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In Pulp Fiction, during the epilogue ("The Diner" part), Jules and Vincent talk about the meaning of the lives they were conducting and Jules' intentions to retire from his life of crime.

At a certain point, there is the following dialogue (taken from Wikiquote):

Vincent: Jules, look, what happened this morning, I agree, it was peculiar. But water into wine, I...

Jules: All shapes and sizes, Vincent.

Vincent: Don't fucking talk to me like that, man.

Jules: If my answers frighten you, then you should cease asking scary questions.

I can't understand the meaning of these lines, in particular the reason why Vincent gets upset.

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    Getting upset with people seems to be part of Jules's character: the movie shows him get testy with Butch and Winston Wolf as well as Vincent.
    – Shiz Z.
    Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 18:13

1 Answer 1

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The idea is that the two hitmen were miraculously saved when the bullets from the "hand cannon" mysteriously didn't hit them (though there were bullet holes in the wall directly behind them.)

Jules recognizes that it was a miracle, takes it as a sign from god that he should repent--a second chance at a virtuous life.

Vincent is having none of it. "Water into wine", which is a reference to one of Jesus' miracles in the New Testament, is Vincent rejecting the idea that it is a miracle.

"All shapes, all sizes" is probably Jules saying that miracles can take many forms.

Vincent gets upset because he doesn't want to change his life, and the idea that a higher power may be pulling the strings is upsetting, possibly because the implication that we aren't in control of our destinies.


It's worth noting that redemption is a major theme in Pulp Fiction.

  • The "mcguffin" in the briefcase is understood to be Marcellus' soul. He does get it back but has to suffer grievously. (Suffering and redemption are closely related, as in the story of the crucifixion. Note than in Marcellus' case, the ordeal is something he would find deeply shameful. This is surely no accident, as his introduction in the film involves lecturing Butch on not giving into pride when he steps into the ring to throw the fight. Marcellus is humbled by his ordeal and can therefore be redeemed, as redemption in this context requires humility.)

  • Butch is redeemed after his betrayal of Marsellus by making a moral decision to save Marsellus, even if it means he may be sacrificing himself. (His decision shows that he is able to fulfill the precept "love thine enemies", and receives forgiveness for his own transgression.)

  • Vincent refuses to repent and continues his life of crime. Unredeemed, he dies by his own gun at the hands of Butch while taking a crap. (Note that bad things seem to happen for Vincent when he is in the bathroom, probably a reference to his heroin addiction--junkies are notoriously constipated and often use bathrooms to surreptitiously shoot up.)

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    I think you are generally correct, but: 1) you mean "Vincent gets upset"; and 2) Vincent is not self-reflective, but he has shown many times to be reactionary. He is upset because he thinks Jules is preachy and full of shit, and he has no reason to think he himself is wrong or doubt his own assessment. He is not upset about the existential question of God, he is mad at a preachy Bada** Motherf***er (as certified on Jules' wallet)
    – Yorik
    Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 17:51
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    I disagree that Vincent gets angry because he "doesn't want to change his life". I saw it more that Vincent isn't religious, and neither was Jules, only now he's acting like Jesus and has taken on a holier-than-thou attitude. Jules has become a different person, and Vincent is angry because it seems like his best friend just went insane. Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 20:03
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    @DukeZhou I'm hesitant to think that there's anything deeper going on here. Jules is being irrational, and Vincent wants him to debate honestly instead of talking like a prophet. Vincent thinks he can win the argument, but Jules has stopped listening to him. Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 20:32
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    @DukeZhou I'm probably explaining myself wrong. I get that QT is good at what he does, but I don't think every single line in the film has some deeper meaning. Dialogue is about the relationships between characters, first and foremost, and I think that's all this specific line is about. It shows us that these two characters, who used to be similar, are now essentially speaking different languages. Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 21:00
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    @DukeZhou Oh, okay then, sure. Still not sure I agree, but that makes enough sense to me to have to watch the film again before I try to disagree. Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 21:08

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