The whole "ass" bit: "So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide somethin'. His ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass."
> I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind
It's right at the beginning of the speech:
"Hello, little man. Boy I sure heard a bunch about you. See, I was a good friend of your Daddy's. We were in that Hanoi pit of hell over five years together. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience this yourself, but when two men are in a situation like me and your Daddy were, for as long as we were, you take on certain responsibilities of the other."
Interesting, thanks! I've seen the movie 100 times and never considered the relationship between what Bruce Willis ends up doing re MW and the CW speech...
(There is a funny "how it should have ended" that makes fun of how he left such an important watch in the care of his flakey girlfriend in the first place)
I mean basically going back to get the watch is what saved his life cause after saving Marcellus there weren't any hitmen looking for him, although there was the loose end of Vincent's dead body in his apartment - hopefully the Wolf cleaned that up.
khazhoux explained the context very well. I'd add that what clicks for me is how the story is building up until it reaches an absurd level, kind of "how the hell did we get to this" coupled with Walken's straight face. You start to wonder if that's a joke, then you realize it is, from Tarantino.
I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind