Arguably the most quoted film in American Cinema, Pulp Fiction set the stage for indie film makers who set out to challenge the normal attributes of American society and broadcast their beliefs in a postmodern fashion. While the film’s elements stays true to any Tarantino blood-bath feature, it has several underlying themes on the topic of our own morality in the ever lasting struggles of establishing a common ground between a religious and secular viewpoint on the merits of human life’s sacredness in society. This struggle is most explicitly between the film’s two protagonist, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield.
The character of Jules Winnfield is truly a complex one. He comes off as a man that performs his duties, but still is very critical in his own way of how he views people, the world and eventually his own actions. Vincent Vega, however, is a man that takes no issue with his actions or the actions of his boss, Marcellus Wallace, who plays the personification of the devil. This is not to say Vince is a malicious individual, but isn’t hesitant to pull the trigger on those who cross him or Marcellus. Jules for a short while fit this description, until he witnessed what he believed to be a miracle.
This is where skepticism confronts a newfound disciple of the divine. After a gunman misses Vince and Jules five time, Jules believes God came down and deflected the bullets that should’ve hit them. Jules get aggravated with Vince when he tries to pass it off as a freak occurrence, which reflects the Judaeo-Christan and Secularist battle we see often today. As we move to the Diner scene, the conversation between the two exemplifies the debate even further. While Jules comes to grips with his life and decides to wonder the earth as God’s disciple, Vincent seems to take a nihilist response to his words, telling Jules the people who take a life of a wonderer are the “scum of the world” and are “pieces of shit.” Jules examines himself even further when he is pointing a gun to Ringo, the thief. When he recites Ezekiel 25:17 at the beginning of the film, he does it in an intimating way. When reciting the passage to Ringo, he recites it in a self reflective tone, describing himself as the “tyranny of evil men,” and referring to Ringo as the weak. But Jules expressing his desire to become the Shepard, who is the finder of lost children. This shows the complete transformation of Jules morality, giving up a life of violence for a life of God. Unfortunately, Vincent’s arguably nihilist perspective on life keeps him in his line of work, and leads to his death by the hands of another character undergoing a similar transformation.
When we first are introduced to Butch Coolidge, he is in a bar with Marcellus Wallace accepting money to throw a boxing match. Marcellus believes Butch is washed up, and tells him pride will be the fall of him. Butch ultimately crossed Wallace, and plans to go to Knoxville with his girlfriend. Like Vincent, Butch carries a nihilistic attitude, which is made evident when he shows no remorse for killing his opponent in the ring. However, Butch begins to take on existential approach to life as his day commences. When looking at the film form a critical standpoint, Butch has free will but isn’t free. His soul metaphorically belongs to the devil, he’s tied to a chair with a gag ball in his mouth about to be sexually assaulted and his life is dictated around the gold watch that has been in his family for years. As the film progresses, he takes control of his own life and even values the lives of others. When he escapes from captivity, he decides to save Marcellus, who wants Butch dead for not throwing the fight. As Marcellus lets Butch leaves town for saving his life, he rides off on a chopper with his girlfriend, fully in control of his destiny.
In essence, Pulp Fiction is a successful film due to its perfect blend of philosophical oracles that each character realizes in their own bizarre journey. The transformation of Jules and Butch reflect their realization that life is precious, seeing as both of them had near death experiences, as did Marcellus Wallace by letting Butch flee. The value of human life is the most predominate theme of film. Those who figured it out survived. Those who didn’t suffered the ultimate consequence of death. In the end, regardless of religious or secular affiliation, no one can deny the value of human experience in this life.
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