By Robert Seebach
Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino’s sophmore feature film directorial effort. It was released in the United States by Miramax Films 14 October 1994. Pulp Fiction was written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, and Bruce Willis among others.
The separate, yet interconnected chapters in Pulp Fiction was a fresh storytelling style at the time of the film’s release. Since 1994 others have appropriated this syle with varying degrees of success.
This article will focus on the vignette The Bonnie Situation. Upon watching this movie recently, I noticed something in this chapter, I’d not noticed before. This chapter opens with Jules (Samuel Jackson) stating the bible passage from Ezekiel 25:17 prior to him and Vincent (John Travolta) executing Brad. We the audience have witnessed this scene previously in the opening chapter of the film from a different vantage point. In The Bonnie Situation, the audience sees this scene partly from the perspective of the man who is in the bathroom. It is in this man’s reaction to hearing Jules’s reciting of Ezekiel 25:17 that I noticed something different.
At first the man in the bathroom has a look of consternation. This is understandable. After all, stating a bible verse from the Old Testament prior to executing someone is an odd occurence. But the man’s expression subtly changes from consternation to one of resoluteness. There was something about that bible verse that spoke to this man. Seconds ago he was in full terror, whispering to himself “Oh God, please, I don’t want to die. Please.” ( Pulp Fiction, 01:51:50 – 01:51:54) The bible verse comforted him in a way.
Now I’m not suggesting this man had a religous conversion; however, I do believe that being touched by those words provided him with the resoluteness to burst forth from the bathroom firing upon the two assassins as if he had God on his side.
Divine intervention is one of the themes which plays throughout this film. It doesn’t end well for the man in the bathroom. He unloads the entire revolver and not one bullet finds its target. The man is swiftly shot dead.
Directly afterwards Jules begins his commentary on divine intervention. Jules asks Vincent, “This was divine intervention. You know what divine intervention is?” (Pulp Fiction, 01:54:06 – 01:54:10 ) This is the moment of Jules’s acceptance of the divine within the material world.
One can infer that Jules is acting as a false prophet. The man in the bathroom is affected by Jules’s recitation of Ezekiel 25:17. I interpret this as the man feeling the words of God and thus emboldened to burst forth gun blazing. The man ends up missing Jules and Vincent with every shot.
Was the man not worthy of God’s protection? Why not. Why were Jules and Vincent spared? Does this make Jules a false prophet?
The second time we hear Jules reciting Ezekiel 25:17 is during the diner scene, which is the final scene of the movie, though not the final scene chronologically.
During the diner scene Jules has a different perspective. The man he recites the passage to – “Ringo” – lives. So why is this scene different from the earlier scene? I have some thouhts.
I believe the difference in outcome for both Jules and the person who is receiving Jules’s oration is based primarily on an existential shift.
We see Jules work this out with “Ringo” in the diner scene. My belief is that Jules has been converted by his experience earlier in the day. This is why Jules doesn’t kill “Ringo.” Instead, he allows “Ringo” to complete the task he set out to accomplish. One might say that Jules is helping him. I don’t think so. Jules is simply letting “God’s plan” play out. Thus, in this scene Jules is acting as a true prophet. It’s this philosophy which also causes Jules to refuse “Ringo” the briefcase. Jules is operating by a moral code; a code that challenges the concepts of divine intervention and free will.
Tarantino is skilled in use of wardrobe to quickly inform the audience about a character. When we first see Vincent and Jules, they are dressed in austere black suits. These suits serve as a uniform for the hitmen. The suits let the audience know these men are professionals and they mean business.
during the diner scene, Jules is wearing a basic shorts and t-shirt, the outfit of the common man. This symbolizes modesty. Jules has had his conversion by this point. He is no longer a professional hitman.
Vincent never buys into Jules’s notion of divine intervention. Vincent dismisses the idea and is not changed by the experience. Could this be why Vincent later meets his demise?
So what happens to Jules now that he has had a spiritual awakening. There are subtlties within The Bonnie Situation which point to Jules continuing to work in the criminal underground, perhaps in a different capacity.
I see Jules getting into the “cleaning” business, or “fixer” business much like Winston Wolf. Both Vincent and Jules grow to respect Mr. Wolf. Jules even more so, in my opinion. When Jules and Vincent are eating breakfast discussing their encounter with Mr. Wolf, Jules’s face lights up. “The life” still excites him as he recounts Mr. Wolf’s coolness and professionalism. Winston Wolf even refers to Jules as a ‘prodigy’ while they are discussing the driving arrangements to Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow. Could this be foreshadowing Jules’s future as a “fixer?”
Another mentionable use of wardrobe: Winston Wolf is wearing a black tuxedo. This is a step up from the classic black suits which comprise Vincent and Jules’s attire. The tuxedo signifies a level of status, class, and sophistication – all characteristics Mr. Wolf possesses. We also catch a glimpse of Winston’s Gucci watch while he is on the phone with Marsellus Wallace.
Pulp Fiction is a film about free will and divine intervention. The Bonnie Situation, although not the chronological ending to the story, is the ending of Jules’s story. The Bonnie Situation shows Jules’s character arc from cold-blooded hitman to enlightened sage.
Works Cited
Pulp Fiction. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Miramax Films, 1994. Film.