Film Review: Reservoir Dogs (1993)

                                                                   
                                                  Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Fig 1. Film Poster

Quentin Tarantino had created a film featuring blood, a lot of blood, gun shots and tones of offensive language. A crime-thriller with a heist gangster element. It's not a film with a huge narrative, but yet it gives us a piece of information a piece at a time as we go deeper into the movie. There is nothing to compare this film too, its unique from ever other crime thriller that seem to easily captivate audiences in a way that can be understood in an instant. Instead it is perceived to more the the crime thriller that has a lot of drama, so much so that the audience is thirsting for more after each scene.

Fig 2. Shooting Scene

The film focus's on a group of men who are brought together to run a job together. Each are designated a colour for their name as identity needs to be kept a secret. The heist is not seen on camera properly, so we start by seeing the getaway, where two of the group are in a car and the character who is later revealed to be an undercover cop, is badly wounder with a gun shot to the stomach. As the movie progresses we see the group turn on each other, blaming each other for the heist going wrong.  From that point on, everyone starts pointing guns and it ends with one shooting the other. (See Fig 2) The story may be vague and vile but visually it has a lot to offer. Candice Russell writes “A superb character study of tough guys turning on each other, it is also an edgy drama about the dissolution of trust.”(Russell, 2013) Reservoir Dogs looks at how trust is crucial, not just in preforming a crime, but as working in a team and completing a task without messing it up, resulting in a lot of feuds, blood and ultimately death for one or all the party.

Mr.Brown is actually played by the director himself, and interesting fact there, at the beginning of the feature we observe the group around the diner, talking about songs and their meanings. Mr. Brown brings up a topic on Madonna and her songs being about a man's genitals but we don't clearly see any judgment given about that, just an analysis. Furthermore, we start to learn more about the characters like Mr. Pink, who particularly does not want to tip and is acting negatively about Mr White's replies. As quoted:“These people bust their ass. This is a hard job… Waitressing is the number-one occupation for female non-college graduates in this country. It’s the one job basically any woman can get and make a living on. The reason is because of their tips.” (White, 1993). This is a very powerful line as it speaks about he feels that woman, even though they did not get the good jobs in that time era, having to earn a living if they are unsuccessful at completing a college education. It was revered that women wouldn't work any higher as they were incapable. (See figure 3).

Fig. 3 Diner Scene

This scene, this act, shows how each of the characters characteristics are in the feature, Mr. Pink is seen as the arrogant one due to his dismissal at tipping, Mr. White is the more sympathetic, caring one. It is also shown in the scene where Mr. Orange attempts to steal the car from a woman, but she shoots him first and he returns a shot. The reaction he has also shows a perception that women are too innocent and obedient.

To summarize, this feature has a lot of positives, and is a great film to watch, with its slight humor and unexpected climactic scene. Owen Gleiberman qoutes to end this review, “Tarantino, in Reservoir Dogs, has made a nihilist comedy about how human nature will always undercut the best-laid plans.” (Gleiberman, 2011)



Bibliography


Russell, C (2013) Sun Sentinel At: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-11-06/features/9202270898_1_jewelry-heist-joe-cabot-six-robbers (Accessed on: 27/03/2015)

White, (1993) Bitch Flicks At: http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/12/twenty-years-later-reservoir-dogs-masculinity-and-feminism.html#.VRHb3_msU9k (Accessed on 24703/2015)


Gleiberman, O (2011) Entertainment weekly At: http://www.ew.com/article/1992/10/30/reservoir-dogs (Accessed on: 27/03/2015)




Illustration 

Figure 1 Film Poster (1993) https://incelemeduvari.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/reservoir-dogs-renkler1.jpg (Accessed on 27/03.2015)

Figure 2 (1993) Shooting Scene At: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2008/07/297.full.jpg (Accessed on: 27/03/2015)

Figure 3 (1993) Diner Scene. http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sn9nnOkASDg/maxresdefault.jpg(Accessed on: 27/03/2015)