Pulp Fiction...what's in the briefcase?

Question

Any thoughts? I've heard some suggestions, but I want to hear what YOU think...

Answer 1

Speculation abounds as to the nature of the mysterious glowing contents of the case:
Could it be Elvis's gold suit, seen worn by Val Kilmer (as Elvis) in True Romance (1993)?
The most persistent theory (most usually attributed to a friend of a friend who saw it posted on a message board by someone whose brother had read a report of a radio interview with Tarantino himself) is that it is Marcellus Wallace's soul. The story goes that when the Devil takes a person's soul, it is removed through the back of the head (this isn't part of any known religion, but this is what the message board posters say). When we see the back of Marcellus's head he has a Band-Aid covering the precise spot indicated by tradition for soul removal. Perhaps Marcellus sold his soul to the devil which would also explain why the combination to open the briefcase is 666.
Quentin Tarantino has said that the band-aid on the back of Marsellus Wallace's neck had nothing to do with an allusion to the Devil stealing Marsellus's soul... but that the actor Ving Rhames had a scar on the back of his neck he wanted to cover up.
Or could it be simply a 20-watt light bulb?
According to Roger Avary, who co-wrote the script with Quentin Tarantino, the original plan was to have the briefcase contain diamonds. This seemed neither exciting nor original, so Avary and Tarantino decided to have the briefcase's contents never appear on screen; this way each filmgoer could mentally "fill in the blank" with whatever struck his or her imagination as best fitting the description "so beautiful". The orange light bulb (projecting shimmering light onto the actors' faces) was a last-minute decision and added a completely unintended fantastic element.
In a radio interview with Howard Stern in late 2003, Quentin Tarantino was asked by a caller the contents of the briefcase, and he answered, "It's whatever the viewer wants it to be."

Answer 2

Naked photos of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez taken during the filming of Dusk til Dawn. That is why he keeps hiring the same cast over and over again. The actors have the suitcase and aren't afraid to use it.

Answer 3

I didn't know, but my fiance said that Quentin Tarantino once said that during the filming that they actually had Ving Rhames' (Marsellus Wallace) dirty laundry in it. Quentin Tarantino also said that he intended two things. One was that it was suppossed to be a mystery and no one was ever suppossed to know and the other was that most importantly and likely it was suppossed to be left to each individual person's own interpretations.

Answer 4

Is the soul of Marsellus Wallace, seriously, in fact is aldo know that when you sell your soul to the devil he take it off from you, doing a hole in the back of your neck, and if you see the movie, youll see a bandit on the neck of Marsellus when hes talkin with Butch at the bar.

Answer 5

Old copies of Staying Alive, Twist Of Fate, and the Look Who's Talking sequels, which nearly sent our beloved Barbarino to the "Where are they now?" Files.

Answer 6

Tarentino's said we're not supposed to know for sure, but the soul thing is interesting. Gold works too.

Answer 7

Samuel L Jackson's afro-sheen.

Answer 8

Quinton Terenteno himself said he basically 'forgot' about it, and that it's up to the viewers to decide what's in it. So, whatever you want it be, so it shall.

Answer 9

All I know is it was somethign very shiny! Like Gold colored. Hmmmmm?

Answer 10

Edna?