“Reservoir Dogs”

1992

R

Produced by: Lawrence Bender

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Written by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen

Live Entertainment

4.79/5 Stars

Consensus: A Tarantino classic that is one of the most memorable, witty, and iconic gangster films ever made. 

Plot: A group of robbers are assembled to hold up a jewelry store, as complications with the robbery arise a rat is suspected among them.

Directing: Quentin Tarantino is as vicious and witty early on as he became later in his career. The dialogue is sharp, the characters aggressive and quick-tongued, and the whole film flows from violent mishap to violent mishap in a way only Tarantino can deliver. It feels a bit “film school-ish” at times, but manages to do so with the nostalgia and charisma one expects from a Tarantino film. While this clearly is not the sweet spot he would one day hit in Pulp Fiction (1994), the directing is still distinctly his, and is very holding. ****1/2

Acting: The actors all appear to be enjoying the hell out of what they are doing. Harvey Keitel (Mr. White) is great at being a gruff, but loyal gangster, his epiphany of betrayal at the end is so wonderfully communicated to the camera that it creates one of the most memorable scenes in film history. Chris Penn (Nice Guy Eddie Cabot) also gives a priceless performance along with all the other actors in the film who are memorable, and distinct. *****

Editing: Not enough good can be said of Tarantino’s fast and wild editing. The sheer pacing of the film, and the order in which it was assembled screams brilliance, let alone the flawless and gorgeous transactions that are numerable in every scene. What stands out the most is our opening exposition, the team of robbers assembled before the robbery at a diner, to the immediate cut towards the near end of the event, a man screaming and bleeding in the back of a get-away car. The sound editing is further brilliant as we hear intermittent “sounds of the 70’s” radio incorporated throughout the film as a back drop. That Tarantino had the imagination to assemble the film as such, and that he further does it with such taste and tact is impressive to say the least. One of the most superbly edited films ever made. *****

Art Direction: Especially considering the films low budget ($1,200,000) Tarantino manages to keep Los Angeles feeling as authentic as ever in this crime caper. The art direction is classy and feels very real, it succeeds especially well at re-creating the 70’s pleather and disco feel its radio intervals seemed to infer. The art direction was further successful by nodding to 70’s b-crime films while creating its own distinct flair at the same time. The art direction is perfect for what this film is, it feels like an over-the-top b-film from the 70’s, with a lot more class and certainly more style. *****

Cinematography: The film is again successful in this category. One of the most memorable, and pretty, shots in the entire film is when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) leaves a warehouse to go and get something from his car, and is trailed by the camera, as he get to his car the camera stops, waits for him to get the item and then resumes following him again as he heads back into the ware house. Overall the cinematography is also exceptionally well done. *****

Screenplay: Classic Tarantino, who can be considered one of the greatest screen writers of all time, is again ever on his a-game in this film as he is in his later films. The witty banter and creative, albeit, vulgar dialogue, is as much, or if anything is more, an important of the film than any action sequences or turn of events. The fact that the majority of the film takes place in one, maybe two rooms, with a couple additional locations, and that Tarantino manages to entertain us with characters who are mostly just talking about things that have recently happened to them, makes a strong argument that this is one of the better screenplays ever written. It’s short, sweet, brutal, and to the point. *****

CGI/Special Effects: The most “special effects” that went into this film is an excessive amount of blood. It is gorgeous flowing blood, but nothing that stands out so much as to say that the film relied heavily on this category if at all. One fake looking bullet in Quentin Tarantino’s head as Mr. Brown, argues that the film likely had the low budget it did, and that perhaps works for it as much as against it in maintaining its specific “b-esq” tone. ****