Click Above To Buy NOW!

There are few movies as important and revolutionary as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, a film as remarkable for its simplicity as it is for its complexity. The film would mark the beginning of the fusion of hardcore violence and action with a story that is actually interesting. While most flicks featuring the level of violence and rawness exhibited in Reservoir Dogs were successful with the mindless masses, they never quite found a way to please critics and your average moviegoer alike. Tarantino’s quintessential indie flick is one of those few movies that everyone likes, thanks to its earthy gangster feel, salty dialogue, and all-around general filmmaking I.Q. It’s a classic flick, and one that Tarantino has never come close to replicating.

The beauty of the film is that it is subversively complex and rides a tone of understated simplicity to achieve a grandiose moment of cinematic bliss. From its opening diner scene to its closing shootout, Reservoir Dogs is a nonstop ride of familiarity that belies its gangland alien-ness. Here you have mobsters, crooks, and psychopaths all painted in a light that is familiar to the viewer. Their actions are simple, logic-based assessments that either you or I might make, allowing the viewer to connect to the maniacal Mr. Blonde, the wormy Mr. Pink, and the all too human Mr. White.

Quentin Tarantino has never been better than he was with Reservoir Dogs. A lack of budget and a reliance on ingenuity, rather than simple ripping off of other films that he likes, makes Reservoir Dogs uniquely Tarantinean. Certainly, that vaunted film I.Q. of Tarantino’s is evident, and the film is full of those trademark references that get the cinephile so jazzed up, but the story is unique and completely original. Tarantino’s ability to play with the narrative timeline in a way that dishes out plot and background in measured out doses is a remarkable achievement. The structure of Reservoir Dogs is amazing in and of itself, and while Tarantino would use the same gimmick in his later films, it would never feel as natural as it did in Reservoir Dogs. The look of the film is simple but effective, and Tarantino uses a variety of tricks to make a mundane and bland warehouse into a playground of violence and saltiness, but where Tarantino truly shines is in the use of music and action, with the highlight being the unforgettable cop torture scene in which a crazed Mr. Blonde revolts the viewer with his giddy maiming of a cop.

Few films are as well cast as Reservoir Dogs. All of the principle actors make the most of their roles. Harvey Keitel is unforgettable as the tough, but utterly likeable Mr. White. Keitel brings a sense of contained but logical violence to his character, creating a character that most people wouldn’t mind being friends with even though he might kill someone who gets in his way. Steve Buscemi is perfect as the wormy survivalist Mr. Pink, a man who is constantly worried about acting like a professional. Even Chris Penn is awesome a Nice Guy Eddie, a schlubby looking crime figure. But the best performance of the bunch is Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde. Madsen has never been, and will never be, this good in a role again. The cool and collected brutality of Mr. Blonde combined with the fear-inspiring sadism of the character makes for one of the most uniquely fearsome character in movie history. On a list “characters you don’t want to be locked in a room with,” Mr. Blonde has easily got to be in the top ten.

Everything in Reservoir Dogs works exactly the way it’s supposed to. While Tarantino has gone on to make successful film after successful film, none of them have ever passed the beauty and simplicity of Reservoir Dogs. None of his characters has ever been as cool as Mr. Blonde. None of his insanely violent scenes have ever been as coldly satisfying and enthralling as the shootout at the end of Reservoir Dogs. The film represents the peak of Madsen, Tarantino, Chris Penn, and Tim Roth’s careers. In short, Reservoir Dogs is what happens when supremely talented and skilled people come together and capture lightning in a bottle. All of the films that come after have been built on similar formulas, but never worked quite the same. Reservoir Dogs is perfect and un-replicatable.

Final Synopsis: Reservoir Dogs is a modern classic. Anyone that actually likes movies should have a copy of this sitting around. Buy it if you don’t have a copy.

Points Lost: -1 for Quentin Tarantino’s acting

Bonus Points: +1 for the awesome torture scene

Lesson Learned: Never tell your crime partners your real name.

Burning Question: What the hell happened to Mr. Blue?

Reservoir Dogs
10/10

Tags: 1992, chris penn, crime, crime drama, crime thriller, eddie bunker, edward bunker, gangster, Gangster Movie, gansgters, harvey keitel, latest independent film reviews, latest independent movie reviews, latest indie film reviews, latest indie movie reviews, latest indie reviews, latest movie reviews, lawrence tierney, michael madsen, New Independent Film Reviews, new independent movie reviews, new indie reviews, quentin tarantino, recent3, steve buscemi, steven wright, tarantino's best film, Tim Roth