RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) A film review by Rica Pietersen
Reservoir Dogs is the feature-length debut of writer and director Quentin Tarantino. This American crime thriller film came out in 1992. It features Hervey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, and Mr. Tarantino himself. The story looks at what happens before and after a failed diamond heist but the film doesn’t show the actual heist. Reservoir Dogs incorporates many film techniques and themes that have become Tarantino’s hallmarks, e.g. violent crime, nonlinear storytelling, and the trunk shot camera angle. Quentin Tarantino manages to show only the necessary, therefore the film feels realistic. Reservoir Dogs stands out from other crime films, because it shows that “less is more”. The film opens to eight men eating breakfast at a diner. Six of them use aliases: Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, and Mr. White. The others are mob boss Joe Cabot and his son “Nice Guy” Eddie Cabot, who organize the big diamond heist. It seems like a brilliant plan at first, but it turns out to be a total flop. After the heist, one of them is dead, and another one is shot in his gut and bleeding severely. Mr. Pink is convinced there is a rat amongst them who have told the police about the heist – the snitch. The thieves suspect each other of being the undercover agent. A die hard and mutual confrontation follows. The opening scene introduces the members of the gang in a unique way, the viewer doesn’t know where they know each other from, or what their background is. That follows later on in the story. Instead, they chat about the meaning of Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin” and the usefulness of tipping in restaurants. At first, the opening scene seems like an ordinary and even slightly disappointing setting. When truly, it gives clues about who is the big guy, the stingy thieve, the silent one, and the one who talks nonsense in the group.
Tarantino succeed to show only the most crucial parts, without all the extras you see in action films nowadays (big explosions, cheesy romance, bad (forced) jokes, etc.). The characters and story feel real, and that is what makes this film great. The story is straight to the point, yet there is always something new to discover when you watch the film for the second – or third time. For example, the fact that there is a “Silver Surfer” poster hanging in Mr. Orange’s room, and him referring to Joe Cabot as “The Thing” from Fantastic Four is one of Tarantino’s recurring themes of using comic books and cartoons in his films. With this, there is other things to discover what makes it – besides the plot of the film – still interesting to watch. Whether people like or dislike the film, it is considered as a classic of independent film. At first sight, it might not seem so, but in comparison to other crime thriller films of today Reservoir Dogs still keeps this realistic, raw nature that others often lack. Reservoir Dogs is a classic, and still worth watching. Get your hands on this film; buy it, rent it – or steal it.