1. Focus More On 'The Briefcase'
The most infamous and widely debated part of the entire film, the mysterious briefcase which Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield have been dispatched to retrieve, remains an Easter Egg and McGuffin of the highest order. Quite simply the most intriguing and symbolic part of the film, the briefcase (which is unlocked by the numbers 666), while definitely a focus for part of the film, loses a lot of its relevance and intrigue once it's out of our sights - which is an obvious shame, as I personally feel that it could have added some gravitas, intrigue and a dark, symbolic emphasis to a largely fun film. While theories have raged since the film's release about it being anything from diamonds, nuclear materials or even Marsellus' soul (my personal favourite), the point is that if the film had had a slightly stronger focus or lead around the briefcase, it would have made the contents more intriguing and something that the lead characters could have been drawn to, both literally and figuratively. In the final scene in the diner, Jules in his moment of redemption, acceptance and transition from a killing machine into someone much better, still refuses to hand over the briefcase, showing the contents to a startled and mesmerised Ringo/Pumpkin. The briefcase and its contents at once symbolise a monstrous thing, a thing worth killing people over, and simultaneously something beautiful, something capable and inherently aimed at inspiring awe and reverence in the people who view it. Ringo himself says, "it's beautiful". It's a shame then that Tarantino didn't add more of the mysterious briefcase's origins into the movie to pique our curiosity even further - all without revealing its origins, identity or purpose of course. After all, what's a good McGuffin if people know what it's for? Well, those were my five choices for ways that Pulp Fiction could have been improved - if you have any other choices for ways to improve this postmodern classic, sound off in the comments section below.