Original artwork, not a still
Say 'what' again. I dare you, I double dare you, motherfucker, say 'what' one more goddamn time!
— Pulp Fiction · 1994
Watch the scene May contain spoilers.
Pulp Fiction
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Official scene clip · Scene checked
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Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Jules at his most theatrical: menace delivered as a language lesson, with a tantrum over a single syllable. Brett's helpless repeating of the word is what makes it funny and frightening in equal measure. Fans quote it whenever someone gives a nervous non-answer, and "say what again" has become a standing joke that needs no explanation.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pulp FictionShow the scene
In the opening story, Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega have come to Brett's apartment to take back Marsellus Wallace's briefcase. Brett and his friends are caught at breakfast over cheeseburgers, and Jules leans on Brett with a run of questions about where he is from and what Marsellus looks like. Each time Brett stammers back a nervous "what?", Jules grows angrier, and this is where he dares him to say it again. Brett manages "He's bald", and Jules turns to the question of whether Marsellus looks like a bitch.
Sources (2)
- Pulp Fiction (1994) script transcript, Springfield! Springfield!Brett's apartment scene, early in the scriptReference checked
- Pulp Fiction, WikipediaPlot summary, opening hitReference checked
Context reviewed
