Reservoir Dogs: A classic crime caper

Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene in 1992 with his crime caper film, Reservoir Dogs. In his directorial debut, he laid out the groundwork that would define his career. Each of his subsequent films (7 more) owes either a little or a lot to Dogs. In a time where Martin Scorcese ruled the day in the gangster genre with 1990's Goodfellas, Tarantino ushered in a new style of filmmaking. His non-linear style, which he made world famous with his next film, Pulp Fiction, could be considered a trademark of his. He also turned the movie soundtrack on its head, with lost gems and one hit wonders, most notably, Stuck in the Middle with You by Steelers Wheel. Dogs is as brilliant as it is simple. For me it ranks up there with the all time great gangster/crime caper films.

The film is essentially about a jewelry store heist gone wrong. In the beginning, before the opening credits, we are introduced to a group of men sitting in a coffee shop. They talk about all sorts of interesting stuff ranging from a Madonna song to the ethics of tipping a waitress. These men are of course the gangsters, but Tarantino doesn't introduce them as such. He simply shows them as people. People that discuss the minutiae of pop culture and social behaviour over a cup of coffee. He makes them human, right off the bat. This is also a trademark of Tarantinos that he would continue to employ throughout his career.

Another trademark of Tarantinos is of course the violence, and Reservoir Dogs has plenty of it. Just like Scorcese, Tarantino did not shy away from gritty and gruesome depictions of what could be described as real world gangster violence. A type of violence rarely seen in popular movies up to this point. However, as with Pulp Fiction, Tarantino does not go overboard to the point where it seems unbelievable or gratuitous. With the exception maybe of a scene where one of the gangsters has some fun with a police officer they've taken hostage. Without getting into too much detail, the story unravels quite quickly after the opening credits and moves at a breakneck speed. I often say it's one of those films that seems to go by in 15 minutes.

If you consider yourself a film buff, especially of the gangster/crime caper genre, then Reservoir Dogs is essential viewing. For me it never wears thin and I've seen it at least 10 times. In fact, when I first borrowed a VHS copy from my friend back in 1994 I ended up watching it 3 times that first week. I told everyone I knew that they had to watch it, including my parents. It had that much of an effect on me. It blew me out of the water and changed the direction of my film watching career forever. Give it a look and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!