Reservoir Dogs follows the members of a local criminal group who've just robbed a jewelry store and follows the aftermath and consequences of the botched operation. This is Quentin Tarantino's first film and is an impressive achievement regardless of who's production it is. There are tropes of noir, gangster, and some touches of pop culture dialogue that steadily move the film along. An incredible cast brings the script to life with attitude, panic, and paranoia. Tim Roth playing Mr. Orange is an undercover police officer, a fact unknown until the end of the picture, is shot in the robbery attempt, and spends most of the film writhing in pain on a cement floor. The panic and fear set in his eyes as he is riding to the warehouse, is awesome and unsettling. As we are introduced to more and more of the crew, they all have a different version of events of the botched robbery. Mr. Pink played by Steve Buscemi shoots his way out of the crime scene, wildly and recklessly firing, The cops that pursue act in a similar fashion. Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) shows up and steals nearly every scene he is in even with the impressive Buscemi, Keitel, and Roth. Cousin Eddie (Chris Penn) meets the group at the warehouse trying to pinpoint the police informant. Paranoia ensues as everyone devolves into a shouting match mania with loaded guns. Mr. White (Keitel) keeps pushing for a doctor to come help Orange unknowing he's the culprit they are looking for. He relies on his instincts throughout because without them, where is he? Pink is the only one safely betting on his paranoia proving the old adage just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.
Reservoir Dogs does an excellent job presenting a very basic and simple premise and allowing the screenplay, acting, and camera tell the story. It flashes back and forth telling each man's story of how he came to be involved in the caper. The tone and atmosphere is almost completely reliant on the written word and the great acting bringing it to life. Long shots that keep your attention and the performances keep you on edge, all of this without a score or soundtrack. Michael Madsen's scene with the kidnapped Police Officer comes to mind, as the entire thing is held together by every movement, gesture, and knowledge from the audience of what is coming. Blonde is a psychopath and enjoys every moment of torturing the officer all the while dancing to the sound of 70's radio. It doesn't matter if he has information that could help them or not, he wants to hurt this man. But like any great film what makes it special is the action on the screen, interaction between characters, and immersion into a world that either is or isn't our own, a vision. Tarantino clearly from the start has films he borrows from, but in his execution he makes it his own.
Orange saves the life of the Police Officer only for him to be murdered moments later as we learn what has been suspected by Pink since the beginning. This successfully allows Tarantino to control how we feel about what we are seeing in the early parts of the plot, to just experience what we are seeing without making judgements of right and wrong or good and bad. This is a world of pure survival. We follow Orange through his infiltration into the criminal group leading up to the jewelry heist. Despite the high tension and rough dialogue the film does an excellent job of sprinkling in humor and pop culture topics that make it relevant even 23 years after it's release. This was the start of Tarantino films commanding attention from the best actors in the industry which of course also is still true. Reservoir Dogs is stylishly put together and filmed without losing any of the substance of the more serious moments that move the plot forward. There is a love of cinema and film so apparent in this wonderful director's repertoire. A great first attempt for Quentin Tarantino who's movie still keeps audiences captivated.
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