How this scene takes Pulp Fiction from good to masterpiece

and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee all right so this is probably one of the most iconic scenes in movie history and today I want to take some time to break it down and figure out what makes it so memorable tell me again about the hash bro okay what you want to know hash is legal now right it's legal but ain't 100% legal I mean he just can't but first to get a better grasp let's add some context the scene is part of a bigger sequence that

kicks off with vin and jwes chatting about random stuff in their car and the apartment scene hits hard because of these earlier moments because what we see at the beginning of pul fiction is exactly what we wouldn't see in other crime movies showing criminals just going about their daily lives normally you'd see them already busting into the apartment as any other director would cut these scenes here we even follow them waiting for the elevator tagging along their whole journey from inside the car through the building Lobby or the elevator fo massage and down a long

hallway in one continuous shot we don't be giving Marcel while his new bride a foot massage you don't think he overreacted and part of the fun is seeing what these Hitmen do on their way to work like what do they chat about what's her name Mia Mia how do Marcel and her meet I don't know however people meet people how do they pick their weapons we should have shotguns with this kind of deal or do they have workplace gossip just like any other job was a foot massage a foot massage is nothing I give my

mother a foot massage the whole idea is to make us feel like we're tagging along with them which is why the camera is always right there with them even stopping when they do giving us the feeling that we're part of their routine and their conversation it's like the walks in the before Trilogy I'm not answering that but with gangsters it's not it's the same ballpark ain't noing ballpark neither now look maybe your method of massage differs from mine even though the conversations throughout the sequence are mostly random and varied there are lines that clue Us

in on what coming next sometimes it's direct like when they talk about the situation how many up there three or four that's count that guy and other times it's more subtle hinting at the violence and dangers of their underworld than what Marcel did sent a couple of cats over to his place they took him out on his patio threw his ass over the balcony it fa FAL stories which of course foreshadows Vincent story line with Mia Wallace in the movie you see this is a moral test of oneself whether or not you can maintain loyalty

anyway the journey continues with their foot massage discussion until we get to the apartment it's getting character and it's a signal for both his partner and us the audience hinting that these guys are about to put on a performance an idea that will become even more evident with the acting and direction in the next [Music] scene what's her name again Mia the sense of waiting is reinforced by by this shot where we can't see much making us impatient especially since the shot lasts 32 seconds but I think the joke here is that normally we'd be

on the other side inside the room hey guys and the Hitman or gangster would suddenly appear with a certain Aura of mystery here there's no mystery on this side we're seeing the reverse shot the Hitman waiting at the door it's like wondering how the typical situation would be but flipped it's definitely not a date the weight is interrupted by a close-up shot that really grabs your attention because we go from these long takes inside the building that last 27 seconds 38 seconds 2 minutes and 40 seconds or 32 seconds to a super tight shot that

lasts just 1 second it's like a Flash and compared to the slow pace we've gotten used to it's pretty jarring then there's another quick shot of one of the guys in the apartment that lasts a second and a half and after that we get close-ups of the protagonists faces who are now fully in character they're no longer the friendly guys from before and the contrast in their expressions is clear here with this shot is where any other director would probably start the scene hey kids how you boys doing right after that there's a shot of

the other guys in the apartment and when Jules and Vincent walk in the door closes behind them how you boys doing making it clear there's no way out for these poor souls so now after this long intro we finally get to the juicy part when we step into the scene but before we jump into it perhaps you're curious about how I put together this 3D scene no just checking well to be honest I've always wanted to perfect my 3D skills and honestly I still have a long way to go but one thing that has helped

me a lot was giving skillshare a try which you probably already know since it's the largest online learning community out there whether you're into film making photography video editing or drawing skillshare has it all personally I recently found this blender series and I'll probably be diving into it over the next few weeks because it's not just one class but a whole In-Depth series as part of skill shares learning paths and if you're interested in using your free time this summer to learn some of those many things you've always wanted to it's your future right today

is your lucky day because the first 500 people who click the link in the description will get a 30-day free trial this was divine intervention you know what divine intervention is if you have the time you've got nothing to lose by giving it a try hey kids all right now let's get back to the scene how you boys doing hey keep chilling so the way I see it the structure of this scene has three small acts and each one kicks off with a question that hooks the viewer building suspense the First Act for example starts

by wondering why Jules and Vincent are there and what what I love about this scene is that the usual rule is start late leave early but here Tarantino flips that on its head hey keep chilling when Vincent and Jules enter the room Jules positions himself in the center with the light hits the strongest right in the middle of the shot and he makes this not so subtle but Unforgettable gesture making it clear who's in charge that's why he's positioned in the most dominant part of the frame because the whole scene is about a display of

power which like I said can be shown through blocking small gestures or dialogue you know who we are in this case it comes in the form of questions because Jules is constantly interrogating this guy you're Brad right yeah I thought so it's not just about getting information it's a demonstration of power and when we hear the name of the guy who will be the focus of the scene Tarantino cuts to a close-up of jewels to emphasize the importance of the moment and this is something he will do throughout the entire scene since it's so dialogue

heavy he uses these close-ups to really stress the important bits you remember your business partner marcelos Wallace don't you Brett another question this time rhetorical and with his identity revealed and knowing where the focus will be the next shot establishes the scene's Dynamics Jewels at the top Brett at the bottom and Marley positioned between the two of them because we'll later learn he's the mediator between them yeah I I remember good once Brett gets why they're there jewes and Vincent box him in the shot Jules in front Vincent behind trapping him visually looks like me

and Vincent caught you boys at breakfast sorry about that did you have it again more questions this time about random stuff but what's interesting is the subtext I hear they got some tasty Burgers I ain't never had one myself how are they they're good you mind if I try one of yours and the message behind this question is obvious there's no way Brett can say no and taking his food is a total power move but what I love about this moment is the insert shot of the burger that comes next it's a tight closeup that

creates a slight visual shock due to the cut but more importantly it plays an interesting game with us the audience because the next shot is the closest of Brett so far and this is what I find subversive about the scene because there are several editing and directing choices that make us feel a strange empathy for Brett and that might be because the direction puts us directly in his shoes I mean the closeup of the burger is from his point of view it could even be a POV shot and this idea is backed up by the

tight closeup of him that follows where he tracks the burger with his eyes before cutting to a shot of jewels which again seems to be from his perspective and it's a curious choice to put us in the shoes of the guy about to be executed because it makes us feel sorry for him this is a tasty Burger Vincent you ever had a Big Kahuna Burger in fact after Jewels tastes the burger we have a 10-second shot of Brett want a bite they real tasty H well if you like burgers give them a try sometime the

action and dialogue are with Jules and Vincent but the focus is on Brett because we're forced to notice his size and growing exasperation it's the only place we can see clearly because the rest of the scene is out of focus you know what they call a quarter pound of a cheese in France what's interesting about the scene in terms of treatment and dialogue is that there's no direct humiliation towards Brad at least not until the violence erupts most of the time the discomfort comes from Jewels pretending to be friendly which is obviously a way to

mock them but not enough to provoke a direct reaction But ultimately what he does is create a sense of uncertainty and prevents us from fully reading this guy because of the metric system check out the big brain on bread and the same uncertainty must be going through poor Brett's mind you're a smart [ __ ] that's right who even receives compliments and I think this is what keeps the scene constantly tense because it would be much less memorable if Jules just walked in and was immediately violent here it's more than that he's manipulative with Brett

in the same way Tarantino is with us playing also throughout the scene Marvin's presence in the background is crucial because he serves as a thermometer for how bad the situation is and we can see from his face how the tension progressively increases sinness Sprite Sprite good during the whole trivial conversation the shots are no longer close-ups of jewels but rather wide shots which helps create a sense of calm before the storm you flock and seagull you know why we're here this is where the second act kicks off and the editing makes it obvious by going

back to the wide shot where the scene began won't you tell my man Vin where you got your [ __ ] here now what I like is how the progression of the scene makes Jewels gradually more hostile at this moment it places him at the top of the frame and shows him revealing his weapon for the first time it's over there I don't remember asking you now the question is whether the guys actually have what Jews and Vincent are after I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing here is the first time Jules gets directly

violent in the scene his shout is a show of dominance and it's fantastic that he spends the whole scene after asking questions and his first violent impulse is to point out that he hasn't asked Marvin anything it's again a demonstration of power you was saying it's in the comat and it also makes sense that the editing focuses for the first time on the faces of the three young men present they now realize what they suspected that earlier friendliness was just an Act jwes was putting on and the situation is serious for this key moment Tarantino

gives us 30 seconds of Silence which is a lot in such a dialogue heavy scene it's probably the longest silent moment up to that point in the movie and he uses it to put us back in Brett's perspective with the next shot actually when he looks back we cut to a shot of Vincent just like with the Burger Shot the camera is right where Brett would be and the cut matches his gaze perfectly meanwhile Vincent finally confirms that whatever is in the briefcase is there and this is the only solo shot we get of him

in the scene to emphasize the importance of what he's seeing we happy yeah we happy look I'm sorry uh I after they've achieved their goal Vincent eases back into the scene with a subtle move now the focus shifts from the briefcase to Brett who makes a weak attempt to solve things diplomatically it's an attempt to put himself on the same level even literally by standing up I just want you to know how but just as at the beginning of the scene Jules has another Display of Power at this point Jules and Vincent already have what

they wanted so now the question is what's going to happen to these guys that's how the third Act of the scene begins just like the other two with a return to the wide shot this time it's the longest shot in the scene running for 33 seconds giving us plenty of time for the uncertainty about what's coming next to sink in we we got into this thing with the best intentions really I never oh I'm sorry did I break your concentration but the uncertainty doesn't last long because we get the answer by the end of that

shot followed by a sudden cut to a closeup of jewels here Sally Mankey breaks the rule of editing cuz usually we'd go from a wide shot to a medium shot and then to a closeup not straight from wide to close but she breaks this rule to create more impact and the interesting thing is that The Gunshot is ironically not very violent without the sound you wouldn't even know what happened there is no blood no gunpowder no flashes and jules's wrist barely moves and ironically this happens a lot in the movie like when Butch slices the

store guys with the Catana the cut is hidden or when he stabs them it's off screen I'm not saying the movie isn't violent it definitely is but it's interesting how Tarantino saves the graphic stuff for certain moments please continue you were saying something about best intentions what's the matter after this the shots switched to close-ups instead of the usual medium shots to amp up the visual tension and in Brett's closeup jwes prows around him like a hunter stalking his prey he even becomes a shadow flocking the lens and leaving the screen black for a second

and a half which reinforces our uncertainty what does marcelos Wallace look like and again we return to questions as a form of intimidation what what country you from what what ain't no country I ever heard at one point the editing cuts to a wider shot and this sudden cut highlights the violence of jules's movement and creates more visual impact and this impact is reinforced by the composition before the frames were balanced with the characters properly spaced out but now the shot is totally unbalanced with all the visual weight on the right and after this striking

moment the editing Cuts back to medium shots to ease the tension a bit and build it up again towards the climax of the scene they speak English and what what English mother do you speak it yes then you know what I'm saying but these medium shots are different from before earlier Jules had a low angle shot while Brett's shot was straightforward now jules's shot is even more low angled showing more ceiling and making him look more dominant while Brett is framed by two dark Silhouettes much more prominent than before leaving him with no Escape describe

what marcelus Wallace looks like what say what again say what again the dialogues keep going and by now I think we all know them so it doesn't really make sense to include them all but the cuts get faster and faster until the second gunshot which is blocked again by jules's body he's black go on he's bald does he look like a [ __ ] what Again The Gunshot isn't that graphic and if the first one was a shock this one feels almost like a joke and here we start to see that for this young Tarantino

violence is an aesthetic Choice which becomes more obvious by the end of the scene which we'll get to you read the Bible G yes well there's this passage I got never juwel starts his speech really close to Brad and the Bible passage adds a mystical vibe to the scene with the golden light in the briefcase the 666 the Bible verse and what by the end of the scene jeweles calls a miracle this was divine intervention you know what divine intervention is it's an interesting mix the path of the righteous man is beset on all sides

by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men actually what jeel quotes isn't exactly what the Bible says there are some changes the original Bible text is shorter and less aggressive and to be honest we don't know if the Bible in Tarantino's universe is more violent which would make sense or if jwes just doesn't know the passage well and altered it which also makes sense but it's clear he's taking on a role of divine Justice maybe to justify his actions for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children

and I will strike down but what's interesting to me is how juwes starts to own the space like it's a performance and he's involving his witness Marvin in a very theatrical way and it makes sense because the characters in this world are basically performers and they're aware of it I never gave much thought to what it meant I just thought it was some cold blood [ __ ] to say to a mother before I popped the cap in his ass with great Vengeance and Furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers I

mean by the end of the movie Jules admits he's been quoting this passage his whole life without really getting it it was just something cool to say before killing someone like it was written by someone else and he has to say it when he gets into character he's get into character and you will know my name is the law the speech adds a ceremonial feel to the scene because like I said for Tarantino violence is an aesthetic tool and in this scene we see three common uses as shock value as a joke and finally as

something mesmerizing when I lay my vengeance upon thee I mean if you think about it it's horrible they're killing a poor guy but it's shown as a ritual with Samuel L Jackson delivering his speech additionally they leave out the shot where Brett gets hit and I think that adding these details is the only way a movie can start with the execution of some poor guy and instead of making us feel sorry for him actually makes us cheer because of how the scene builds and the tone is set the action happens off screen and what we

see are Jules and Vincent shooting with golden flares from the guns lighting up the lens making the scene visually striking perhaps reminding us of the golden light from the briefcase which according to this guy it's beautiful by the time we reach the end of the third Act of this first sequence we get Tarantino logic what is this you're watching he's invited us to leave our morals at the door and just sit back and enjoy so early in the morning for explosions in war and I think that's why the scene works so well thanks to its

progression it's like a gateway to his world and his way of understanding violence in cinema but where I'm coming from it's less about reveling in violence though I don't mind that it's more about the fact and there are no uh oh you can't do that kind of boundaries that is exactly how Cinema was when I came into it and I think I went a long way to Knocking some of those walls down the fact that anything can happen to my characters or in the scenario of the story that is the the relish that I have

and that's Tarantino's real achievement here his characters aren't taking down Hitler Psychopaths or slave owners they're just taking down some poor guy and in a few minutes he's twisted our perspective so much that we're right there with them eagerly waiting for the next victim [Music]