MovieChat Forums > Pulp Fiction (1994) Discussion > Vincent in the toilet scene

Vincent in the toilet scene

posted 4 years ago by merkin64 (122)
22 replies | jump to latest

I love the scene where Butch goes back to his home to collect his watch. We understand the emotional attachment he has to the watch. Imagine going back to your place, and then spotting a machine pistol on your kitchen counter. I love the WTF expression on Butch's face. He then hears the toilet flush and out walks his intended assassin, who obviously has just taken a dump. You cannot get a more darkly comic scene!No words are spoken throughout but characters know what is happening and what is going to happen next.

[–] Ace_Spade (9334) 4 years ago

I love that Tarantino had the audacity to end that scene the way he did. You never see it coming. When I first watched the movie, that scene, I was sitting there thinking, "Did that just happen? Really? Holy smokes..."

It also adds an extra layer of interest to Jules' revelations in the final scenes, about miracles and purpose in life and so forth.

Who lives and who dies...? Well...who's living for God and who is a servant of Marsellus "Maybe I Sold My Soul" Wallace?

[–] TheMouseShadow (414) 4 years ago

Vincent took two shits in the movie, he should’ve learned from the first one and he wouldn’t have died.

[–] jekporkins (1921) 4 years ago

Heroin gives massive constipation, so it made sense Vincent was constantly in the bathroom trying to poop one out. In a way his addiction killed him (and almost killed Mia).

[–] AP (5255) 3 years ago

Weirdly enough, he only had to piss when Mia OD’d. He spent a minute or so talking himself out of trying to make a move which is what almost killed her. If he just left the washroom and said goodnight, then made a B-line for the door, things would have been more safe.

[–] mnphotoguy99 (410) 3 years ago

But hadn’t Mia already snorted the heroin at that point? He came out of the bathroom intending to just go home when he found her....setting what happened next into motion. He was in the process of saying something like “hey Mia, I have to go....”, so he made the right decision in the bathroom.

He should never have went into Mia’s house when returning from Jack Rabbit Slims. That would have prevented everything.

[–] AP (5255) 3 years ago

True. I just remember him specifically saying he had to “take a piss”, which shouldn’t take too long but with his heroin addiction, I’m not sure what is going on with his system.

[–] Forky (1739) 4 years ago

BOOTCH

[–] Yabeina (185) 3 years ago

But it bugs the shit out of me that he dies there and then the movie continues with him alive. Stupid.

[–] davodikum (5966) 3 years ago

it jumps back and forth in time, why is that stupid?

[–] whynotwriteme (7108) 3 years ago

The temporal jumps are a gimmicky affectation and totally unnecessary. I wonder if there are any chronological order fan edits of this?

[–] davodikum (5966) 3 years ago

id say there are. i remember my brother made a version of memento in chronological order back in the day, i never watched it though.

[–] ExTechOp (2735) 3 years ago

Chronological “Memento” is a feature on the 2-DVD special edition

It’s fascinatingly pointless. It makes logical sense but lacks any dramatic arc or sense of plotting

Same here. The non-chronology makes dramatic sense - we get to see why Vincent didn’t have Jules backing him up, and we get reiteration of the redemption theme (Butch & Jules get breaks for doing the right thing)

[–] Moonglum9 (10695) 3 years ago

You’d hate the book Slaughterhouse Five then.

[–] whynotwriteme (7108) 3 years ago

No. I like Slaughterhouse Five, both the book and movie. Billy Pilgrim was a man who had become 'unstuck in time' so the temporal shifts made perfect sense. There is no valid reason for Pulp Fiction's story to be presented in a non-chronologically linear form.

[–] FilmBuff (6652) 3 years ago

Is this meant to be a joke? Surely you understand what happened in the film...

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7387) 3 years ago

I like that scene too. But it is somewhat dumb Butch took the time to make generic poptarts. It is funny though that it's when the poptarts pop up out of the toaster that Butch shoots Vincent. And he doesn't get to eat those poptarts. Actually, that's something else that's funny. A guy who's a boxer eating something unhealthy like poptarts.

[–] Threadkiller (2947) 3 years ago

The funny and perhaps ironic part is if he just went in, retrieved his watch and got out instead of hanging around to make those Pop Tart style pastries he would have avoided Vincent altogether who would have been none the wiser that he was ever there & wouldn't have encountered Marcellous at that intersection. I suppose it's arguable that at the end of the day the result in the movie is better for Butch as he ultimately gets a pass for saving Marcellous' life and won't have to live in hiding & be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7387) 3 years ago

Yeah. It is funny how things work out.

[–] bozo_500 (12114) 3 years ago

won't Marcellus be abit upset at Butch having blown Vincent away?.. maybe when he finds out he be like 'mother f**ker!' and put a price on Butchs head again

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7387) 3 years ago

I think he would make an exception. Besides, Vincent was a risk with his drug habbit.

[–] Threadkiller (2947) 3 years ago

Also, at the end of the day, Marcellus is Vincent's (crime)boss, not his dear friend (Hence why Vincent was so terrified of Marcellus having him killed when Mia overdosed) & while Marcellus certainly wouldn't be happy, I think he would chalk it up to Vincent being "in the game" & understood the risks of that criminal life. He was there to murder Butch after all.

[–] ExTechOp (2735) 3 years ago

Early on, Samuel Jackson said this film, "is totally about redemption."

So yeah, Butch could've taken his watch and left, he definitely SHOULD have done so, but the point being made was that Butch and Jules, when put on the spot, chose mercy (sort of) and earned their respective redemptions.

Vincent only saved Mia's life to save his own, and this was just after he'd been grappling with whether to bone her. Redemption wasn't his arc.