Buttmunker

In the film, the character Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) is determined to "leave the life" after witnessing a miracle (not getting shot by Seinfeld's "hand-cannon").

Jules friend, Jimmy (played by writer/director Quentin Tarantino), has already "left the life" when he married Bonnie.

I thought mobsters couldn't leave the life. Like in Sopranos, once you're in, you're in. There's no backing out.

What's different with the Pulp Fiction mob?

Chucky

It's simple, Buttmunker.

You just have to be a Bad M*thaf*cka.

Like the wallet says.

Star Wars Guy

It's a movie....

Joe Molotov

It's just a movie, it's not real like the Sopranos.

mike7162

It's not really a mob is it? My impression is that they're a tiny syndicate of low level criminals, with a few ties, if needed (a la Mr Wolf) to the larger element.

Mr. Cinema

Yeah, it's just a movie. If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor.

Supermallet

Inverse

As a wild guess I will say it has something to do with the fact that the Pulp Fiction mob is a different mob in a different city run by people from totally different backgrounds with different ways of being criminals.

(I heard a rumor that Samuel L Jackson isn't even Italian!)

GoldenJCJ

Luckily Ving Rhames is 100% Italian!

GoldenJCJ

I think this is probably the most likely answer to Buttmunker's question. AFAIK "The Mob" is never mentioned, is it?

Rival11

hardercore

Worst thread. Ever.

Nesbit

Where in the film does it make it clear that Jimmy use to be a criminal? Seen this film 20 or so times and never picked up on that.

The Bus

Women, never paying attention to details.

Jules refers to him as being an old friend and Jimmy doesn't "want to get into it" again with her. He might've been a low-level drug dealer, but whatever he did, she didn't like and asked him to stop.

Nesbit

I don't want to "Get into it again" doesn't necessarily mean that Bonnie and Jimmy have had fights over gangster shit. Maybe he and Bonnie have fought over money issues, cheating, Jimmy's lack of a job, or whatever else married people get into it over.

I've never been a part of the mob but I could easily see myself telling a friend that I don't want to "Get into it again with her" if he brought a dead guy into my house with my wife due home in a few hours.

I think you're all making an ass of yourselves..... and umption.

Buttmunker

Its mentioned in the "Enhanced Trivia Track" on the DVD.

Nesbit

Oh so that's cannon now?

The Bus

I think you meant canon.

Nesbit

Yeah that too

Josh-da-man

Wasn't Jimmy Jules' partner before he started working with Vincent?

dvdlover631

The message is Jules left the life and survived because of the sign from above, Vincent stayed and got killed. Jules lives and Vincent dies...

Nesbit

I don't believe that this is an intended message of the film. Although Jules does leave and (presumably) live while Vincent dies there are several other people in the film who perform evil deeds or live evil lives that walk away happy. If Jules had asked Vincent if he wanted to walk the Earth with him I could see your point.

PixyJunket

At the end of The Godfather, there are a couple of the young scamps that are being excused (as soon as the Corleone operation relocates to Vegas) to form their own families.. I guess that's not entirely "leaving the life" but I'd think "leaving the family" probably would hold similar, if not the same, connotations. And, as others have stated, they're just movies.

Patrick G

This comment makes this entire thread worth while now

SPiRAL

Ving Rhames is Sicilian. Have you forgotten Dennis Hopper's monolouge in True Romance ?