What was in the Briefcase?

Question

Can anyone tell me what was in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction? And what is the Band-Aid on the back of Marsellus's neck about? Is there a connection? You never see or hear anyone say what's in the case. Thanks, - Hedy

Potential Answer (also see comments)

Note: If you don't remember the briefcase, check out the Hamburger scene video.

Metadata

Category:   Questions
Posted Date:  
Movie/Topic:   Pulp Fiction
Posted by:   Pulp Sloth
Article Tags:  Questions   MarsellusWallace   VingRhames 

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USER COMMENTS

Pulp Sloth

The conspiracy theory is that Marsellus had his soul removed through a hole in his neck and it somehow ended up in the "glowing suitcase" that Vince and Jules retrieves from Brett's apartment.

Another theory is that the actor Ving Rhames had a scar on his neck and the Band-Aid was simply there to cover an ugly scar. Personally I believe the first theory. After all, why would anyone care if a gangster had a scar? Aren't gangsters supposed to be scarred?

But it makes more sense to believe it was the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs that were in the suitcase ... and that the scar on the back of Marsellus's head is just that... an unrelated scar. What do other people think?

Vick-ee-x

My friend did about Tarantino in College.
It is Wallace's soul in the suitcase, because in China or somewhere, they believe you can take your soul out, and it gets removed from the back of your neck and thats why he has the plaster on.

Then you see Wallace with no plaster on and that is because he has the suitcase back with his soul in.

:)

RoyaleWithCheese

"It's TRUE that Marcellus, or more appropriate, Ving Rhames, had a scar at the back of his head, and when Ving heard about the 'over-the-shoulders'
shot he didn't want anyone too see (Must have been a really bad scar!).
"You can find that fact on IMDb trivia section, along with many other intresting facts". "When Ringo and Yolanda are talking in the cafe at the beggining off the movie, you can actually see Vincent going too the bathroom to 'Take a Piss'."

"As for the briefcase, Tarantino announced that "It's whatever the viewer wants it to be"along with the 'miracle' it's the viewers own opinion' do you agree with Jules (Miracle) or Vincent (Luck)."

Hope I helped.

emeraldeyes

According to wikipedia... Tarantino has stated there is no explanation for contents of the briefcase. It was originally going to contain the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs, but they decided against it. In an interview with Tarantino's fellow director and friend Robert Rodriguez, he said that the knowledge of the contents of the briefcase radically alters one's understanding of the movie.

t

I don't usually post messages on message boards. I had to post here. I registered specifically for it. I'm sure a lot of you will have fun w/ my post and this will grow into a large thread... judging from the wise replies already posted. I was looking for a song on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack and Hedy's question caught my eye. I am a Tarantino fan and have always known what was in the briefcase. It wasn't that hard to figure out. I'm not sure if Tarantino will ever really say what should be in the briefcase according to the movie and it's trivial nature. What I can say is that the clues in the movie point to one thing and that is how I figured it out.
As for what was actually in the briefcase on the set: it was very shiny and produced a glare on Ringo's face. It also practically gave him a hard on. I think it also produced a glare on Vincent's face in the apartment earlier that morning, I can't quite remember. It was supposed to be how Marcellus cleans his gangster income (launders his dirty laundry); he most likely did this by investing in gold bricks.
I hope this clears it up and I hope I didn't blurb too much b4 giving it up. I just wanted to add a little suspense in the spirit of one of our favorite movies. I hope I didn't offend anyone by letting the secret out, if I did, feel free to rant and rave and rip me to shreds. I won't reply.. but I'll read your replies just for the fun of it and I'll enjoy all of the colorful ways you can find to tear me up.
I can't figure out the band aid thing.. sry.

damnit

OH MY GOSH!!
You ranted and raved about it so long like you were a fucking genius for figuring out the first thought in everybody's head. The idea is that gold is too easy.
Some clarification: earlier posts are right, whats in the breifcase is whatever you want it to be. tarantino and robert pretended to clear this up on an episode of artist on artist but
On set: on set it was simply a battery pack and a yellow bulb.
Now enjoy the movie!! :D

axolotl

One interpretation is as follows:

The symbolism is a reference to something from religion. A man's soul can be taken through the back of the neck, thus Wallace's scar. Wallace was trying to use what was in the brief case, to "buy" his soul back. Note that the combination to the briefcase was 666. In a sense you could say that the briefcase represented Wallace's salvation. Also note that Jules, who carries the brief case, has a tendency to "preach" (to his future victims:)

big-kahoona-burger

i have to agree wid the other guy and one tarriontino i no i spelt it rong but hoo gives a fuck as i was saying one hes not that dumb to put gold in it and if it was gold bricks then no one could pick it up i no it was sad i no that but fuck u o and that soul crap what the fuck

calijen

Actually, Ving Rhames has a scar on his neck and didn't want it to be seen. The make-up could not cover up so the band-aide was a quick fix.

muzzer

It wasnt a scar on the back of his head, it was a spot, and tarantino hated it because all the scenes with his back turned didnt look to pretty
I think it was just a last minuit thing tarantino said before shooting rarther than the whole prosess of makeup etc

as for the breifcase i cant remember the name for it but it uses it in other films than resevour dogs and Pulp Fiction but they deliberatly dont tell/show us because it leaves suspence

marv0723

The Case: The Holy Grail

The Band Aid: A common Negro Scar. Black skin scars more predominantly than white skin. Band aid is a cosmetic solution and provoking bit of trivia.

colossus106

Hey Bad mother fuckers, i have the pulp fiction double disk dvd and within reveals all. The suitcase however is not revealed for an item in any film that only moves the story along but hasnt any real significance to the story is what as known as a McGuffin. However the plaster on the back of Marcellus Wallace's head is revealed, the actor playing Marcellus has a scar on the back of his head and make-up decided to put a plaster on, its that simple. Pulp Fiction is the telling of stories that is improbable to happen, having someone's soul removed from the neck is impossible. However a good theory, but highly unlikely.

Cindy

I think there is drugs,money, and maybe some diamonds in the breifcase, and I think marsellus band aid thing is that maybe half of his neck got like removed in a bad gangsta fight so probably if he took off the band aid like thered be blood all over the place.

samnabag

Ok ok. I have to be the one that breaks the conspiracy theories on this. The actor that played Marcellus Wallace has a scar on the back of his neck so he put a bandaid on top since he was a bit self-conscious about it. If you go back to the scene where he talks to Buch about going down in the 5th you can see the actually bump of the scar within the bandaid.
What ever is in the suitcase has to be of gold/yellow color since you see a yellow/gold light when it is opened. Therefor, it must be gold bars in the case.

IF there were diamonds in the suitcase it wouldnt glow yellow! In fact, it wouldn't glow at all. Only gold bars would make that glow.

C_riss07

fuck the breaf case... does anyone know what types of guns used vincent and jules?

mikhail123

Okay... now to be quite honest... anybody asking a question like this... must not call him self a Tarantino fan (I'm not saying you call yourself a big fan)...
well the truth is (i believe) that Mr. Tarantino used the briefcase as a MacGuffin.. which is a cinematic device used to motivate the plot...
in other words its put there to make ladies and gentlemen (like yourself).. post threads like this!

Moe

I have read all your comments on this, most of you had it right but were not sure although you have all the clues in the movie to support it and make it clear and be sure for ever with no doubt, it's Marcellus's soul, that's why he had the patch on his nick and these patches are used when you have a cut not when you have a scar !!! when Vincent opened the bag he used the combination 666 which refers to the devile as he takes souls so Bret and his friends were associates for the devil, now...when Jules & Vincent got the bag with the soul, a guy comes out shooting at them but he hits nothing ! there's even a bullet in the wall right behind jules which means it went through him but nothing happened !!! it was devine intervention as they were the sould guardians now and god interfeard :)))) I'm from Dubai in the middle east, never even been to the US and I could figure it out, shame on you :P you gotta love Tarantino to really understand his style !

firechief10

Gold bars

Debi

It is supposed to be left up to your imagination. For fuck's sake. You nut jobs with you ideas on souls and shit. Give me a break.

mongoose678

what the hell?
its also in the movie 'lord of the rings'
its frodo's weed!

rancidjunkie

These theories, could be true.. but Quentin doesn't want us to know, it would ruin the fun of letting our imaginations run wild.

The one about Marsellus's soul is the most popular, and of course the Diamonds from Reservoir Dogs, as well as the bricks theory, which I don't really believe.

There's also one about it being Elvis's gold suit.

All these are possibilities that we'll never know. I wonder if Quentin will take that to his grave?

xdirtyboots

I know the band-aid is just from when Ving Rhames was shaving his head, and he cut it on accident, and he put a band-aid on it.

You can interpret the suitcase however you want, but it's just supposed to represent the idea of "the-thing-everybody-is-after" and willing to kill/die for. It's just glowy because, whatever it is, it's "illustrous" and beautiful.

brill301

I thought it was marsellus's "SOUL"

agon60

i was watching an interview on howard stern and somebody asked tarantino about the briefcase and he said all those rumors are false. he said that himself and avery purposely wrote it so that the viewer could decide for themselves what it was

ocdfan

I THINK, LIKE MOST COMMENTS, THE GOLD GLOW REPRESENTS "ALL THAT GLITTERS" SOUL IS GOOD THE COMBINATION WAS 666...BUT WHAT WERE THOSE KIDS DOING WITH IT??
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