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Reservoir Dogs: A Span of Filmic History

Mae Tidman April 27, 2009

Professor Navarro LCC 3254 – Film History

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Quentin Tarantino’s first feature-length film is a ripe example of film history

represented in a modern movie. He takes his influences and inspirations and adds

everything into his films, creating an array of segments of cinema history around and

intertwined with a plot not uncommon. This creates a wholly unique piece that ends up

being an intriguing experience as well. This movie, Reservoir Dogs, has been called the

most significant independent film of the 1990s, and Empire Magazine even voted it as the

best independent film ever. It “dropped like an atom bomb onto the flat filmscape of

1992, launching a chain reaction of hyper-violent, pop culture-conscious imitations that

has yet to cool down 10 years later.” (DVD Journal). Variety magazine describes it as an

intense, bloody, in-your-face crime drama, “colorfully written in vulgar gangster

vernacular and well played by a terrific cast.” This cast includes such famous names as

Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, the legendary old tough guys

Lawrence Tierney and Edward Bunker, and Harvey Keitel, “whose presence in a crime

movie is like an imprimatur” (Roger Ebert). According to the Reelviews website, this

movie grabs you by the throat and digs its claws in deep. The Washington Post

commented, “For those sanguine enough to handle it, ‘Dogs’ is the most riveting

experience of the year.”

Quentin Tarantino's debut feature – which he wrote, directed, and starred in – is

an ultra-cool crime story that achieved instant cult status and inspired and possibly

altered the film industry – especially in America. DVD Journal describes Reservoir Dogs

as a stylish fusion of late-1980s video-store culture: 1970s bubble-gum thrillers, Sam

Fuller-density dialogue, French New Wave temporal dislocation, and MSG-heavy Hong

Kong gangster melodrama. Their plot summary goes like this: “A gang of professional

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criminals is assembled for a quick, lucrative diamond heist. But during the holdup

something goes wrong. Blood, cops, a chaotic getaway, and the group — what's left of

them — reconvene at their rendezvous spot to tend to the wounded and sniff out the

suspected traitor in their midst. Old loyalties are strained, new loyalties develop, and lots

of guns are pointed — Mexican Standoff style — at other cocked firearms.”

The key to the plan is that the associates do not know one another, and therefore

can not name any partners if one is caught. Joe Cabot (played by Lawrence Tierney)

names them off a color chart: Mr. White is Harvey Keitel, Mr. Orange is Tim Roth, Mr.

Blonde is Michael Madsen, Mr. Pink is Steve Buscemi, Mr. Blue is Eddie Bunker, and

Mr. Brown is Tarantino himself. Chris Penn plays Cabot’s son, Nice Guy Eddie.

Interestingly enough, according to the Internet Movie Database, the actors who portrayed

the criminals have all spent time in jail at one time or another. The unique and

multifaceted personalities of each of Reservoir Dog character are part of the charm that

makes the fast dialogue and witty comebacks as effective as they are. Roger Ebert wrote

that he liked what he saw, but he wanted more. “I know the story behind the movie –

Tarantino promoted the project from scratch, on talent and nerve – and I think it is quite

an achievement for a first-timer.” (Sun-Times).

Quentin Tarantino is one of the currently best known actively directing auteurs,

and like the auteurs before and after him, he has a tremendous appreciation for cinema.

He did not go to school to learn about movies; instead, he worked at a video store,

watched hundreds of films, and read reviews. His own movies are the result or effect of

his love for film, and they are greatly influenced by films throughout film history. They

display reflexive references to movies that are important pieces of cinema’s past. This

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director is also interested in pop culture icons and images of “cool”. His work aims to

explore the origins of the cool and the way in which images are echoed in the realm of

popular culture. (Bright Lights Film Journal)

Reel Views writes, “Tarantino's directing influences, from John Woo to Martin

Scorsese, are all in evidence, and their synthesis creates a high-voltage style that's

entirely his own. The writing is crisp and clean, providing line after line of snappy

dialogue designed to leave the viewer alternately pondering and laughing aloud. The

gallows humor and dark comedy are among many of Reservoir Dogs' defining elements.

This is one of those rare motion pictures that's both intelligent and visceral at the same

time.” Other new, interesting, and fresh filmmakers debuted in 1992 also, they are called

The Class of ’92. Tarantino comments:

“I wasn’t the only one that went on to make a name for himself in

independence… we all proceeded to go around to festivals all around the world and like

win shit and create a name for ourselves. For the next like three years, we were the

closest equivalent America had had to the French New Wave. I had always said ‘but

we’re not as good.’ Well, not always.” – Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs Special

Features.

While working at the now-famous Video Archives, Tarantino would often

recommend little-known titles to customers, and when he suggested Au Revoir, Les

Enfants – a 1987 film by Louis Malle – the patron mockingly replied, “I don’t want to

see no reservoir dogs!” (IMDb). This is where he got the idea for the title of his first

movie. Though Louis Malle was and is not associated with the French New Wave, he is

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French and his films have received many awards, making him a small but significant

piece of film history added to this film’s repertoire.

Quentin Tarantino references La Nouvelle Vague multiple times throughout this

single film, including the dedication of the film to Jean-Luc Godard, one of the

forerunners of the 1960s movement. In addition, Godard’s wife, Anna Karina, is who

the jewelry store they rob is named after (“Karina’s”); this woman was also an actress

of the French New Wave (IMDb). Godard also inspired the name of Tarantino’s

production company, A Band Apart, with his film Band A Part (1964). This modern

director was also influenced by other films and filmmakers of the French New Wave.

This includes, who is mentioned later.

This movie was clearly influenced by not only the French New Wave but also by

all the auteurs that inspired or were also inspired by the Nouvelle Vague, including

Jean-Pierre Melville – who was an inspiration to the filmmakers of the movement – and

Martin Scorsese with his Mean Streets and Goodfellas. Telling a story much like

Kubrick’s The Killing or Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow, Tarantino’s script

fractures very cleverly into an intricate flashback structure that mixes the post-robbery

mess with telling character and plot details from the planning stages (Variety).

According to the Washington Post reviewer, “directors Martin Scorsese and James

Toback who, along with Peckinpah, are Tarantino's spiritual godfathers.”

Reservoir Dogs is dedicated to the following: Timothy Carey, Roger Corman,

Andre DeToth, Chow Yun Fat, John Woo, Jean Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville,

Lawrence Tierney, Lionel White, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, and Pam Grier. In an

interview on my DVD Tarantino says, “Godard was so influential to me at the beginning

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of my aesthetic as a director: his lack of any type of film style, just wanting to make

movies for the love of it. Godard is the one who taught me the fun and the freedom and

the joy of breaking rules.” He also says that Jean-Pierre Melville, along with Sergio

Leone, is one of the best re-constructionists of genre. About Leone, Variety explains that

at the end of Reservoir Dogs, “Tarantino stages a rather amazing shoot-out that

hilariously sends up the climaxes of Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More and

especially The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

The old films of the Classic Hollywood era have not been viewed the same since

the Cahiers du Cinema recognized several filmmakers from the period as auteurs. One

such director, Howard Hawks, is referenced in Reservoir Dogs in multiple ways. One

way is Mr. Pink’s numerous references to being “professional”. Hawks directorial style

and use of natural, conversational dialogue in his films is cited as a major influence on

Tarantino. Of course, other Classic directors influenced him, too, as mentioned above.

Tarantino displays his interest in the Asian cinema throughout this film, and on

the DVD special features he has an interview where he says he was hugely influenced by

Hong Kong cinema. Several scenes relate to Hong Kong director John Woo, including

the content revolving around male bonding thematics. DVD Journal’s review tells us,

“Keitel's passionate loyalty to Roth's newbie is a little incredible, is it not, given Mr.

White's past experience and otherwise professional demeanor? Hong Kong thrillers sleep

and eat on overzealous depictions of male honor and bondage, but these syrupy, romantic

presentations are much more easily digestible when excused with the caveat: ‘It's a

foreign film. That's a different culture.’” This review also goes on to suggest that

Tarantino may rely on other elements of Hong Kong cinema too much, and informs us

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that some critics claimed that Reservoir Dog’s entire plot was ripped-off from Ringo

Lam’s City of Fire (Lung fu fong wan, 1987), which stars Yun-Fat Chow. This claim is

false; however, two scenes and a plot point were a noted inspiration to him, and

Tarantino says it is one of his favorite films. The black and white suit style worn in the

film was taken from the John Woo film Ying hung boon sik II (1987).

Along with New Wave, Hong Kong, and other specimens of film history,

Tarantino was influenced by the realism movement that started in Italy with Neorealism.

He uses many of their money-saving techniques to create his debut film on a small

budget without limiting his stylistic endeavors.

Tarantino had originally planned to film with roughly $30,000 and a couple of

friends, but Harvey Keitel intervened after getting a hold of a copy of the script, asking to

not only be in the film but also to help produce it. His involvement aided in raising the

budge to $1.5 million. Despite how much more money they could use now it was still a

low budget, not large enough to cover all of the costs involved. Similar to how it was in

many of the films of previous realist movements, many of the clothes worn belonged to

the actors themselves. This included Chris Penn’s characteristic track jacket, Madsen’s

cowboy boots, and Buscemi’s black jeans that he wore with his suit. The signature black

suits were provided for free by the designer, based on her love of the American crime

film genre (IMDb). Also free of charge was Robert Kurtzman’s special make-up effects;

this was under the condition that Tarantino write a script for From Dusk Till Dawn

(1996) based on a story by Kurtzman, which he did.

On-location filming also saved money, especially since the rented warehouse

where they filmed most of the scenes had an empty upstairs room that was perfect for

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Mr. Orange’s apartment. The warehouse is full of covered coffins because it was an old

mortuary. At one point, Mr. Blonde is seen sitting on a hearse, but this easily missed.

The restaurant, diner, and street scenes were also all filmed on-location. Mr. Blonde's

Cadillac Coupe de Ville actually belonged to Michael Madsen because the budget was

not big enough to buy a car for the character. Another money-saver and a Quentin

Tarantino trademark is his avoidance of product-placement. This began with Reservoir

Dogs, which is why anyone who smokes is smoking a pack of “Red Apples”, a brand he

made up. This is also why any other brands you see around, including cereal boxes Fruit

brute and Kabooom!, are either made-up or brands that were discontinued in the ‘70s.

With all of the influences and inspiring filmmakers, industry people, and films

that went into the making of his first film, the impression it left on the film industry is

tremendous. Violent films will never be as they were before Reservoir Dogs.

Independent films were also affected. He is more often than not stated as the primary

initiator of the current independent film movement going on in America. But what

about his film made it so special and important? We will consider the following: its

brutality, gore, and profanity, and its redefinition of the heist movie.

Tarantino was entertained that some viewers could not stand the intensity of the

film and had to turn their eyes away, but the truth is that for all the controversy there

really is not that much violence in this movie. Even in the infamous torture scene we do

not see Michael Madsen cut off anyone’s ear, instead the camera looks away. The cause

of this controversy is the true impact of violence, which is portrayed strongly and

effectively. Instead of using violence like every other mainstream movie, all sugared

down and often even masked with humor, Reservoir Dogs reminds us what it all really

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entails. Tarantino's intension for the violence in this movie and indeed, all his movies, is

to show the world that some people live in and to help show the transformation of his

characters onto an enlightened plane.

“The reason [the film] freaks out people is that it’s not theatrical, it’s realistic.

When somebody gets shot in the stomach that way, they bleed to death… It’s a horrible,

horrible pain, until you get too numb to feel it. Yes, the blood in that scene is realistic.

We had a medic on the set controlling the pool, saying, “Okay, one more pint and he’s

dead” -Quentin Tarantino

While the violence is interesting to consider, it is contrastingly tough to watch.

The total death count in this film (on- and off-screen) is 16, including all but one of the

main characters (Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, and Mr. Brown, Joe

Cabot and his son Nice Guy Eddie); plus, it is never mentioned how many people and

police everybody had to shoot to escape the jewelry store. It can be assumed that Mr.

Pink is not shot after he flees the warehouse. Amazingly enough, Mr. Blonde (Madsen) is

never seen killing anyone onscreen, even though he supposedly killed more than any

other characters did.

One of the most disturbing scenes is also one of the most discussed. This scene

stars Mr. Blonde, who likes to torture people for his own amusement, and the young

officer he has tied up. Blonde coolly says, “I don't really give a good fuck what you

know, or don't know, but I'm going to torture you, anyway”, then turns on the radio. Brad

Laidman describes it on Film Threat: “When he starts dancing around to Stealer's

Wheel's ‘Stuck in the Middle’ we are too much in love with Madsen's bad boy act to

really care. Then when he slices the guy's ear off, pours gasoline all over him and pulls

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out a lighter, we are left with nobody to blame but ourselves. Oh my God, Michael

Madsen is psychotic! The movie tried to tell us that at every turn, but our knowledge of

the ins and the outs of the Hollywood thriller wouldn't let us believe it.” This is the scene

that drove numerous festival- and theater-goers from the viewings, and has made even the

brave look away. The worst is left off-camera, but it is still a sadistic sequence that

crosses a line for some viewers.

This movie is full of profanity, and its excessive use of “bad words” is mentioned

in just about every one of its reviews. “Dripping with the lowest sexist and racist

colloquialisms, dialogue is snappy, imaginative and loaded with threats,” (Variety). It

contains 272 uses of the word “fuck” (IMDb), and the first scene of the movie is a bunch

of men sitting at a restaurant discussing Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin”. This

conversation, just like all the others in the rest of the movie, is filled with graphic

language and adult considerations.

The heist-gone-wrong story is nothing new, but this is a heist movie with a

difference – a unique new narrative. The diamond robbery that is the center of

Reservoir Dogs is absent from the actual movie, existing only in reference, as a

reflection in either past or future tense. We see the build up and we see the fallout, but

not the job itself. Tarantino does a righteous job for a first-time director of sketching in

the atmospherics of this small-time desperado universe. Eye For Film’s reviewer

comments, “It' is like a whodunnit without the murder, but who needs a heist when

you've got a razor-sharp script and a red hot cast?” Adding, “Tarantino's talent for

dialogue, however, is what catapults Dogs into instant-classic status. Dogs is a heist

film without a heist and an action film without much action. Instead, Tarantino lets his

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characters talk. And, boy, do they talk - bullshitting, wisecracking, seeing how far they

can push each other.” They talk about regular-guy things, only they are not regular

guys: they are cold-blooded killers who shoot first and ask questions later. Thanks to

some inspired casting of some real tough guys, this air of danger is never far away.

Tarantino engineers these guys’ demise from the interaction of their character flaws

with the logic of a chess grandmaster.

"For all the wildness that happens in my movies, I think that they usually lead to a

moral conclusion. For example, I find what passes between Mr. White and Mr. Orange

at the end of Reservoir Dogs very moving and profound in its morality and its human

interaction". –Quentin Tarantino

Most of the reviews I read did not seem to “get” this movie as well as others,

being distracted by the “excessive” dialogue, violence, and profanity. However, we can

not control how the public views a film, and I think that for those who dared to pay

attention could have caught a whole lot more than just a crime drama. The rich, thick, and

interesting history of cinema that ties in several cultures from around the world weaves

stylistic footage with slick dialogue and then dyes it in cool to create a whole presence

unlike any movie made before 1992. This film is all Quentin Tarantino, who is a man

who had a lot to offer even with his first feature – not to mention the films he has made

since and the impact he has had on the whole film industry, independent and not.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition). Dir. Quentin Tarantino.

Perf. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen. DVD. Lions Gate,

1992.

• "Reservoir Dogs (1992)." The Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, Inc.

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/>.

• "Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Movie Info.” Yahoo! Movies.

<http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800179562/info>.

• Dorr, Gregory P. "Review: Reservoir Dogs: 10th Anniversary Edition." The DVD

Journal. 2002. <http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/r

/reservoirdogs_10ae.shtml>.

• McCarthy, Todd. "Reservoir Dogs." Rev. of Reservoir Dogs. Variety 27 Jan. 1992.

<http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794411.html? categoryid=31&cs=1>.

• "Reservoir Dogs (1992)." MRQE - Movie Review Query Engine.

<http://www.mrqe.com/movies/m100053144?s=1>.

• "Finding the Feminine Side in a World of Macho Men." Quentin Tarantino’s Films:

Achieving Enlightenment in a World of Violence. Ed. Megan Peckford.

<http://www.freewebs.com/reli2812/reservoirdogs.htm>.

• Berardinelli, James. "Reservoir Dogs." Reelviews Movie Reviews.

<http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=261>.

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• Ebert, Roger. "Reservoir Dogs." Rev. of Reservoir Dogs. Chicago Sun-Times 26 Oct.

1992. RoberEbert.com. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps

/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19921026/REVIEWS/210260301/1023>.

• Howe, Desson. "Reservoir Dogs." Rev. of Reservoir Dogs. The Washington Post 23

Oct. 1992. Washingtonpost.com. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

srv/style/longterm/movies/videos /reservoirdogsrhowe_a0af27.htm>.

• Hinson, Hal. "Reservoir Dogs." Rev. of Reservoir Dogs. The Washington Post 24 Oct.

1992. Washingtonpost.com.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/style/longterm/movies/videos/reservoird

ogsrhinson_a0a7c1.htm>.

• Duncan, Gary. "Reservoir Dogs Movie Review (1992)." Eye For Film.

<http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?id=3040>.

• Poleg, Dror. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being Cool." Bright Lights Film Journal.

Aug. 2004. <http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/45/toilets.htm>.

• Laidman, Brad. "Reservoir Dogs." Film Threat. 18 July 2001.

<http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=2144>.

• Chambers, Bill. "Reservoir Dogs - 10 Years: Special Edition DVD." Film Freak

Central. 14 Aug. 2002. <http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/reservoirdogs

.htm>.