Seeing as how my first review not only last year, and first for The Ionian was dedicated to Quentin Tarantino’s second film, “Pulp Fiction”, it seems appropriate to further revisit his catalogue. In this issue, I will be discussing Tarantino’s premiere film, “Reservoir Dogs”.
Though, in a sense, one hand washes the other, as the iconic status of “Pulp Fiction” is what retrospectively rendered “Reservoir Dogs” a cult classic, a film deemed the “greatest independent film ever made” by British film magazine Empire. The same publication also named the movie the 97th greatest film ever made. They certainly have a point in both cases!
The plot of Reservoir Dogs is seemingly simple. After a jewelry store heist gone horribly awry, the surviving criminals, all with color-coded pseudonyms, all regroup in an attempt to unveil the traitor (or to employ the parlance of this film and other gangster epics, the “rat”) in their midst.
What elevates this film are Tarantino’s many hallmarks: extremely violent crime, pop culture references (including a very amusing discussion about Madonna lyrics that opens the film), incessant use of profanity, and non-linear storytelling. The latter added an interesting touch to the film, especially once the major reveal is unearthed (no spoilers, despite the film’s age, as I encourage everyone to check it out), recontextualizing everything the audience has seen to that point. The lack of a straight-forward storyline also builds suspense by revealing information in fragments. The non-linear approach deepens the mystery of who betrayed the crew and forces viewers to constantly re-evaluate characters’ motives and loyalties.
It also goes without saying that with Tarantino at the helm, the film is a visual standout. With a modest budget, the director creates a tense and gritty atmosphere in his debut. I was fortunate enough to view a restored version of Reservoir Dogs in 35mm footage at my local Alamo Drafthouse, which I highly recommend.
Much of the film is set in an old warehouse, yet, thanks to a powerful screenplay and direction from Tarentino, it never once feels dull or confined. If anything, the minimalism on display enhances the intensity, as we are trapped with these men among escalating paranoia and bloodshed. Of course, Reservoir Dogs cannot be properly reviewed without invoking the brilliant performances.
The film sees Harvey Keitel as Mr. White, Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink (an alias which serves as a hilarious point of contention for the character), Tim Roth as Mr. Orange, and the late Micheal Madsen as Mr. Blonde, all of which are sharply drawn and vividly portrayed. In fact, these actors are a testament to two of the aforementioned Tarantino tenets: dialogue and violence. The evaluation of recent events between Mr. White and Mr. Pink at the film’s beginning is particularly engrossing, as are further interactions between the characters. Additionally, Madsen’s performance as the sadistic Mr. Blonde is especially chilling and unforgettable—particularly during the infamous torture scene set to Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You”. Unsurprisingly, many viewers, including my mom, can no longer listen to the song the same way again, understandably so.
A brutal, brilliant, and darkly funny crime thriller, Reservoir Dogs is a landmark in independent cinema. It showcases Tarantino’s early mastery of dialogue, character, and suspense, even as it courts controversy with its violence and language. An easy nine-and-a-half out of 10.
