MovieChat Forums > Pulp Fiction (1994) Discussion > Why didnt Butch just leave Marsellus Wal...

Why didnt Butch just leave Marsellus Wallace to die in the pawn shop?


Just a thought i had watching this movie years ago and still do today, Vincent was dead from Butch shooting him, Jules had quit and gone to wander the world, and Winston Wolf wasnt exactly an avenger type guy, just a cleaner upper guy.

So there would no consequences for Butch if he just left the pawn shop and stole Zed's motorcycle and allowed Marsellus Wallace to be raped and murdered, even if Marsellus told Zed and Maynard what Butch's name was he was going to leave town soon anyway, Mr. Wallace doesnt seem like a snitch though, even if they told him that Butch was gone and had escaped.

So Marsellus Wallace would have been killed shortly after Butch escaped anyway, no more problems with him and it ties up things nicely, also rids the world of a scumbag gangster too, Butch was already trying to kill Marsellus himself twice anyway, this forces Zed and Maynard to do the murder and dispose of the body, good times for them unless Marsellus Wallace escaped from their grasp and fought back.

On the other hand Butch could have just called the police and reported what happened and said that a Black man was being raped in the basement of that pawn shop by two Rednecks, describe the crash and omit his name, let the police be notified and show up to arrest Zed and Maynard and Marsellus Wallace, all three would go to jail and a lot of explaining would have to be done.

Marsellus Wallace might even lose his reputation and street cred after being arrested because the police would sell the story to Inside Addition or Extra or the Tabloids, not something Marsellus Wallace would want to become widely known and now it would be huge news.

Just my thoughts.

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Maybe he hate hilbilly homos more than he hates Marcellus?

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Butch had a bit of humanity and compassion and quite obviously didn't even want his arch enemy to be sexually humiliated and murdered by a bunch of hillbilly boys.

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He remembered what Captain Koons had told him "When two men are in a situation together like for a long time, you take on certain responsibilities for each other. " I guess the way he saw it was that him and Marcellus were prisoners together, and he owed to him to not leave him behind.

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All the years I've thought about this film, I never put Butch's situation together with what Koons told him.

Genius!

Otherwise, it all fits in with the notion of redemption that underlies the film

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This is exactly what’s going on. Just to add a few thoughts: Butch came from a line of military tradition and sacrifice that he never experienced. Remember in the motel when Fabian was watching the war movie and he told her to turn it off. It reminds him of his family’s history that he did not contribute to. The only reason he even comes in contact with Wallace again is because of the watch he chooses to go back for, that symbolizes those men’s sacrifices. Suddenly he’s placed into his own hell hole prison and he decides not to leave his comrade behind. He finally can do his part. Koontz told him about his grand father on Wake Island, where many men were killed with Samurai swords. I believe that’s why Butch chose that as his weapon.

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I guess this is sort of the: “choose the lesser of two evils” type of situation.

Who is worse? Two rapist that hurt anyone they feel like or a gangster that goes after people that screw him over?

Besides, Buch created this situation by cheating Wallace. Two people already died because of him. It was probably starting to weight on his conscience.

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off topic, a bit
If anyone says 'gimp' everyone thinks of pulp fiction ( afaik)
Did the term "Gimp" exist before that scene?

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I remember hearing it as a derogatory term for someone that was handicapped.

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Because he's The Good Guy.

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[deleted]

I think Butch did the right thing. But it did look like Marsellus was enjoying himself lol.

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i love the moment when Butch opens the door.. but is like NO FUCK THIS. and goes back.

i take it as more of a humaine moment VS he was thinking about how Marsellus would react. it was about saving a dude.

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I more took it that he thought Marcelles would forgive him and put off the hit if he saved him. Plus the hit would get worse since people will think he killed Marcelles once they find Vincent's dead body in his apartment. There would be a huge amount put on his head by Marcelles' fellow gangsters thinking he had killed Marcelles.

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yes but Butch couldn't be 100% sure Marsellus would let him off the hook.
he could have left- likely the rapists would not be discovered... and the Fatwa called off (lol)

so i agree with the user above:
"Butch had a bit of humanity and compassion and quite obviously didn't even want his arch enemy to be sexually humiliated and murdered by a bunch of hillbilly boys."

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yes but Butch couldn't be 100% sure Marsellus would let him off the hook.

Yeah well it was like playing Russian roulette. You take the risk knowing that the outcome can't be lethal.

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i wouldn't leave someone to get pounded in the ass. that's also just bro-code!
butch was a 100% bro

; )

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