Pulp Fiction was released in 1994 to widespread critical acclaim, winning the best picture at the 1994 Cannes film festival. In writing a follow-up to his world wide debut Reservior Dogs, Quentin Tarantino found inspiration in the dime-store pulp novels of the 1950s and 60s. Like Reservoir Dogs, 1970s and 1980s cultural references are littered throughout. The film works in a non hierarchical structure following the intertwining stories of a number of criminals. In short, it is like a number of invidual crime novels all twisted around one another, with no regard for chronological order. Two young criminals in love, Pumpkin and Honeybunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer respectively), make plans to knock over coffee shops. Black suited gangland assasins, Jules (Samuel L Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta), are sent to retrieve the property of their boss, Marsellus (Ving Rhames). Vincent has to take Marsellus wife Mia (Uma Thurman) out for a night on the town. Marsellus pays Butch (Bruce Willis), a boxer, to take a dive in his next match, however Butch takes the money and kills his opponent in the ring. However, his plans come unfoiled when his wife (Maria de Madeiros) forgets his father's gold watch following Christopher Walken's valiant attempts to save it for him in the jungles of Vietnam. Vincent and Jules planned retrieval of the briefcase goes awry when Vincent accidentally kills someone, and requires the intervention of The Wolf (Harvey Keitel). Finally, Vincent and Jules find themselves eating in the very same coffee house that is about to be held up by Pumpkin and Honeybunny. 
The Promotional Artwork for Pulp FictionAs Previously mentioned, Pulp Fiction is based upon the crime novels of the1950s, but with popular culture references littering every aspect of every story. The non hierarchical structure of the film means that each viewer is able to have their own interpretation of what happens. Taking the film out of chronological order has allowed Tarantino to create a number of interesting situations within the two hour running time that drag in references from outside the film. By Far the greatest mystery of Pulp Fiction is what is in Marsellus Wallace briefcase?
Judging by the popular culture references in the film and the comment that it makes about them, it is only fair that popular culture references should have the opportunity to comment on the film. Dr Seuss passes comment on Pulp Fiction.top
