Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

White/Pink or Orange?

Mr. Orange is probably the most protagonist-like character, but we don't really know this until the last third of the movie. Before that, he's just some dying dude who's a decorative part of the funeral home set (and Tarantino decorates with fake blood). Then he completely takes over the story. His past is more than just a little flashback/character development thing that Blonde and White get. Orange's tale takes over the narrative. In fact, Orange himself takes over the narrative for a while.

Is Orange's story the story of the movie? It is also possible to think of White and Pink as co-protagonists. They both appear early on at the funeral home and (apart from when Blonde is left alone with Marvin and Orange) they're in every present-time scene together. It's from their perspective that we begin to understand what they were doing and how they came to be in this situation. As an audience, it almost seems easier to root for the success of Pink and White than for Orange because, well, Orange is the rat.