Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

you know i was watching Pulp Fiction the other day for probably the fifth or sixth time, and it occurred to me - Vincent Vega (john travolta's character) is a ****ing idiot. i don't think i was able to see this before now because i love john travolta so dearly and have had a crush on him since i was like 6 when i saw Grease for the first time.

seriously, though, he-

- nonchalantly points a loaded gun in a dude's face and makes pasta out of him, making a huge mess out of himself, jules, and their car in broad daylight
- then when Jules bails him out, he talks **** to The Wolf for not saying "please" when he's only trying to help
- leaves a bag of heroine in his jacket and lets his bosses wife wear it unattended, knowing full well how delicate the whole situation is
- LEAVES HIS EFFING GUN ON THE EFFING COUNTER SO HE CAN SH*T AND READ HIS BOOK IN PEACE, thereby resulting in his death

for real, how did the guy survive for three years in Amsterdam lol?

but you know what? vincent vega really needs to learn a thing or two about when is the APPROPRIATE TIME to take bathroom breaks. because every time he goes to the bathroom, someone either ODs, dies, or gets robbed.

ok i'm done now.

WOW that's a great observation lol. I never really questioned it, but now I'm thinking he was cursed =\

also, I love the thread title.

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

Yeah, it's not something people talk about a ton, but he's a bit of a screwup. Part of me feels, at first, that this is dissonant with how sharp he is in his arguments with Jules (where he kinda gets the better of him both on the "foot rub" and the "filthy animal" discussions), but the more I think about it the more I think it fits: he's one of those guys who spends way too much time thinking of overtly philosophical stuff instead of focusing on the task at hand. So he wins all the arguments but loses his life.

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

I LOVE Vincent Vega's character! He's a bumbling idiot, and it pairs so perfectly with the smart Jules. Not to say that Vincent isn't intelligent, he obviously knows a thing or two about life. But I think Tarantino makes him kind of a stupid guy in real life situations because it makes us like him more. If he was just a cold blooded killer who was sharp as a nail then I don't think we'd like him as much.

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

The scene where he dies always has me asking “Why?!” So you’re not alone haha

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

I think I mentioned this earlier, but I also figured that spending three years doing hard drugs in Amsterdam (and then continuing once he got back to the States) was definitely impacting his performance as well.

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

I love the thread title! Cracked me up when I read it. And yes, I agree. Vincent Vega is an idiot. A cocky idiot. A really unfocused, sloppy two-bit lowlife gangster, but yet again he's a junkie and lacks common sense. And that is what makes the character appealing and lovable, in a twisted way I suppose. He's like a regular Joe who just happens to be a killer. Tarantino is great at humanizing his characters, even those who may appear notorious in other films. And who better than John Travolta to play him? Travolta rose to fame as cocky idiots. First on Welcome Back, Kotter, and then in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. I think that's what made Tarantino believe he'd be the right choice for the role, and he was right.

Re: Vincent Vega is an idiot
 

I loved Vincent, but if the truth be told, he does do a lot of stupid things in that movie.

Haha, good points. I can understand leaving heroin in your pocket, because one wouldn't expect someone else to just search, but the "please" thing was beyond ridiculous. Mr. Fox was there to clean up HIS murder, but no, "I rather go to jail than not hear please"


As for Amsterdam, people really seem to look out for each other. My first trip was in 2004, and so I spent more than I should have, taking a taxi. While we were going down an alley, the taxi driver stopped after seeing one guy kinda laying down with his two friends around him, and asked "Is he ok? Does anyone need help?", "No no, he just took too much ecstasy" (it was New Years).... Even the police are very nice and helpful (and harmless on their little bikes).