Pulp Fiction: What was in Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase?

Even though it’s been 20 years since the debut of Pulp Fiction, fans still don’t know the answer to one of the most asked questions about the film: what was in the briefcase? Fortunately, someone may have figured it out.

Over the past 20 years, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction has earned the right to be called a classic. It’s piqued interest from a large number of fans, bringing with it a cult following. At the same time, Tarantino’s masterpiece has gone under the microscope for a well deserved analysis. And one of the most intriguing aspects of the film is the mysterious briefcase belonging to Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames).

The briefcase itself stands as a mystery because the contents were never revealed. It was only opened a handful of times and the audience never actually got to see what was inside. While a behind-the-scenes look did offer an explanation of the glowing yellow light inside the case, neither Tarantino or his writing partners have explicitly said what was in the case. Various theories on what the case holds have been proposed but none of them have proven true. The good news is that Metaflix may have solved the mystery.

Not long ago, the site’s YouTube channel posted a video explaining their theory behind the contents of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase. To sum it up, Metaflix purports that the mysterious briefcase holds the soul of Marsellus Wallace. Now, that may not necessarily be true, but their explanation is well founded. Check it out below!

While a supernatural answer to this question isn’t ideal, it makes sense. A miracle (or act of god) was the cause Jules attributed to not being struck by any bullets at point-blank range, and that was extremely strange. Strange enough even to be deemed supernatural. So, when a new theory suggests more supernatural elements could have been involved, it’s not that hard to believe. However, a more practical answer to the briefcase mystery might be more feasible.

What We Think The Briefcase Held?

As it sits, any number of items could have been held in Wallace’s briefcase. From the Holy Grail to Jason’s Golden Fleece, they’ve all been brought up at one point another. Though, there is one that seems to have been debunked prematurely. The theory in question proposes that the briefcase’s contents held gold.

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According to logistical reasoning, the briefcase couldn’t contain a store of gold due to it being all too heavy to lug around. Apparently, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) would’ve been carrying around at least 27 lbs if there was at minimum one gold bar in the case. The main problem with that line of reasoning is that it implies bricks of gold littered the briefcase, but we don’t know exactly how much gold was inside. For all we know, the gold could’ve been split up into smaller bricks, lining the entire bottom portion of the briefcase. That solution would explain why the shining light emanating the case featured a luminous effect, as well as reasoning out how Jules was able to carry the briefcase without much difficulty.

Unless a supernatural object was held in the briefcase, gold is also the most practical of items. And if we think about this mystery logically, Wallace’s prized briefcase holding a stash of gold would give reason to why he sent Jules to recover the case for him. Jules’ approach to Marvin and his friends after they presumably robbed Wallace’s gold did seem like the type of action taken against someone stealing from a crime boss. Therefore, the contents of Wallace’s briefcase could in fact have been stolen gold.

What Was Really In The Briefcase?

Theories aside, it doesn’t seem like Quentin Tarantino is going to enlighten us anytime soon. He and his writing partner have said in the past that the briefcase’s contents are up to each fan’s imagination but they’ve never given a specific answer. With that in mind, we’ll just have to keep pondering over this mystery. Or maybe we’ll get lucky and see a Pulp Fiction sequel get made. In doing so, a reveal of what Marsellus Wallace kept in his case could be established—but that may just be wishful thinking.

Next: Details on Quentin Tarantino's next film revealed

What do you think was in Wallace’s briefcase? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.