WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

ReservoirDogs(1992)

(Fig1)ReservoirDogs,isacrime‐drama,thrillerfilmdirectedbyQuentin

Tarantinoandreleasedin1992.Thestoryrevolvesroundagangofcriminalsandtheaftermathofadiamondheistthatwentwrong.Thosethathavemadeittotherendezvouzsmellarat.Eachman,withacolour‐codedpseudonymtopreventincrimination,nowbelievesoneofthemsnitchedandiswiththecops.Ignorantofeachother’spastsandotherlives,‘Theyarethusforcedtomakejudgmentsbasedonrecentobservationandconduct.’(French,1993)Sotheaudiencefollowstheirsniffingaround,tryingtoworkouttheanswertotheverysamepuzzle. Beginningwithaslightlybamboozlingsceneofinaneandmachoconversationaboutmusicandtheetiquetteoftipping,theaudiencestraintounderstandthebabblebetweenthemeninadiner.Havingestablishedthattheyallswearliketroopersandonemiserablesod,Mr.Pink,doesn’ttipwaitresses;thecreditsroll,introducingthestarsinaslowmotionwalktothecars.Enterthe‘ReservoirDogs’.(Fig2)

WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

(Fig2) Assoonasthetitleshaverolled,theaudienceislaunchedheadfirstintobloodandthescreamingagonyofMr.OrangeinthebackofMr.White’sgetawaycar.Thisthemeofdisplayingtheaftermathfirstandexplanationslateristhekeyfeatureofthisfilm.‘Abandoning,theconventionalformatofnaturalchronologicalstorytelling,Tarantinocreatesatapestryofflashbacksthatcleverlybuildtoaconclusion.Thisallowsseparatescenestobeshowcasedasindividualvignettesthatthecastexploittothefull.’(Haflidason,2000)Thecleverseriesofflashbacksfromgang‐membertogang‐memberandbacktothepresentprovidesTarantinowiththeultimatecinematiccontrol.Thetimelinejumpsaroundbutnotinawaythatisconfusing,justenoughtopiqueinterestingofthecurrentsituationbeforecuttingawaytoanothermemberssituationorpreviousevents.Witheach‘vignette’,entitledinasimilarfashiontoStanelyKubrick’sdaysoftheweekin‘theShining’,theaudiencebankstheinformationthattheygatherabouteachcharacter.Theytrytoworkoutwhathappened,themotivationsofeachmanandwhichoneistherat.

(Fig3) Theperformanceofeachactorisabsolutelystellar.TimRothplayingthecompletelyauthentic,badlywoundedMr.OrangeandMr.White,asplayedbyHarveyKeitel,makesforaninterestingcharacterwithhissuddenalmost

WrittenbyEmilyClarkson

paternalnature.(Fig3)Theaforementionedmiserablesod,Mr.Pink,playedbySteveBuscemiisinstantlydislikableandcompletelyeffectiveasanantagonisticcharacter.Tarantinohimselfmakesacameoappearanceastheshort‐livedMr.Brown.Theworstofthebunch,Mr.Blonde,playedbyMichaelMadsenisthemostsadisticcharacter,providingthemosthorrificsceneofthefilm.

Hiskeysceneinvolvesacopthathehastakenprisonertotherendezvous,clearlyanglingforviolencebeforehewheedlesinformationfromhim.‘…Proceedingsareunderscoredmagnificentlybyagoldenoldieradiostationpumpingoutaseriesofbubblegumhitsfromthe70s.’(Dawson,N/A)WithMr.Blondeturningontheradio,wavingacut‐throatrazoraround,theentiretheatregripstheirseatswaitingforthebloodyhorrortobegin.Thebubblytrackontheradioprovidesasickironytothesituationandthepsychopathdancinghiswaytowardsthevictimonlymakesviewerssquirmfurther.However,here,Tarantinotakesanotherturnawayfromtheconventionaldepictionofviolence.’…[It’s]horriblyeffectiveandlingersfarlongerthantheusualpointblankbloodshedthatseemscompulsoryinothermovies.’(Haflidason,2000)Turningtheacameraawayandleavingthevolumeonfull,bothrelievesandtorturestheaudienceasimaginationsarelefttorunwildastowhatBlondeisdoingtotheimprisonedcop.

Theeventualrevealingof‘therat’ofthegangandthesubsequentdelvingintohispastleadinguptohispredicamentaddsawholenewandfantasticdimensiontothestory.Thefilmclimaxeswithallgunsblazingandtherealizationthataudience’sallegianceswithcharactershavechangedcontinuouslysothatbytheendtheyarerootingforthepeopletheyleastexpected.‘ReservoirDogs’isafantasticallyputtogetherfilm,despiteitsviolenceandbadlanguage.Itisafilmthatleavesaudiencesreeling‐inthebestway.

BibliographyHaflidason,Almar(2000)ReservoirDogs(1992)http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/11/21/reservoir_dogs_1992_review.shtmlDawson,Jeff(N/A)ReservoirDogshttp://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=6455French,Philip(1993)ReservoirDogshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/1993/jan/10/features.quentintarantinoPicturesFig1:IMDb(2013)ReservoirDogshttp://www.imdb.com/media/rm3874855168/tt0105236Fig2‐3:Bfi(2012)ReservoirDogshttp://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7ae5cbf0