Pulp Fiction is a 1994 movie directed by Quentin Tarantino that received much acclaim. The movie is a crime drama depicting the American underworld in Los Angeles in the 1990s. It received the Oscar for best original screenplay and the main story evolves from a sports wagering event.
Why did Butch Coolidge double-cross the mob boss?
Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is a boxer who takes a bribe from Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), a local mafia boss, to lose a boxing match in the fifth round. He double-crosses him and arranges for the money to be bet on him. He proceeds to knock out his opponent in the fight. Viewers are left wondering why he made this decision when he knew there would be dire consequences. If he did what they agreed on, he would have had money and wouldn’t have needed to leave town with his girlfriend.
Betting on a boxer to lose in a particular round is a prop bet. Those who know something about sports gambling will tell you that by fixing the fight, Wallace would place a large amount of money on a very improbable outcome and receive a great payout from the sportsbook.
What could have dictated his actions?
Butch was an aging boxer who knew he wouldn’t be able to keep fighting for much longer. He needed money but he couldn’t afford to lose the match if he wanted to prove he wasn’t a washed-up boxer. He couldn’t let go of his pride, even if there was money and his safety on the table.
When thinking about how movies influence us, Tarantino’s ability to keep the audience off balance is one of the factors that make him a great director. Many lives would have been spared if Butch had just taken the fall. His opponent could have lived to fight another day, Vincent Vega wouldn’t have died, and Marsellus wouldn’t have been sexually assaulted.
Why are Tarantino’s movies so popular?
Many people think Pulp Fiction is one of the best Tarantino movies and it has certainly stood the test of time. The movie shows the consequences of the betrayal in a series of violent events that keep getting more and more intense. The morning after winning the fight, Butch heads back to his apartment to fetch a watch and kills Vincent (John Travolta) while he’s there. He and Marcellus are captured and go through some horrific events before Butch eventually saves Marsellus.