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| Reservoir Dogs (1992) |
It's that time again. Your last job was long before you can remember. Some of your men have recently finished doing
time and you are running low on excitement. So what do you do? You plan another job. This time it's a jewelry store heist.
Quentin Tarantino's debut film is the events preceding and following that robbery. Reservoir Dogs is a must see instant classic.
The old boss man Joe Cabot, played by Lawrence Tierney, has compiled a plan to rob a jewelry store. He assigns a color-coded
name to each individual. Joe Cabot specifically tells each individual to reveal no information to each other. Joe designates
a warehouse for the hideout and meeting place after the heist. All precautions have been taken and everything has been noted
just so something doesn't go wrong. But the plan fails. The cops knew about the heist all along. The police are waiting for
them in a stakeout across the street and inside the jewelry store. Someone on the inside is a snitch. But who?
The opening scene takes place in a diner where all of the members are engaging in a pre robbery feast. Each member is
involved in a humorous conversation about everyday happenings. An annoyed Mr. White appropriately summed up the opening scene
the conversations at their table with the statement "For the past fifteen minutes now, you've just been droning on with
names. "Toby... Toby...Toby... Toby Wong...Toby Wong...Toby Chung...fuckin Charlie Chan." I got Madonna's big dick
outta my right ear, and Toby Jap I-don't- know-what, outta my left."
After this point, the movie takes confusing turns forwards and backwards exposing interesting new details. It first
reveals to the audience Mr. Orange's background. Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) is really Freddy Newandyke, a police officer. Before
this is exposed, Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) is driving the wounded Mr. Orange to the warehouse where one by one the men start
showing up telling their side of the story with a new adventure after the robbery. First comes Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink) detailing
the botched robbery. Chris Penn (Nice Guy Eddie), Joe Cabot's son walks into the warehouse asking what went wrong and in strolls
Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen). Mr. White, Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie venture off to retrieve the stashed goods when actor Mr.
Blonde drags a police officer into the warehouse. Tying poor Marvin Nash to a seat and torturing him. Mr. Blonde (a.k.a. Vic
Vega) commits sadistic brutality towards Marvin Nash. As Mr. Blonde is about to kill Marvin Nash there is a sudden turn of
events. Mr. Orange awakes from a passed out state and shoots Mr. Blonde. He then drags himself to Marvin Nash and says, "I'm
a cop". Reservoir Dogs embarks into each individual character's story either before the robbery or right after.
Reservoir Dogs ends in dramatic fashion. All of the characters besides Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown come to the warehouse and
are disgusted and angered by each other. In rage characters begin fire at others and other characters fire back. Before you
know it everyone is dead except Mr. Pink. Ironically the one everyone seems to hate lives because he isolates himself during
the crossfire. As Mr. White is about to die Mr. Orange reveals he is a cop to Mr. White. Mr. Orange's revelation goes against
what Mr. White has been for the whole movie. Lastly, Mr. Pink is the only one alive so he takes the jewels and gets away since
he is a Dog and "every Dog has its day".
Quentin Tarantino has written and directed a work of genius. Much like Joe Cabot, Tarantino has intricately planned out
this masterpiece and its organization. The confusing but efficient flash-forwards and flash backs reveal the most relevant
information to keep the viewer on the edge of his or her seat wanting more. The dark humor in the adult conversations in each
scene is so funny at times it makes me want to laugh out loud and slap my knees. This mobster lifestyle movie is a keeper.
One of those must see movies even if it is not a golden globe or Oscar caliber movie though in my opinion it definitely is.
This violent money, greed, thug life movie is perplexing at times but I promise if you keep watching the reward in the end
will be great.
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