How Tarantino Uses Dialogue in the 'Pulp Fiction' Burger Scene to Intimidate

I think we can all agree that Quentin Tarantino is the master of dialogue. His movies sizzle with engaging repartee, and the way his characters speak reveals a lot about them.

One of the most famous Tarantino scenes is the "tasty burger" scene from Pulp Fiction. It involves hitmen Jules and Vincent showing up to collect a debt owed to Marcellus Wallace, and it devolves from there.

The whole scene is a showcase of intimidation, characterization, and... great dialogue.

Check out this video from Savage Books, and let's chat after.

Tarantino's Pulp Fiction Burger Scene

let's start with this scene and what it sets up in the movie.

From the moment Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) enter the apartment, Jules assumes a terrifyingly casual demeanor.

He addresses Brett and his friends with relaxed, almost friendly dialogue: "How you boys doin'?" This creates a severe cognitive dissonance for the victims and the audience.

Brett knows these men have come to kill them over Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase.

By acting like a neighbor dropping in for a chat, Jules strips Brett of any script he might have prepared for a confrontation. You can't plead for your life when your executioner is casually asking about your breakfast.

As you can see in the video, Tarantino uses escalating conflict as well as non sequiturs to amp up and then relax tension.

Okay, so we start with a fun chat, but this dialogue but the scene then shows that these guys are there to invade, and to make the folks in the room feel worried about their status in a criminal organization.

When Jules says, "Mind if I try one of yours? This is yours here, right?" he isn't actually asking for permission. He's letting them know he's the boss.

He takes the burger, and subsequently washing it down with Brett's Sprite, is a primal-level display of dominance.

The dialogue acts as a polite veneer over an act of supreme disrespect and territorial takeover. The agonizingly slow pauses in the dialogue, all while the audience listens to Jules chew and loudly slurp the soda, stretch the tension to its breaking point.

We are on the edge of our seats here.

That's because we know there has to be an explosion. They wish they had shotguns, we know they have handguns, so we're on our Chekhov game.

What makes a scene like this special is how it sets and defies expectations. We get the idea that it's about money and trouble. And we've seen that happen in many different movies. But what Tarantino does with his dialogue is approach this from a roundabout way.

He comes in with the burger. That's the entry point. It's a callback to the car, and it humanizes everyone in the room. As soon as we see everyone as human, we understand the stakes are life and death.

Once Jules has fully disarmed the room with his relaxed pacing, Tarantino uses dialogue to snap the trap shut.

There is no escape for these guys.

After a moment of casual chatter, Jules shoots the man on the couch without even looking at him, then immediately turns his attention back to Brett.

This leads to the famous "What" sequence. As Brett stammers, repeating the word "what," Jules’s volume and aggression skyrocket:

"Say 'what' again. Say 'what' again, I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say 'what' one more Goddamn time!"

The intimidation stems from the sheer unpredictability. Jules has proven that his mood can shift from "food critic" to "screaming killer" in a millisecond.

Jules completely breaks Brett's psychological resistance and also the audience's understanding of the hitmen. They were so nice a few beats ago. And now we understand they are scary.

When the guns come out, we know the change. But we're always waiting for the guns.

Tarantino shifts the style of dialogue one final time before the execution. Jules abandons the street slang and casual banter, adopting the booming, rhythmic cadence of a fiery preacher.

Once we get to the (mostly fictionalized) Bible verse Ezekiel 25:17, Jules elevates himself from a simple mob hitman to an agent of divine retribution.

The scene has shifted tones again into like an old testament anger.

"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers."

The sheer theatricality of the monologue paralyzes Brett. It is grand, rhythmic, and inescapable.

When you tackle a scene, think about how it affects your characters' lives. What do they spark to inside the scene? What prompts a memory or a conversation? Can that conversation be a greater metaphor, or can it be exploratory within the humanity at hand?

Summing It All Up

What are some things you took away from the video? Some strategies you'll use in your writing?

Let me know in the comments.