What Was In The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction? Here’s What We Know

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In 1994, moviegoers were treated to some timeless favorites like “Clerks,” “The Lion King,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Forrest Gump.” However, Quentin Tarantino’s crime thriller “Pulp Fiction” also premiered that year. Set in Los Angeles, this collection of vignettes was well-received by both critics and audiences. Unfortunately, it lost the Best Picture Oscar to “Forrest Gump,” and Robert Zemeckis took home the Best Director award instead. The film’s seemingly unrelated scenes (one so shocking it had to be removed from the final cut) were connected through a few storylines, primarily a mysterious briefcase belonging to gangster boss Marsellus Wallace, played by Ving Rhames.

The briefcase serves as a typical plot device in films, often referred to as a MacGuffin – an item that propels the story forward while keeping audiences curious about its purpose. The case makes its appearance when Wallace’s associates, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta), recover it from some thieving youngsters in a scene where Jules delivers his iconic biblical quote for the first time.

The box, secured by a three-digit code “666”, emits a comforting yellow light as Vincent uncovers it, yet its true nature remains unknown to viewers except for its immense worth to Marsellus, which also makes it precious to Jules and Vincent. In the movie, all we hear from a character is Jules’ sarcastic remark that “my boss’ personal belongings” are inside the case. Over the past 30-plus years, there has been much speculation and some confirmed details about the contents of the briefcase, which we have compiled for your convenience.

Filmmakers intentionally left the briefcase a mystery

In the movie, certain hints sparked a widely accepted fan hypothesis suggesting Marsellus Wallace’s soul was inside the briefcase. This theory gained traction due to a big bandage on Ving Rhames’ neck in the scene where Jules and Vincent handed over the case to Wallace. However, it turns out that the real reason for the bandage was Rhames covering an injury he received while shaving his head, not because of any supernatural soul-taking event as speculated.

In Roger Avary’s 1997 book “Questions for the Movie Answer Man,” he revealed that him and Quentin Tarantino intentionally kept the contents of the briefcase a secret to spark curiosity in viewers. According to Avary, “No prop master could create something more intriguing than what each viewer imagines.” Originally, they intended to leave it up to individual imagination. However, someone suggested placing an orange lightbulb inside (a decision Avary believed was a mistake). He felt that the effect didn’t need enhancing since viewers would debate its contents for years regardless, and having a more subtle approach would have been more effective.

In a 2009 interview with Charlie Rose, Quentin Tarantino made clear his intention behind the mysterious briefcase in “Pulp Fiction,” stating, “I enjoy the concept that you don’t know what’s inside the briefcase, and it’s left up to the viewers to decide for themselves. Now, that’s your interpretation of the movie.” It turns out that the prop case carried by Vincent and Jules throughout the film only contained a few light bulbs and batteries to power them, as revealed by Samuel L. Jackson.

One Pulp Fiction actor knows the truth about the briefcase

Although Quentin Tarantino has kept silent about the details inside Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase in public, he shared its contents with Tim Roth, who portrayed Pumpkin in “Pulp Fiction”. However, when interviewed by Variety, the actor stated that they, as characters, only know what their roles would be privy to. But one piece of information that Roth’s character would know is the briefcase content. Nevertheless, Tarantino asked him not to disclose this detail.

Quentin Tarantino expressed his disappointment to Ali Plumb of BBC 1 radio, stating that while he intended for viewers to come up with their own theories about the contents of the suitcase in his movie, most people just want him to reveal the answer. However, he’s not interested in sharing his thoughts; instead, he wants to hear what other people think. He lamented that out of all the fans who have asked him this question, only a few have shared their own theories – something he finds intriguing as he genuinely wants to know what the film’s audience believes is inside the suitcase.

It might be that only Tarantino, Roger Avary, and Tim Roth have insight into what the briefcase contained, but do share your thoughts with the director if you ever get a chance. He may just hint whether you’re on the right track towards understanding its contents.

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2025-07-27 17:30