Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller
Director: Quentin Tarantino
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 99 min
Reviewer Ranking 7.5/10
Movie Review by: Briana Elle Nava
“Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?” Reservoir Dogs definitely takes a bite with its star-studded cast, who, adorned in skinny black ties and Ray Bans, send you through encounters leading up to, and following, a gut wrenching continual blood shedding diamond heist.
Reservoir Dogs, the preliminary film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) gives its audience a first look at his current-day, monumental cinematic trademarks. The movie opens in a diner as the heist men sit around a table enjoying breakfast, cigarettes and some good laughs. As the camera circulates the table, reference to pop culture is made by Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof), and Eddie “Nice Guy” Cabot (Chris Penn, Stealing Harvard) sets the musical tone as he discusses a popular song from the 1970s. Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi, Armageddon) sets himself up as wise guy he plays throughout the film, while Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney, Southie) pays for their meal, setting his boss character. Mr. White (Harvey Keitel, National Treasure) regulates on the stupidity at the table and Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen, Kill Bill), Mr. Orange (Tim Roth, The Incredible Hulk) and Mr. Blue (Eddie Bunker, The Running Man) provide little commentary as they listen.
With a cast of this superiority, it is hard to find one break-out character. The leading characters are Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Joe Cabot, and Mr. Pink. Their identities are revealed in a non-linear story line that consists of flashbacks, a stylistic device found in a majority of Tarantino’s films. The non-linear tactic of Reservoir Dogs, although not as disarranged as Pulp Fiction, leaves some questions initially unanswered and the audience on their seat as they are revealed. The flashbacks consist of scenes of the crew being constructed prior to the diamond heist, and immediately following, while the rest of the movie takes place in a warehouse after the fail-safe heist turns in to a bloodbath of cops, crooks and civilians. In the warehouse, circulation of the heist being a set-up has surfaced and fingers, or guns, start to be pointed.
Reservoir Dogs is a violent film and not recommended for those with a weak stomach. The famous torture scene, often talked about by film critics is meant to be as disturbing as all possible. Although, current day, our generation is used to this massacre-istic film style, as seen in Inglorious Bastards, it must be known that in 1992, Reservoir Dogs was a pioneer in this art form and harshly criticized for it.
The soundtrack juxtaposes the onscreen violence playing out. The radio station K-Billy’s Super Sound of the Seventies broadcasts many of the songs heard on the film. Tarantino chose feel-good songs; Hooked on a Feeling, Fool for Love, Coconut and, most memorable, Stuck in the Middle (used during the brutal torture scene). The soundtrack is accompanied by tough-guy dialect, agonizing screams and the frequent use of voice-overs carrying the audience from one scene to the next.
Although Reservoir Dogs may not be for all movie viewers, the film has developed its own cult following and in my opinion, in order to pay respects, must be seen by anyone who enjoys Quinton Tarantino’s work. The film’s ending theme unravels to reveal that no person under pressure, no matter how tough a cover, or how professional they try to be, can really be so treacherous in the eyes of morality, unless, of course they’re criminally psychotic.
