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Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (ie, a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them colour-coded aliases (Mr Orange, Mr Pink, Mr White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco--and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even--in the end--unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. --Jim Emerson
Amazon.com Essential Video
Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco--and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even--in the end--unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. --Jim Emerson
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great to see the origin of Tarantino's signature style,
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This review is from: Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Director Quentin Tarantino is one of the most passionate filmmakers I have ever seen. If you listen to him talk about his films, he can barely contain his enthusiasm. He reportedly dropped out of high school despite having an IQ of 160 because he wanted to pursue his passion. I can certainly identify with that.Reservoir Dogs was Tarantino's first full-length feature and it contains most of the elements we have come to expect. Although his style is all over it, it feels a little rough around the edges. That doesn't stop it from being a superb film, but it's interesting to see how he perfected his craft in later efforts. If you have ever seen a Tarantino film, you'll know that his dialogue is distinctive. In fact, I don't think anyone writes better dialogue. The story opens with a restaurant scene in which a gang of thieves, led by Joe Cabot (Tierney), discusses the meaning of Madonna's Like a Virgin. The scene develops with Mr. Pink (Buscemi) explaining why he rarely tips. It's clever, funny and logical, and it says a lot about the character. This approach is present in all of Tarantino's films and it's so refreshing. Why would thieves, police or German colonels only talk about their job? It just doesn't ring true. Tarantino's characters become more real because they talk about anything that comes to mind. Reservoir Dogs is essentially a heist movie, but we never actually see the robbery take place. We see some of the planning and surveillance as the gang plans the robbery, and we see some of them fleeing the scene after it takes place. The bulk of the story takes place in a warehouse where the surviving gang members agree to meet, and it could be happening in real time. Mr. White (Keitel) arrives first with Mr. Orange (Roth) and Mr. Pink. Orange was shot in the belly after the robbery and White and Pink are discussing what to do. Pink has a theory that someone ratted them out and that the police were at the scene much too soon. We gradually learn that Mr. Blonde (Madsen) started shooting everyone in sight during the robbery and his actions caused the police to intervene. Tarantino loves to pause the story to explain the origin or background of his characters, and he uses that technique in Reservoir Dogs. We find out who Mr. Blonde is and why he is part of the gang. Another scene shows how Mr. Pink escaped the crime scene, although the account may not be accurate as it's from his viewpoint. The most interesting flashback reveals the identity and motivations of the rat and how he memorized an anecdote to make his character seem more authentic to the other members of the gang. My favorite characters are Mr. White and Mr. Pink. I could watch Buscemi in anything and his character is similar to the one he played in Fargo. His final actions fit his character perfectly. Keitel's character is the most complex. Although he's a criminal, he has his own sense of honor. He clearly cares whether Mr. Orange lives or dies, while the other gang members seem indifferent. His choices are somewhat brave under the circumstances. There is a lot of violence in the film, but the camera pans away from the action during the most violent scene. Like Hitchcock, Tarantino allows us to imagine the events rather than see them. The color red is removed from almost every scene, although Mr. White is seen wearing a red shirt at one point. This makes the scenes involving blood stand out even more. The gang wears black suits, white shirts and black ties. It's almost like a uniform. I avoided seeing Reservoir Dogs for several years because I don't like pointless violence, but I'm glad I eventually decided to watch it. You have to realize that Tarantino's films are dark comedies and that humor is present in almost every conversation or situation. It's intelligent humor, but it's there. As a result, I'm able to watch the violent scenes knowing that they are tongue-in-cheek for the most part. I'm tempted to say that Tarantino films belong to a genre all of their own. The only other films that have a similar feel are some of the Coens' work, such as Fargo, and Martin McDonagh's In Bruges. Reservoir Dogs is a fascinating and original look at events after a robbery. You can see many of Tarantino's trademarks such as the use of music, dialogue, camera shots from inside a trunk, flashbacks to expand characters and a Mexican standoff. I highly recommend Tarantino's unique style. Overall score 4.5/5
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tarentino's directorial/writer debut,
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Isn't holding up as well as I'd like...,
By RMurray847 (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Reservoir Dogs (Special Edition) (DVD)
RESERVOIR DOGS is a classic movie. It is responsible, almost single-handedly (along with SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE) for ushering in the current era of "indie films." Right around the same time that every home in America seemed to have a VCR, these "little" movies came out, tacking daring subjects in a daring manner. And while they got little attention in traditional movie-houses, everyone heard the buzz on them and rented them and turned them into cult classics.I watched the movie again the other day. It shows clearly the Tarentino hallmarks that would make him huge with PULP FICTION, KILL BILL, etc. Snappy, clever, filthy dialogue. Elaborate violence...unrealistic amounts of blood pouring from one person's body. Cool camera moves and great use of music. (After all, can anyone really hear STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU in quite the same way again?). But the film is showing its rough edges. What seemed edgy and new now sometimes looks a little lazy. Long shots through doorways, where the camera sits still and the actors move in and out of the shot. Kinda cool, but...kinda boring. Cool male actors encouraged to yell and overact. Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi are all great actors, and they're pretty darn memorable in this film. BUT, they are also occasionally prone to rage and scream above what seems believable. Many of the "tricks" of this film have been used so often since, that unfortunately, they feel trite now. It's not fair to blame this film for what came later. Therefore, I still say it's a classic, BUT, not always a classic that thrills with repeated viewings. PULP FICTION, all these years later, still tickles me and excites me. But there were long stretches of RESERVOIR DOGS where I felt like dozing. However, if you HAVEN'T seen it, I still recommend that you do!
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