You Might Feel a Sting: Hierarchies of Control in Pulp
Fiction Sasha Risler
The following tracks the analysis of Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino,
1994) in terms of its refusal to comply with the generic standard of
noir films through the elements of textural, structural and character
hierarchy. As stated by Joe Allen from Lancaster University, the film
manipulates “accepted notions of character, narrative, and text”
to assert the notion of control. I will consider the components of
character, narrative and textual elements to explain the
hierarchies of control in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
Introduction
“Pu
lp /
’pe
lp/
n. 1
. A s
oft
, mo
ist,
sh
ap
ele
ss m
ass
of
ma
tte
r. 2
. A
ma
ga
zin
e o
r bo
ok
co
nta
inin
g lu
rid s
ub
jec
t m
att
er a
nd
be
ing
c
ha
rac
teris
tica
lly p
rinte
d o
n ro
ug
h, u
nfin
ishe
d p
ap
er.”
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Honey Bunny: When you go on like this, you know what you sound like? Pumpkin: I sound like a sensible fucking man, is that I sound like. Honey Bunny: You sound like a duck. Quack. Quack. Quack. Pumpkin: Well take heart, ‘cause you’re never gonna hafta hear it again. Because since I’m never gonna do it again, you’re never gonna hafta hear me quack about how I’m never gonna do it again.
“Pulp Fiction is a comedy about blood, guts, violence,
strange sex, drugs, fixed fights, dead body disposal, leather freaks, and a wristwatch” –
Roger Ebert
Character
Dialogue
The conversation between Honey Bunny and Pumpkin
seen in the prologue contributes to the audience’s
understanding of character and character relations. The
dialogue in the scene and throughout the film is “as
humorous as the violence is venomous, making ‘pulp’ the
last thing on our minds” (Ziem). The discourse between the
two characters deviates from the generic dialogue and
brings to life the “unimportant or empty moments that
more conventional crime stories, noirs, and thrillers omit”
(Howley). The ‘small talk’ is not to be overlooked, for it
plays a key role in establishing the character and
character relations immediately in the film. In terms of
control, this scene sets the stage for what will ultimately be
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Ma
rce
llus: N
igh
t of th
e fig
ht, yo
u m
igh
t fee
l a slig
ht stin
g. Th
at's p
ride
fuc
kin' w
ith
you
. Fuc
k prid
e! Prid
e o
nly h
urts, it n
eve
r he
lps. Y
ou
figh
t thro
ug
h th
at sh
it. 'Ca
use
a
yea
r from
no
w, w
he
n yo
u kic
king
it in th
e C
arib
be
an
, you
go
nn
a sa
y to yo
urse
lf, "M
arc
ellu
s Wa
llac
e w
as rig
ht."
Inter-Character Power Relations
A shift in hierarchy occurs that showcases inter-character
power relations, particularly in “The Gold Watch” sequence.
Until this sequence, Marcellus maintains ultimate power and
authority by remaining faceless, suggesting that not even
the audience is privileged to identify him. However,
throughout the entirety of the mini-narrative, the highest
position of character authority changes many hands: “it
changes to Marcellus as he regains consciousness and
shoots at Butch, chasing him down the street; then to Butch
as he hides inside the door of the pawn shop before
wrestling Marcellus to the ground; then the pawn shop
owner gains the torch as he points a shotgun at both Butch
and Marcellus” (Allen, 4). Marcellus is stripped of all
authority when raped, temporarily placing control into the
hands of Butch. Allen suggests that the dramatic shifts of
authority could be said to “mirror the characters’ desperate
attempts to regain control of their situation”. This sequence
portrays an interesting power dynamic between the two
characters, suggesting that a hierarchy of characters is a
leading component of the film.
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Appearance: notions of professionalism and its subsequent authority
Throughout the film, Vincent and Jules are dressed in matching black
suits, thus providing the audience with visual cues that the characters
hold professional authority.
When Vincent and Jules are stripped of their blood soaked suits in order to
avoid being caught for the accidental murder of Marvin, they are jokingly
referred to as “dorks” when seen in their casual t-shirts and gym shorts.
However, it is when they are in these casual outfits that “Jules manages to
perform what is arguably the most authoritative and power-laden act of the
whole film, the foiling of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny’s robbery”(Allen, 5). It is
during the epilogue that Jules is shown “to be a figure of great control even
when stripped of the properties that once embodied this control” (Allen, 5).
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Narrative
Fragmented Structure
Rather than adhering to the generic
formula of classical narratives, Tarantino
reinterprets the generic formula and
deviates from the classical form. Pat
Dowell suggests that the fragmented
structure has a beneficial effect on the
audience. “An audience does not have
to identify each of the references in
order to understand the narrative
progression of the film itself, but on the
other hand an understanding of such
references builds up a mental picture of
the intertextual world that Pulp Fiction
inhabits, and the more references an
audience picks up on the more powerful
the audience becomes” (Allen, 6). Here
in lies the key to the audience’s control:
the number of references they can
identify.
In the essay entitled, “Are Movies Going to Pieces?” published in 1964, Pauline Kael
attempts to explain the dissipation of narrative cohesion in films. Kael suggests that the influence of television is largely to blame
concluding, “the old staples of entertainment – in offensive genres like the adventure story
or the musical or the ghost-story or the detective story – are no such longer
commercially safe for moviemakers, and it may be that audiences don’t have much
more than a television span of attention left” (Kael, 1966, 345).
Mini-Narratives: shift from generic to real
The film is broken into three mini-narratives: ‘Vincent
Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s Wife’, ‘The Gold
Watch’, and ‘The Bonnie Situation’. “Instead of
ending each of these narratives in the conventional
place the narrative continues in an attempt to show
what occurs outside the traditional stock elements”
(Allen, 2). For example, when Vincent and Jules visit
Brett to recover Marcellus’ briefcase, they execute
Brett and his friends before leaving. Allen notes that
the generic narrative would end here. However,
Tarantino pushes the scene further through the event
in which the two gangsters ‘miraculously’ avoid
being shot by Marvin, who hid in the bathroom
during the execution. Tarantino admits that the
audience is familiar with these scenes, however they
are “genre situations unraveled in real ways” thus
competing for the control over the audience’s
Accidental Incident
Within each of the three narratives, the accidental incident is used to deviate from the generic
model of classic noir films. The influence of the seemingly accidental component is vital, for in each
of the three narratives, once each have “passed the safety of the generic cut off point, the
unexpected occurs, thus leaving the characters with a situation that desperately has to be
resolved” (Allen, 3). For instance, after Vincent and Jules regain custody of Marcellus’ briefcase
from Brett’s apartment, an unexpected gunshot caused by a bump in the road results in an untimely
death for Marvin, who is seated in the backseat of the car. Just as Vincent and Jules’ plan was
going according to plan, the two gangsters suddenly find themselves covered in blood while driving
through LA. Up until these seemingly accidental occurrences, the “characters are in control of their
individual narratives” however, the narrative “moves one step ahead of the characters” leaving the
characters shocked, thus mirroring the audiences’ astonishment (Allen, 3). These accidental
incidents are meant to create confusion within both character and audience and provide “vital
opportunities for the character to regain control of what the text makes both character and
audience believe is an impossible situation” (Allen, 3).
Jule
s: Wh
at th
e fu
ck’s h
ap
pe
nin
g, m
an
? A
h, sh
it ma
n!
Vin
ce
nt: O
h m
an
, I sho
t Ma
rvin in
the
fac
e.
Jule
s: Wh
y the
fuc
k did
you
do
tha
t!
Vin
ce
nt: W
ell, I d
idn
’t me
an
to d
o it, it w
as a
n a
cc
ide
nt!
Jule
s: Oh
ma
n I’ve
see
n so
me
cra
zy ass sh
it in m
y time
…
Vin
ce
nt: C
hill o
ut, m
an
. I told
you
it wa
s an
ac
cid
en
t. Yo
u
pro
ba
bly w
en
t ove
r a b
um
p o
r som
eth
ing
.
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Textual Elements
Camera Movement
The prologue of Pulp Fiction uses
camera movement to contribute
to the hierarchy of control. In the
opening scene, an extended shot
reveals Honey Bunny and Pumpkin from the waist down. Tarantino chose to
place the focus on the two characters, thus indicating their importance to the
plot. Through use of the camera movements, the audience can understand
the role and relationship between the two characters, however the lack of
information creates an element of tension and suspense. This technique forces
the audience to immediately fall under the control of the characters, as they
leap onto the table indicating that a robbery will occur.
Props
When identifying the use of props in Pulp Fiction, the scene in which
Vincent and Jules are at Brett’s apartment imposes subtle, yet
profound instances of dark humor. Jules places Brett’s cup of Sprite
on the table in the exact position in which it was picked up, stating,
“That’s the spot”.
In terms of control, Jules is of a greater hierarchy than Brett who sits
quietly at the table as Jules eats his food.
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Conclusion
Hierarchies of control exist in Pulp
Fiction that is depicted through the
elements of character, narrative
and text. “Tarantino uses smoke
and mirrors to disguise three stories
that individually aren’t complicated
in structure and puts them together
in a way that gives them the
semblance of pulp; makes them
appear to us as soft, moist, and
shapeless stories. Tarantino colors
chaotically outside the lines, and in
doing so, seamlessly blends together
these stories, laughing in the face of
normal filmmaking and storytelling
conceits all while making it look so
easy” (Ziem). Tarantino refuses to
follow the generic standard of films
and instead, deviates from the
classical structure, thus creating a
masterful work of art.
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Works Cited
Ziem, Keaton. "Structure of Pulp Fiction: Method in the Madness Main." Structure of Pulp Fiction: Method in the Madness � Main. The Script Lab, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://thescriptlab.com/features/main/1457-structure-of-pulp-fiction-method-in-the-madness>.
Allen, Joe. "Crimeculture." Crimeculture. Lancaster University, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://www.crimeculture.com/Contents/Articles-Summer03/AllenPulpFict.html>.
Barr, Kevin. "Narrative Structure in Film: 'Pulp Fiction' & 'Citizen Kane'" Suite101.com. 101, 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://suite101.com/article/narrative-structure-in-film-pulp-fiction--citizen-kane-a344847>.
Howley, Kevin. "Breaking, Making, and Killing Time in Pulp Fiction | Filmonogamy." Filmonogamy. N.p., 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://filmonogamy.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/breaking-making-and-killing-time-in-pulp-fiction/>.
Lyotard, Francois and Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, Manchester University Press, [1995]