If we think about the title, "Pulp Fiction", and forget about all the
*film history* references in the film, it would seem that Tarantino
intends to make a *pulp* film like *pulp* novels.  So I take the strange,
unexplained glow to be a literary device realized visually:  "The theif
opened the briefcase to find money so beautiful that it glowed like
gold."  I think there's money in there, but Tarantino has decided to make
it appear to be more than that.  The characters are so greedy that
money is the most awe-some thing to them and we get an almost subjective,
imaginary view of their admiration.  dunno...
 
garret savage
uc santa barbara