A review of Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs is the movie that made Quentin Tarantino so popular in Hollywood. Following its release in 1992, Tarantino rose from being an almost unknown screenwriter and part-time actor to a first-class film maker. Reservoir Dogs is in equal measure raw, violent, dark, humorous, witty and shocking.

Plot and narrative structure

Movie information
Date released: 1992, USA.
Director: Quentin Tarantino.
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino. Starring Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Lawrence Tierney, Christopher Penn, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino. Plot
Assembled by mob boss Joe Cabot, six criminals are given colour-coded names (Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blue and Mr. Pink) and set out to carry a diamond robbery. But after the police show up and in the shooting that ensues, Mr. Brown is killed and Mr. Orange seriously injured. The gang suspects that there is an informant in their midst. The film culminates with the famous Mexican stand-off and ends in a bloodbath. Reservoir Dogs script
Tarantino employs an unconventional narration with cleverly inter-woven flashbacks that built up to the film's conclusion. Having earned a reputation as a violent picture, Reservoir Dogs does not in fact contain more violent scenes than other movies of the same genre. However, Tarantino is a master of suggestion: by building up tension and anticipation and using techniques of implied action, he succeeds in communicating potent horror images. Themes explored
Reservoir Dogs combines violence and threat of shocking violence with snappy dialogue, a crisp and fast narration pace and dark humour. The plot is not straightforward and the flashbacks can be confusing at first, with each one of them being introduced as a chapter (“Mr Blonde”, “Mr Orange", among others). However, Tarantino has got a firm grip on his narrative and never lets the flow of the action be interrupted.

Critical reception

Degree of violence in the movie
Reservoir Dogs has been criticised as containing unnerving and realistic violence (for example, the notorious ear-cutting scene) and strong language. Film critic Roger Ebert commented that the movie “feels like it’s going to be terrific” but that he is left wanting more. Todd McCarthy called Reservoir Dogs “undeniably impressive” (Reelviews, 1994) while John Hartl compared the ear-cutting sequence with Psycho’s iconic shower scene. Final word
With a splendid cast of actors and a superb screenplay, Reservoir Dogs has a raw sincerity that cuts to the bone and delivers a powerful punch. The film's impact stays for a long time after viewing it. It is shocking, dark and witty and not for the faint-hearted.