him deciding to close the door and go help Marselles, was probably the best visual example of the old adage "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." And 2. When Butch is searching for a weapon my brain instantly said "He's going to find a katana, it's a pawn shop, there's always one damn katana lying around in a pawn shop." And when the camera cut to the katana POV, I smiled to myself like "...yep, there it is. Only a katana would evoke that kind of stunned reverence in a dude like Butch"
I also love how when they are talking about "So what now?" Marselles doesn't even really register he meant "what now?" regarding Butch. It had completely slipped his mind.
@@Empty-Mask the bit about the katana, i just forgot to mark it as 2. corrected with an edit now though.
@@Empty-Mask yeah i think i wrote that up while i was at work, where I am frequently pulled away from my computer. so i will often lose track of what point I was making, or what sequence i'm at, in a list of points. happens to me all the time, and gets annoying when I post and then reread it and am like "...shit, that's a jumbled piece of ass right there!" 🤣
For me and my friends, the best part was we all saw ourselves in Butch search for weapons.
Baseball Bat : +5 ATT, durability low.
Too fragile, next.
Chainsaw : +25 ATT, high durability, 10% chance of the motor stalling at each strike.
Too unreliable, next.
Katana : screw the stats we're taking the katana !
They weren't enemies really it was just business.
@@ironmonkey1512 nah, they make it pretty apparent during the various interactions they have, that it was personal. Butch took it personally when he was told to ignore his pride for the money. And Marcelles took it personally for being betrayed. When Butch is punching him in the face, repeating back his line of "feel that sting? that's pride fucking with you!" as he keeps punching him. that's the kind of thing you say/do when it's personal. Not just business. And Marcelles saying a line like "If that motherfucka goes to indo-china I want a brother in a bowl of rice to put a cap in his ass" "Scour the earth for that motherfucker." That sounds way more than just business to me.
I saw this for the first time on the big screen in 1994 when it was released. I was 12 or 13 and we got dropped off at the mall and bought tickets for some horrible Sinbad comedy but my shit disturber best friend snuck us into Pulp Fiction. My mind was blown forever. I'll never forget him whispering to me a moment before Butch pushes the door open saying "what do you think is going on?!". I got to brag for weeks to everyone after about sneaking into it. Classic film...a masterpiece for sure. Over the years I've come to realize it's likely the most important film of the 90s.
Important? No. Great? Yes.
Hey, "House Guest wasn't great, but it wasn't THAT bad. Phil Hartman was in it, lol
Na jk. It's got an 18% on rotten tomatoes 😂 but even that's a little harsh imo. But I was little when I saw it so maybe it is worse than I remember
The way I look at is if you pay for a movie ticket, you’re not paying to see a specific film, you’re paying for a seat in a theater and what you watch is arbitrary.
@@anothergamingchannel2656House Guest!! Hahah that was it
Dude, sneaking into a R-rated film in the 90s? You're pretty cool.
when vincent died i was mad. i thought i wouldt like the gold watch chapter. but when you watch the last scene where jules retires an vincent is mad and says to be continued. then it all makes sence and you see this chapter diffrently.
Vincent should have listened to Jules
They were given a second chance, a choice. Jules took it; Vincent did not. The wages of sin is death.
The idea that gimp is some drifter they picked up years ago adds so much horror to this scene. He's probably watched them murder many recalcitrant victims and takes pride in his own survival.
The torture room is called "Russell's old room" by either Zed or Maynard. Russell was perhaps the gimp's predecessor...
The phrase 'Pair of plyers and a blow torch' is taken from the 70's mafia movie 'Charlie Varick' staring Walter Matthau.
Cool!
Frankly, that doesn't track at all that Marcellus Wallace would be up on 70's Matthau movies. But nice catch anyways.
@@jimfree0 lol. By anyway, Marcellus looks to be around 35 in the PF timeline of around 1993.
So that means he would have been 15 when Charlie Varick came out and as he's a gangster, and CV is a mafia movie, he probably saw it on cable in his 20's.
Boom.
It's a better movie too.
You did not disappoint with the scene breakdown. You’ve even touched on some things I missed after seeing all these years. Love your videos and keep them coming.
@@tPsychedelic thanks :) Glad you enjoyed it!
Scariest thing about this is the fact that the gimp is actually on his captors side.
He got turned out and into a sex slave. Horrifying indeed but it DOES happen
He got dicked down on some gangsta shieet
Scarier even is thinking about all the shit that could have possibly happened to the gimp to break his mind in that way
@@jeremyh107 That gimp had a limp
Stockholm syndrome. Human psyche is easily bent.
In this shot 2:54 you can also see the number plate with "Tennessee" on it, the state where his great grandfather's watch came from, he is definitely thinking about the watch monologue at this moment
And at the bottom of the plate it says "The Volunteer State"
No way that wasn't a deliberate choice on Tarantino's part, linking Butch's destination with a willingness to step up and help others.
That scene is "I wouldn't wish that to happen to my worst enemies" In action
A stellar scene in a movie absolutely chock full of them. When I saw this movie, I remember feeling like I was watching something special, like something that would go down in history.
yeah, obviously QT worked his directorial magic and that can't be underplayed... but Roger Avery wrote this whole sequence (and the whole Butch storyline).
He may not have been a perfect guy, but he never gets any credit for Pulp Fiction.
The music blaring and Zed still being heard screaming really sells the barbarity in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen matched.
The music is non-diegetic (i.e. it is only in the soundtrack, it is not being ‘heard’ in the world of the film), hence in ‘reality’ there was no music playing, and nothing drowning out the rape sounds. Hence Butch still had to be super quiet. Maybe that was the music playing in his own head as a coping mechanism?
Never noticed how angrily Marcellus racks that shotgun. My eyes were always on Butch reactions. Nice touch Vingh 👌
It came out of nowhere, and yet it was absolutely riveting. And when you think of it from a storytelling perspective, it permits the whole Butch & Marcellus story arc to transcend from one having to "win" while the other one loses, and instead... something ELSE can transpire.
When you said something about Butch refusing to leave a man behind, it suddenly occurs to me that Butch might be a veteran, and that's why the war movie on the TV that wakes him up in the hotel room is so traumatic.
Even if he isn’t his dad was a veteran and that seen with Christopher Walken were he keeps the promise he made to to Butch’s dad to give him the watch
you've said it elegantly. one of the best scenes in the movie
it speaks volumes about the character and how shared trauma can change people
Please keep these kind of videos coming, i see you’re quite new. I love the breakdowns!
@@EvantheEvolve Glad you’re enjoying them :) Plenty more on the way rest assured!
Man shout out to From the Screen. I highly doubt he got to monetize this video but he still made it for us. It's content creators like this who are keeping youtube alive. Thank you for showing us the scenes, even when they're graphic, and keeping the music in, and not referring to people dying as "game overed" or some other phrase that would've ruined the tone of the video.
@@anothergamingchannel2656 hey thanks for the comment :) Glad you appreciate what I’m doing!
So I seen the training day one first and then this. Im like I’m bout to spend all day watching this. This amazing!! You’re just starting 😢 omggfg
@@kedabreandavis9229 haha thank you!
Come along for the ride! plenty more on the way :)
Same
I'm literally just about to do the same!!
sAME,JUST CAME FROM THAT ONE TO THIS ONE
I’ll be real baby i never EVER thought about where the gimp came from or why he was there, i just sort of assumed he was part of their ring…
Your channel is a gem. Keep the analysis coming ....would love to see more 90s movies like Schneiders list, fight club, usual suspects etc.
@@afgoooey thanks :) Schindler’s list is on my list, expect a video about it in the coming weeks :)
Love that Schneider's List.
It’s also not accidental that in the shot with the door open it’s backdropped with an American split in half with the confederate flag being the other side. The side closest the door whilst the American flag was back towards Marcellus. Quentin was trying to say something with that imagery.
Tarrintino has never gotten credit for an undercurrent of sacrifice and empathy in a lot of his movies.
I feel like Tarantino loves to take move genres typically relegated to shallow militarist propaganda and patriarchal , or meaningless violence porn, such as action and thrillers and similar genres, and makes palpable MEANING out of violence, betrayal, and the underbelly’s of society and cruelty of humans. A film maker like Tarantino says meaning cab be made out of a n y genre, including blends of dark comedy, action, revenge, and thriller. I hate that he’s famous for a reason HAH
I love his films. They are good. But I don’t like him using the n word. But I guess with his films . It’s par for the course.
@ That’s a fair criticism. It’s funny too because his best movies, Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds are the only two I can think of that don’t have the N Word in it (I think) . Django is probably his third best movie tho
@@TheBonVivant_ Hubby saw Inglorious Bastards and he said somebody ( i don’t know who because war films aren’t my thing) said the n word. Kill Bill though i think is n word free. I loved the last 10 minutes of Once upon a time in Hollywood. Loved it! And the scene with Sharon watching her film.
You hit it right on the money!
Iv been saying for years that Butch reflects on the Watch, and the struggle his fathers went through to get it to him.
Also the strength of Brotherhood, and how a stranger brought him his father’s watch, and how much that means to him.
This is Butches POW camp moment, and he can’t leave a brother in arms to suffer.
And there it can’t be understated how Walken hid the watch up his A$&, and the SA taking place to Marcellus, there’s a parallel of abuse of the weak by evil, Marcellus is weakened, and is being taken advantage of by an evil person.. which in turn harkens to Jules’ crisis of faith...
You don’t know how happy it makes that someone finally agrees with me!👍🏽👍🏽
That comment you made about the katana picking him was great, makes perfect sense for the shot.
Definitely a "deep" scene. Deep in Marcellus
4:30 There's a neon sign in the upper right corner spelling "kill ed". I guess the keychain with the Z is the last piece of that puzzle
After the watch story, Butch led his life just like his father, live with honor. Butch messed up by taking the money to throw the fight and it was killing him inside despite screwing him over. He knew his honor was stained and just leaving him there would make it worse. Even if Butch knew if he will be killed after saving Marseilles, his honor was more important than his life. Marseilles had his reputation to protect on the street thus telling him not to show his face around LA. Plus, don’t want Butch telling people about what happened either. Both men were on different spectrums of life but both had honor.
Appreciate you making the content you do.
Can’t imagine spending a ton of time to produce something thoughtful for free then catch a ton of people being argumentative for funzies
@@bigpictureguys8415 thank you :) It takes a good three 3-5 days with watching the movie, watching the scene repeatedly, making notes, doing research, writing the essay, doing the recording and then editing it. Comments like this are nice :)
The katana looking down was a really cool part. I didn't notice that before.
Marcellus said their beef was over, but he didn’t know that Butch killed Vincent. I always wondered if that would change his mind later when he found out.
I never considered that but I feel like Marcellus would still honor his word to the man that saved him from that horrifying fate.
Vincent was essentially a foot soldier, when thinking about his possible (terrible) fate, I believe Maecellus is okay with it.
The game is the game. Vincent was there to kill Butch.
Given how incompetent of a gangster Vincent is, one could argue that Butch did Marcellus a favor on that count. Y’know, on top of the massive favor that this scene is about.
I don't believe so. He would have known that Butch killed him out of self defense and Vincent did kill one of his informants by shooting him in the face 'accidently'.
Your analysis is so interesting, that I feel disappointed when I haven't watched one of the movies that you breakdown. Luckily, I'd seen Pulp Fiction so I got to enjoy this one. Great job! Please keep them coming.
@@brittbella6573 Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed this one :)
Great review, man. I love the mix of interpretation and description of filming techniques!
The gimp screaming for help will always be hilarious 😂
This is the first time I’ve come across one of your videos and I had to subscribe immediately! It felt like listening to a close friend break down why his favorite movie scene is this and it made me appreciate it that much more.
@@TUESDAYFRVR-si8cz thanks :) That’s pretty much my channel :)
Epic I can’t believe how much you included in under 8 minutes
Pointing out the gimp equalizing Butch w/ himself is a good pickup.
Music in the scene, is just perfect.
Great analysis of a great scene
@@edpliskin4088 glad you enjoyed it :)
Good analysis on the Katana!
Another cool detail is how Marcellus can actively have his back turned towards Butch in the sense that he would certianly not leave his back behind (especially at this moment) to someone he does not trust with his life
Your video made me notice how he put his hand up to butch as he leaves 7:16.
this video is exactly what i was thinking when i saw this scene ,.. i am glad you made a video about it and understood it same as i did
Wow... um incredible timing! I actually just finished a video I had been working on for release on thanksgiving for the scene where Butch is about to leave the shop. This however is also a great analysis! Great to see another creator cover the scene!
Nice critique 👍. Enjoyed the insight about Walken. I watched the movie a dozen times and didn't put these two things together. Well done.
I really enjoyed your takes on the scene
@@syltis1994 :)
It's more profound when you realize that Marsellus told Butch to ignore his pride. But in the end it was Butch's moral standard, that saved him.
Damn, in all the years, all the easter eggs, all the breakdowns, I've never heard this one. That hits hard! Solid pikckup 👏
GREAT VIDEO!! !I just enjoyed listening, would love to see more like this
@@mysubscriptions5619 check out my channel :)
That was a great analysis! Learned a bunch
Somebody made a video about pulp Fiction is about redemption and I never noticed. 😮
That’s the Beaty of watching videos. People have different perspectives every viewing. 🎥
1:34 makes you wonder what it would have felt like if he could have used his first song choice, My Sharona
An excellent breakdown of some outstanding film making. Great stuff, thanks.
Dude your channel rules! Amazing breakdowns!
The finger taping on the head and the door slam are great too
The entire movie operates in shades of grey. None of the characters are good people, but when faced with something truly black, something completely evil, there’s no argument about the need to stop it.
Awesome analysis. Thank you for uploading this!
@@elcabezon2222 Glad you enjoyed it :)
3:29 There are just certain things you do; one of them, if you have ANY kind of heart and spine, is 'you don't let a man get violated without his consent'. I never looked for a 'deeper meaning' in this scene, but to me, at least, the point came across as rather obvious.
I remember seeing this in the theater and a bunch of guys in the audience yelling, " Go back, save him!
This channels going to be massive!!
@@JohnnyJetwash316 haha thank you! I hope so, I’m enjoying making these videos 🙂
@fromthescreen123 The training day video was awesome. Gave me a new sense of appreciation for a film that I already thought was brilliant.
@ glad you enjoyed it :)
I heard about pulp fiction and never watched it until I was maybe 22. It’s in a tier of its own. I’ve never been so into a movie from start to finish.
I never thought about the idea that the bike was named Grace.
He was Marcellus's saving grace, and his actions were his own saving grace.
Damn Sir, that was outstanding! Well done.
6:43 I like how Butch copies Marcellus lowering of the weapon in hand.
All these years later, I never thought about the line that can be drawn between Walken's story and what happened to Butch/Marcellus.
A detail which I think is very important: at 6:40 Butch drops the katana just after Marcellus drops the gun. I think that up until that point, Butch was still not entirely convinced that Marcellus was going to just let him go (even though he told him to step aside, instead of shooting him on the back moments ago ).
Marcellus drops his weapon just as Butch asks "what about between me and you?"
Something I noticed for the first time about this scene. As Butch is about to leave the pawn shop, framed behind him is a Confederate flag and an American flag. Slavery and freedom. Or it could just be a couple of flags.
I wouldn't put it past QT knowing how meticulous he is with set design, although I think a more straightforward answer is that it sort of ties the feel of a seedy, run down LA pawnshop together. Sometimes good set dressing is just that, good set dressing.
You are right. Also, considering racism…Marsellus is black. The whole writing is full of layers and social message.
Nah, I don't think so.
@fecardona lol no
One of the greatest scenes of cinema. I remember watching this for the first time. It blew my mind. So many questions. The scene drives the imagination. The things we don´t see are so intriguing.
Just the way he slams the door was just amazing this movie and Goodfellows best 2 movies of the 90s
@@jamesconsiglio2709 goodfellows?
Another interesting thing is that in the beginning of the movie we see Marcellus saying Butch that pride is not that important, later on in this scene we see Marcellus being molested and losing his pride. He kinda lost what he was trying to persuade Butch was not that important. I'm surprised nobody has noticed this
I love these types of breakdowns, please do the 2007 Halloween
Great video! Well done mate, you nailed it!
Good review. You didn't mention that the chopper being named "Grace".
Since I first saw this movie I knew it was going to be a timeless classic, on a level with Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, The Sound of Music, and Doctor Zhivago. Given the subject matter, that's always been kind of troubling.
Right up until I watched this video I always thought that Marsellus should of blasted Butch for getting him into that situation, but you're explanation made so much sense that I've now changed my mind.
In one of his trillion audio bites Quentin describes why in Res Dogs that Mr Orange tells Mr White that he's a cop even though he'll probably get shot. Quentin describes it in one word: "Jingy" from Japanese dialect, I think? It simply means Honour or respect.
P.s "Z pulls out to turn around" 😮😮😮😮
30 years on, I recall clearly seeing this film at the Cinema. When the credits rolled, it was dead quiet. A few seconds later, loud extended applause. Nobody seemed to understand exactly what they had just experienced, but they knew it was brilliant.
Great scene, but I have to levy one gripe...
6:04 ...spot the continuity error. Notice how he cycles the shotgun there, but then at [ 6:11 ], he has the forearm pulled back and the bolt open for no reason, clearly showing the audience that the gun's empty. Actors do this with pump shotguns a lot, especially side-ejectors, as if they're trying to show the audience that they don't know what they're doing.
Yeah guns in cinema rarely do justice to the details. Like when they rack a semi auto pistol as if to ready a shot or grab a freshly fired bullet casing like it wouldn’t burn your fingers. Only thing imo that gets fucked up more blatantly is when actors fake playing instruments.
@@tonerios3732 And typewriters too. They're always pecking on those keys their their index fingers, even if the character is someone who would know how to type due to their profession. It's insulting!
Okay, the cut with the slow-mo cycling shot ends with the slide open, sure, but it’s closed again when Marcellus points the gun at Zed. It’s honestly not that glaring of a detail. It just means that there wasn’t a round in the chamber beforehand because no one had fired it
Butch knew he'd earned his redemption when he heard Marcellus from behind him; "Step aside Butch."
This was a great video
As Zed pulls out… dude. Cmon.
I caught that too😭
🤷♂️
5:21 When Butch re-enters the basement, Maynard is doing more than just watching.
The blood on Butch's t-shirt resembles an angel in some scene. Especially when he is choosing the Katana.
As Butch pushes to door open to leave there's a Tennessee (his destination) license plate on the wall behind him.
Also on that wall is a Confederate (traitor) Battle flag, the last thing he'll pass if he abandons Marsellus and leaves.
Next to it, back into the shop, is a US (patriot) flag, the flag his father and grandfather died for.
He chooses the path past the US flag.
One of the best revenge scenes in movie history honestly.
Butch not throwing the fight is a sign of his code of honor, his honor extends to the ring to the fight itself, also why he couldn't stand to see a man helpless to fight back
From the screen to the ring to the pen to the king
I really appreciate that you didn't edit out the dialogue
ooh~ easy sub. excellent analysis. looking forward to seeing you tackle other topics and movies in the future. May I humbly suggest Boys Don't Cry, from 1999? i honestly think its one of the more culturally important films of the past few decades. I put it up there with American History X.
When i first watched this scene i distinctly remember thinking just before he turned back "i know he was tryin to kill you but you cant leave him!"
Great breakdown!
I mean, Marcellus did not mention to Butch there was someone inside his house ready to kill him. At this point, Marcellus did not know that Vincent was killed by Butch.
Did he forget about it or was it on porpoise?
@@IIIhenriqueIII yeah I always wondered about this. Did he expect Butch to go home and get some things before he left town? In which case Vincent would kill him…