Reservoir Dogs

RESERVOIR DOGS (MOVIE)
Miramax Films

Original release: October 23rd, 1992
Running time: 99 minutes

Writer and director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, Lawrence Tierney

The opening scenes of very few films have remained intact in my memory and Reservoir Dogs definitely falls into that category. A bunch of suit-clad men seated around a table drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, discussing Madonna and making other pop cultural references? You have my attention. Not only did I find it amusing that seemingly macho men would ever find Madonna’s music worth talking about, but I was sufficiently educated on what her songs really mean. But what really made it stand out was the manner in which it was juxtaposed with what was to follow in the film.

Reservoir Dogs was Quentin Tarantino’s first and arguably best film. Generally considered a caper noir film, it follows the events before and after a diamond heist and has, since its release, gathered a cult following. The reason behind not filming the actual heist was apparently budgetary, although Tarantino says he always liked the idea. I think what came about as a result of this decision was a very human story. An actual heist is a cold, calculated, meticulously planned activity – it should be. But moving away from seeing these criminals in the midst of their professional obligations, and towards their personal interactions and reactions instead, gave it more depth and gave the director much to work with. He also includes flashback biographies of the people involved in the job.

Tarantino’s always written negative characters well. In Reservoir Dogs we see a myriad of these characters, ranging from psychopathic madmen with no allegiance, to empathetic old-timers with a personal code of honour. The film also tells us about the human tendency to bungle the best of plans. And you can tell they put enough thought into keeping their identity, referring to each other by aliases only. But anonymity as a concept can go only so far. Man is still a social animal and criminals need to network too. It highly amused me to see how satisfied everyone was with the proposed plan of anonymity, not considering that some may be in the inner circle.

On the subject of negative characterisation, Michael Madsen is a treat for the eyes and the ears. His cold, devil may care, menacing demeanour is as much his strength as it is his weakness, and for once I enjoyed watching a criminal who would rather die than have to compromise. Whether that’s stubborn or stupid is irrelevant. One of the best scenes of the film was the torture scene, played out to the Stealers Wheel song Stuck In The Middle With You. I was caught between cringing at the bloody torture and singing along, something many of us will probably battle with for the entirety of the film.

The use of music in the film is now what we consider typical to Tarantino. The soundtrack brings to mind that of Pulp Fiction (1994), melodious and ironic. He uses the Sounds Of The Seventies as the backdrop for the film. As such Tarantino’s films are peppered with pop cultural references as well as an oddly astute social commentary on the times. Indeed, Reservoir Dogs is at its roots an action film, but the power of dialogue can’t go unnoticed. Through the interactions of the characters, we gain insight into the world as viewed by white criminals, as they make homophobic remarks and constantly strive to steer away from black criminal behaviour. The dialogue is itself action packed, as we’ve come to expect of Tarantino, and takes over the scenes like the scent of blood takes over a room – pungent and difficult to ignore.

Reservoir Dogs is one of the most remarkable directorial debuts, along with being a film that shows a high pitched, screaming Tim Roth for most of it. It was a springboard for Tarantino’s career, filled with fast paced, witty dialogue, a penchant for bloody horror and a soundtrack that somehow fits the two. It’s a story about human error, misplaced loyalties and their repercussions. It’s a character study of whom society deems characterless.

Nandini Godara

Nandini is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Film Studies from Queen Mary University of London. She aspires to work in television, preferably developing shows. She enjoys writing and maintains a blog that contains her short stories, poems and other musings.

Nandini also loves all sports, including football, and is a supporter of Arsenal. Follow her on Twitter @nandini_godara.

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