# What was in Marsellus Wallace's briefcase?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890 "2003-11-01T21:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/41 "2003-11-02T20:28:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*To identify Macellus Washburn. > > Look, in the early part of the film, you only see the back of his head. Then, suddenly, Bruce Willis sees Washburn crossing the street. \*\* Actually, it’s Marcellus Wallace. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/42 "2003-11-02T20:45:00Z")
I like to think it’s the diamonds from _Reservoir Dogs_. I know that’s not an official answer, but it fits. ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/43 "2003-11-02T20:55:29Z")
I’m not entirely sure, because I’ve never seen it in its pure form, but I believe that was Artsy Contrivance… ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/44 "2003-11-02T21:05:10Z")
Columbian Gold, perhaps ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/45 "2003-11-02T23:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*To identify Macellus Washburn. > > Look, in the early part of the film, you only see the back of his head. Then, suddenly, Bruce Willis sees Washburn crossing the street. That’s the first time we see his face, and it’s essential to to plot that the audience understand who that man crosssing the street is, otherwise the scene loses all its impact. > > So you put a band-aid on the back of Marcellus’s neck. The man crossing the street is instantly identified. > > This is so obvious that I keep wondering why people still continue to ask why. \*\* You see him earlier than that. In the beginning of Bruce’s story he’s there with Vincent and Mia, fuming after the fight that Bruce had killed the guy and is now making a run for it with all the money. ---
**Author:** ![professorbiscuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@professorbiscuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/professorbiscuit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/46 "2003-11-02T23:40:15Z")
I was always under the impression it was a device for hunting tigers in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![Leechboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Leechboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechboy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/47 "2003-11-03T00:10:45Z")
a 1920’s style deathray ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/48 "2003-11-03T00:29:57Z")
[Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/pulp.htm) on the subject: > [@](#): > > And from Rober Ebert’s _Questions for the Movie Answer Man_ comes the following statement by Pulp Fiction co-author Roger Avery: > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally the briefcase contained diamonds. But that just seemed too boring and predictable. So it was decided that the contents of the briefcase were never to be seen. This way each audience member would fill in the blank with their own ultimate contents. All you were supposed to know was that it was “so beautiful.” No prop master can come up with something better than each individual’s imagination. At least that was the original idea. Then somebody had the bright idea (which I think was a mistake) of putting an orange lightbulb in there. Suddenly what could have been anything became anything supernatural. Didn’t need to push the effect. People would have debated it for years anyway, and it would have been much more subtle. I can’t believe I’m actually talking about being subtle. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/49 "2003-11-03T15:49:35Z")
Pie. Lots and lots of pie. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/50 "2003-11-03T17:04:50Z")
Hah! I was right! My theory has always been that it contained the viewer’s “greatest desires.” ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/51 "2003-11-03T19:26:17Z")
I always assumed it was the thing that Billie Joe McAllister was throwing off the Tallahatchie Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![voxnihili](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@voxnihili](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voxnihili)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/52 "2003-11-04T02:24:54Z")
kind of a hijack, but people often say ‘marcellus’ soul because it says that the devil removes souls through the back of the neck’ and the whole band-aid on the neck thing. is there anywhere in the bible or folklore that says the soul is removed through the back of the neck? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/53 "2003-11-04T02:29:45Z")
Ham. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/54 "2003-11-04T02:41:10Z")
No, and there’s no symbolic reason for the band-aid to be there, either. Ving Rhames has a prominent keloid scar back there, is all. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/55 "2003-11-04T06:47:53Z")
Ah, its a 1920’s style “Death Ray.” ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/56 "2003-11-04T08:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*To identify Macellus Washburn. > > Look, in the early part of the film, you only see the back of his head. Then, suddenly, Bruce Willis sees Washburn crossing the street. That’s the first time we see his face, and it’s essential to to plot that the audience understand who that man crosssing the street is, otherwise the scene loses all its impact. > > So you put a band-aid on the back of Marcellus’s neck. The man crossing the street is instantly identified. > > This is so obvious that I keep wondering why people still continue to ask why. \*\* Larry Mudd already beat me to it, but he’s right. Tarantino has stated in numerous interviews that Rhames had a scar on his neck that Tarantino feared would be too distracting in the scene, so he had Rhames wear a band-aid over it. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/57 "2003-11-04T15:55:26Z")
It’s a sports almanac from the year 2015. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/58 "2003-11-08T20:25:23Z")
It’s Plutonium H25. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/59 "2003-11-09T01:33:22Z")
It’s the third word that ends in “gry.” …and the missing dollar. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890/60 "2003-11-09T07:38:07Z")
It was an overpriced bug zapper, nothing more. Or it may have been the same stuff that was in the Ark of the Covenant in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ – the wrath of God. Or maybe it was the Wrath of Kahn, I always get them mixed up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-marsellus-wallaces-briefcase/210890.md?page=4)