Review of Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs

This is one of my favorite action/thriller movies. It's so aesthetically cool and gritty and the plot is beautifully conveyed by Tarantino. The whole sub-genre of heist films are entertaining to me and this is one of the most skillfully done heist movies. It isn't too complex, but the plot gets twisted and tangled and the use of flash backs and forwards are captivating. Tarantino's direction focuses the story on the characters and their relationships to each other more than anything else. The opening scene is dialogue between all of the crew at a diner roundtable. Tarantino's character is going on about his theory on Madonna's song, while we get the rest of the characters' reactions, which gives us a nice introduction to each personality. The next scene is a flash forward to Mr. Orange dying of bullet wounds while Mr. White drives him to the rendezvous. A huge plot device of this film is Mr. Orange's relationship with Mr. White, and how Mr. Orange earns his trust throughout the days this all takes place. Another plot device is the relationship between Joe, his son, and Mr. Blonde. Mr. Pink serves as the remaining crew's lone wolf and wild card. Because of Tarantino's intense focus on character relationships and back stories, the story tells itself when the trust of each member is in question. Sides are taken and guns are drawn. An interesting element throughout the events is the 70s songs on the radio because of the radios special 70s weekend. It certainly sets a tone when the psychotic Mr. Blonde starts to torture his victim while "Stuck In the Middle With You" comes on. The lighting in the rendezvous spot gives the location an intensity and eerie-ness with its bold shadows and the dirtiness of the place is perfect mise-en-scene for the violence that takes place within. The club scene where Mr. Orange convinces the crew of his legitimacy with his fake story is very creative. The red back lighting and the white key light looks fantastic on the characters and I love how Tarantino uses a symbolic story (trying not to get caught by the cops in the bathroom) that parallels him not trying to get caught by the crew. The slow motion of Tim Roth drying his hands and looking over his shoulder as the three cops stare at him is directly symbolizing the intensity he feels while telling that very story. By the end, Tarantino wraps up the characters so tightly that they snap, and the only survivor is Mr. Pink. The cinematography fits this intense thriller beautifully, a must-see by all means.