Review of Reservoir Dogs (1992) by Nelson B — 25 Mar 2016

Six criminals, who are unknown to each other, are hired by a crime boss, Joe Cabot (Lawerence Tierney) to stage a diamond robbery. Right at the outset, they are given aliases, colour coded Mr White, Mr Pink and so on, with Cabot and his son Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) only knowing their real names. Pretty sure that hiring some capable cons that the robbery will go ahead without a hitch. However when the Police are right outside as the gang exit the building this is put paid to. Panic ensues and in the course of trying to evade the police two of the gang are shot dead as well as a number of civillians and cops. Two of the remaining members of the gang Mr White (Harvey Keitel) and Mr Orange (Tim Roth) evade capture and death and head to the rendezvous point a warehouse, though Orange has been shot in the stomach, not soon after Mr Pink (Steve Buscemi) turns up and suggests to White that there must be a rat amongst the group due to the police presence as soon as they left the jewellers.

Not many directors have entered onto the stage with such an electrifing debut, if any film maker defined the 1990's it was Quentin Tarantino. A testimony to his influence as he only actually released three films in the decade but the shockwave that this film and it's follow up Pulp Fiction sent out informed any number of films that followed. Infact some pretty pale immitations arrived in it's wake. Guy Ritchie's well received but ultimately vastly overrated debut Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels owes both films more than a debt. Tarantino never a director shy of stealing from other works and stealing is the right word because he doesn't borrow he outright robs ideas and then fashions them in his own image. Ringo Lam's 1987 film City On Fire and obvious reference point and Joseph Seargeant's terrific 70's thriller The Taking of Pelham 123 is clearly where the colour coded element was nicked from. One critic intoned mediocre artists borrow whereas great artists steal and make better.

Tarantino changed the face of the crime film in the space of two films. As someone who witnessed this on the cinema screen back January 1993 when it was released in the UK (twice infact) I was litterally blown away by the visceral power and the quick fire foul mouthed dialogue. Tarantino was like a profanity poet, using swearing like an art form. To think how much film and televison dialogue as been infomed by his style, the heigtened reality of criminals talking about music, television and films in their day to day interactions. Tarantino nails his stall out from the get go as the now instantly quotable opening sequence which the director himself as in the minor role of Mr Brown is discussing rather explicitly what Madonna's "Like A Virgin" is about. Today this kind of writing is rife in pop culture, the likes of the hugely influential British comedy TV series Spaced ( Tarantino a self confessed fan) and then it's U.S benefactor The Big Bang Theory are littered with the characters quoting dialogue from the world of entertainment. It would not be over estimating to say although it could be argued better directors have come along since, none of them have been quite and distinctive and influnetial as Tarantino.

Tarantino's clearly knows the areas to take influence from, Martin Scorcesse showed how adept he was at using pop music to soundtrack his films, nowhere else had that been obvious in his 1989 gangster masterpiece Goodfellas. Using the fictional radio station K Billy's Super Sound of the 70's with the disembodied dead pan voice of comedian Steven Wright introducing the tracks, the station even gets referenced by the gang during the film. Though Tarantino having a habit to use songs not so well known songs and then elevate them to another level. Take for instance the opening credits of the film after the prologue. The director accompanies the sequence with the then little known "Little Green Bag" by the George Baker Selection, a scene that is a homage in it's own right to Kubricks's Clockwork Orange, the group exiting the diner to head off to the job at hand, Tarantino hits the slow motion button and a little known song instantly becomes a classic. The scene has more than an echo of Alex and the Droogs walking in slow motion to the strains of Rossini's overture to la gazza ladra (the thieving magpie). The director than continue to mine his record collection, Harry Nilsson, Bedlam and Sandy Rogers amongst the soundtrack. Athough Stealer's Wheels more famous "Stuck In The Middle of You" would never sound the same again after Mr Blonde's (Michael Madsen) infamous torture sequence, a moment that caused fiffteen people to walk out when it was screened at Sitges film festival, which included Wes Craven and horror make up supremo Rick Baker. Baker later told Tarantino to take the walkout as a "compliment" and explained that he found the violence unnerving because of its heightened sense of realism. The film would be dogged with controversy, particularly in the UK, it didn't receive a VHS home release until 1995. The BBFC has initially refused it a certificate as films need to be seperately reclassified for home consumption. The film is undoubtedly violent, although unlike some of the directors later work this has realistic sense of consequence.

As the directors career has progressed he has got himself a reputation for resurrecting actors careers. Harvey Keitel had almost disappeared into obscurity despite including a number of Scorcesse classics on his C.V. Mr White offered the veteran performer a peach of a role and one that would bring him to a whole new audience. His character serves as the heart of the film and while a sociopath one with a code, which makes his realisation at the end of the film that more powerful. Michael Madsen's Mr Blonde in comparisson is a stone cold psychopath and his key moment as mentioned in the previous paragraph is chilling. Tim Roth more well known in his native Britain spends most of the film lying down bleeding although just like White and Blonde earlier gets more to do when his back story is revealed. Tarantino himself takes a minor role of Mr Brown, Eddie Bunker also appears briefly as Mr Blue. Bunker a reformed convict who had gone onto be an acclaimed crime novelist and screenwriter in his own right.

Steve Buscemi, while never leading man material has since carved out an impressive character acting career, having gone on to direct a number of features as well as be a prolific televison director including some of the most memorable Soprano's episodes as well as appearing as Tony Soprano's cousin in Season 5 of the series. Most recently seen headlining acclaimed HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Practically unknown at the time, his Mr Pink is an undoubted highlight of the film, a real slime ball, from the moment we see him trying to avoid contributing to his share of the tip in the prologue, showing no sympathy for the waitresses plight. Not bothered to look bad amongst his colleagues who rightly chastise him for it. Buscemi makes sure that the audience isn't likely to sympathise with him but he does emerge the most professional of the group and appears the only one with his eye on the prize, hence he is the one who bothers to make sure he has the diamonds they were there to swipe in the first place.

It could be said that Tarantino makes no secret of where this is going, the film plays out for the most in the warehouse which on closer inspection is revealed as a slaughter house. There is also a hearse parked in the foreground. The director has never been one for subtlety throughout his career, everyone is undoubtedly heading in one direction.

Reservoir Dogs remains one of the directors best films, my personal preference would be for his third and under appreciated entry Jackie Brown as my favourite but his debut wouldn't be far behind. Also the short running time is rarity as after this Tarantino would favour a more leisurely pace and epic length going forward. Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown would be nearly an hour longer. Reservoir Dog more economic length could be attributed to it's $1.2 Million budget irregardless of this Tarantino packs plenty in and with the exception of Jackie Brown invests the film with heart and soul. Pulp Fiction for all it's ambition and memorable set pieces is somewhat of a cold fish, lot of style and clearly wanting to impress it's quite superficial with not much below the surface. It's predecessor in comparrison has a beating heart and it's ending is bleak and hits home, none of the directors other films would end with such a sobering denouncement.

Still as effective and shocking as it was 24 years ago, Reservoir Dogs remains a potent mixture of scintilating dialogue and palpable suspense with all round excellent performances. The film announced a distinctive and exciting talent and love him or hate him, the world of film would be a much duller place without Quentin Tarantino around.