Pulp Fiction Theory Fixes Vincent’s Hitman Problem By Making One Scene So Much Worse

Pulp Fiction followed Vincent Vega (John Travolta), who wasn’t exactly the best of Marsellus Wallace’s (Ving Rhames) hitmen, but one theory fixes this problem by making one of Vincent’s scenes a lot worse. After the success of Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Quentin Tarantino made another crime movie two years later: Pulp Fiction. Famously told in a nonlinear style, Pulp Fiction is formed by different segments starring different characters, but they are all connected in some way. Despite each segment having different lead characters, the ones considered as Pulp Fiction’s main characters are Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson).

Vincent and Jules work for crime boss Marsellus Wallace, and their story begins when they are tasked with getting a briefcase from one of Marsellus’ business partners. Although they are a great team, it’s clear throughout Pulp Fiction that Jules is a lot more skilled and professional than Vincent, which raises questions about why Marsellus kept him around and gave him important tasks, with or without Jules. One of Vincent’s worst moments is when he accidentally kills Marvin in the car, but a theory makes this scene a lot worse while also fixing Vincent’s hitman problem.

Pulp Fiction Theory Claims Vincent Shot Marvin On Purpose

Marvin’s Death Took Jules & Viewers By Surprise

As mentioned above, Marsellus sends Jules and Vincent to retrieve a briefcase from a business partner named Brett. The details about Brett and Marsellus’ relationship are unknown, but Jules and Vincent are sent because Brett dared to double-cross Marsellus and shouldn’t have the briefcase. Jules and Vincent end up killing Brett, Roger, and an unknown man who hid in the bathroom and tried to kill them, making way for Jules’ “divine intervention” moment. There’s another man in the room who stays by the door the whole time and doesn’t have to face Jules’ anger: Marvin, Jules and Vincent’s informer.

Jules and Vincent take a shocked Marvin with them and in the car, the hitmen discuss the “divine intervention” moment they just went through at Brett’s apartment. Vincent, with his gun in his hand, turns to the backseat to ask for Marvin’s opinion, but he accidentally shoots him in the face, arguing that Jules hit a bump that made him pull the trigger. Jules says he didn’t hit any bumps, but the rest of the movie treats Marvin’s death as an accident – and a theory explains Vincent shot Marvin on purpose.

After killing the unknown man in Brett’s apartment who tried to kill them, Jules is trying to find an explanation for the “divine intervention” moment they just had, while Vincent goes straight to Marvin to ask why he didn’t tell them about the other guy. A theory shared on Reddit explains that Vincent immediately sees Marvin as a traitor, but is interrupted by Jules trying to make sense of what they just went through. In the car, and further fueled by the frustration of Jules announcing he’s quitting, Vincent decides Marvin needs to go as he’s a traitor.

Vincent turns to Marvin, gun in hand, finger on the trigger, with the author pointing out that Jules and Vincent kept their weapons in the trunk. Vincent tries to make it look like an accident, but he can’t even do that right as Jules knows he didn’t hit a bump, but he also knows Vincent can be clumsy and reckless, so he doesn’t question it. The author of the theory also points out Vincent’s reaction as proof of Marvin’s death being on purpose, as Vincent doesn’t sound too worried about what he did.

Vincent Was A Terrible Hitman (But Marsellus Still Kept Him Around)

Vincent Vega Wasn’t Marsellus’ Most Reliable Hitman

Vincent Vega was reckless and clumsy, yet Marsellus still kept him around and trusted him with important stuff – from retrieving an important (and mysterious) briefcase to taking his wife out for dinner. Vincent was involved in most of the biggest problems in Pulp Fiction, from the “divine intervention moment” and Marvin’s death to Mia’s accidental overdose and the standoff at the diner. On top of that, Vincent dealt with substance abuse disorder, which led to Mia’s incident when she found his heroin – and still, Marsellus kept him around for both important and minor tasks.

It’s widely believed Marsellus didn’t get rid of Vincent thanks to Reservoir Dogs’ Vic (Michael Madsen), Vincent’s brother, who had a solid reputation in the criminal underworld. It’s possible that Marsellus simply kept Vincent around due to the latter’s loyalty, and even though he messed up big time, he always found a way to make things right – or, at least, ways that wouldn’t make a bigger problem for Marsellus.

How This Theory Changes Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega

Killing Marvin On Purpose Isn’t Good For Vincent

Killing Marvin on purpose makes Vincent a better asset for Marsellus, supposing Marvin truly was a traitor and thought he had set Jules and Vincent up with the presence of the hidden man. Surely, Vincent could still have put a bit more thought into it as he shot Marvin in broad daylight and made way for another issue as they had to get rid of the car and the body as soon as possible. However, killing Marvin on purpose also makes Vincent a pretty unlikable character, as he doesn’t even wait to confirm whether Marvin is a traitor or not before killing him.

Marvin’s death as an unfortunate accident highlighted Vincent’s clumsiness, which contributed to making him likable despite his questionable actions and decisions, but if it was on purpose, there’s no turning back for him. Many things in Pulp Fiction are open to interpretation, and Marvin’s death scene is one of them.

Source: Reddit.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino’s classic tale of violence and redemption follows the intertwining tales of three protagonists: hitman Vincent Vega, prizefighter Butch Coolidge, and Vincent’s business partner Jules Winnfield.

Release Date

October 14, 1994

Runtime

154 minutes