© 2014 Patrick McElravey

Pulp Fiction Step Outline: Part 3

lyriquediscorde.com

lyriquediscorde.com

As you read this section of the step outline of Pulp Fiction, pay attention to the camera. Each scene is fleeting at the start. Time is distant, we move forward and backwards at the same time. The driver, Vincent Vega, is also the one shooting up with heroine; however these tasks occur at the same time. Each action seems to be slowed down but it is only the actors moving kooly through time as the rest of the scene moves at a normal speed. This distortion of time and movement lets the audience fall in and out of trances with the actors. This is also emphasized by non-diegetic sounds, labeled here with a *.

fade to black, *cruising base line. closeup on leather hand-purse, zipper-side up. *guitar strum hands open zipper toward audience and opens purse to reveal needles and syringes.

fade to Vincent Vega’s face. cool lighting. driving car with top down, wind in hair.

fade to hands fastening needle to syringe. fade to lighter opening up flame. fade to bent spoon boiling heroine with lighter underneath.

fade to Vega driving again. view back of head looking down road.

fade to needle penetrating skin. pull slightly up on syringe, blood and drugs swirl. syringe is pushed down, drugs enter body. hard to tell if in slow motion or not

fade back to Vega’s face. cool lighting. driving car with top down, wind in hair. looks around, smiles.

Fade black. *hear car roll up. Open to the entrance of a white house. *car door closes Vega enters from right, walks away from camera to front door. sees not on door. *voiceover of Mia Wallace reading note telling him to come inside.

Fade white. *Son of a Preacher Man playing. Vega walking into living room, looks around for Mia. Mia’s voice calling “Vincent”. Shift to Mia sitting in room with security cameras. Instructs Vega to intercom. Vega goes to intercom. Switch to Mia’s lips talking. Back to Vega. Vega goes to make a drink as instructed. Switch to following Vega with security cameras. *music louder. Switch to Vega in room. closeup as he pours himself drink. Switch to cocaine being cut on brass plate with raiser. Switch to Vega taking sip of drink, turns head. Switch to cocaine, see woman’s hand putting down raiser and reaches for rolled dollar, does a line. Switch to Vega looking at painting and drinking, leans on mantle waiting. Switch to woman’s bare feet walking away from camera, camera follows. Switch to needle lifting off record. *music stops. Switch to feet, hear “lets go” from Mia.

Fade to front of red car stopping. Mia in passenger seat Vega driving. Mia smokes. Neon sign reflecting off windshield.  Mia steps out of car. Switch to back of car panning left, Vega steps out of car. Camera follows the two walk into jack rabbit slims. *Waitin’ in School plays. They talk to host and are taken to seats. Vega in haze, swaggers cooly behind, camera follows him from behind. the two are seated in a car/booth. *music stops. Dialog.

 

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