What’s in the Pulp Fiction Briefcase? Unraveling Tarantino’s Biggest Mystery!

For over three decades since the release of “Pulp Fiction,” viewers have been pondering the contents of the enigmatic briefcase that Vincent and Jules are tasked with retrieving in Quentin Tarantino’s iconic film. When opened for the first time by Vincent, a mysterious golden glow escapes, suggesting possibilities like gold bars or some other precious metal.

The Enigmatic Briefcase

However, the reaction of the gangster, almost in religious awe of what he sees, is quite abnormal. Jules has to snap him back to reality as they are in the middle of interrogating individuals who attempted to steal this valuable item from their boss, Marsellus Wallace.

The same occurs at the film’s climax. When the robber played by Tim Roth opens the briefcase, his face is also bathed in that golden light, leading him to utter the cryptic: “It’s beautiful.” Tarantino has chosen to keep the contents of the briefcase a secret, leaving it to the audience’s imagination.

“I like the idea of having a briefcase in ‘Pulp Fiction’ and not telling you what’s inside it. But it’s up to you to decide what it contains. That way, it becomes your movie. You’ll make that decision yourself, sooner or later. If I gave you the answer, you’d just throw it away, and I don’t want you to throw it away. It’s your movie,” the director stated in an interview posted on the channel Outstanding Screenplays.

Fans have taken this response to heart, coming up with various theories about what the briefcase might contain. One popular theory involves Marsellus, the boss of Vincent and Jules. The first time we see him, he is filmed from behind talking to Bruce Willis, with a noticeable bandage on his neck.

Fascinating Theories

According to one prevalent theory, the briefcase could contain the soul of Marsellus, sucked out by the devil through his neck, hence the plaster. This would also explain the briefcase’s opening code: 666. These three digits appear in the Bible, Book of Revelation, chapter 13, verse 18: “Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

666 is thus symbolic of evil, the devil, or Satan, representing opposition to God. It’s associated with the Beast, a figure representing a corrupt political or religious power, the Antichrist (in traditional Christian interpretation), or an oppressive system opposed to God. In the context of the film, this seems fitting, with the criminals linked to figures of evil.

This would explain the awe-struck reactions of Vincent and Pumpkin (Tim Roth), two crooks mesmerized by a soul as demonic as that of Marsellus Wallace. For them, it’s akin to beholding a living god. Thus, Vincent and Jules might have been tasked with retrieving Marsellus’ soul after a deal with the devil.

Another theory suggests that Marsellus’ briefcase might contain an Oscar for his wife Mia (the gangster’s spouse who has always dreamed of becoming an actress), or a golden Elvis Presley costume, precisely the one worn by Val Kilmer in “True Romance,” another screenplay penned by Tarantino. Regardless, speculation continues, and the director is far from revealing his true thoughts on the briefcase’s contents!

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