A remarkable debut—a born virtuoso– like Welles, The Coen Brothers or our two fathers of the French New Wave this one comes direct from Tarantino as a wholly realized voice and cinematic vision
A taut 99 minutes— so weird given the rest of QT’s sometimes overly-talky work (I mostly don’t even acknowledge Death Proof but even that is 113 minutes)
Dark and nihilistic
No score to speak of – all pop/rock soundtrack work (which would be a Scorsese’ism—as is the casting of Keitel)—the closest connection to the plot would probably be Kubrick’s The Killing but there are references to many other films (Lee Marvin, Lost Boys)
An embarrassing two thumbs down from Siskel and Ebert
The first words in a QT film are from QT himself discussion Madonna—the camera moves behind the shoulders of the gangsters at the table—diving back and forth almost- engrossing from the onset
Voice over DJ of the hilariously dry Steven Wright
The production logo shot of the slow-motion suits turning the corner is fantastic cinema
There’s one real setting- an empty warehouse
Small nice touches enrich the characterizations—Keitel combing Roth’s hair as he lies wounded in his arms
It deconstructs the linear narrative like Rashoman (which is really about not only breaking the narrative but changing POV’s), Jarmuch’s Mystery Train and many others—but we also have flashbacks here (and one flashback within a flashback as Roth’s character tells a story) — 27 minutes in we get titles on “Mr. White” — 37 on “Mr. Blonde” – 63 minutes “Mr. Orange”
The performances are immaculate—Keitel, Buscemi and Madsen— all major triumphs for them— and even the smaller rolls— I think Chris Penn is an important casting decision- a pushover an actor here would get blown off the screen by these other guys and Penn prevents that
The first of many glorious trunk shots from QT
In the text there’s a he’s a “Goodfella like you” line
The Madsen sadistic shuffle to “Stuck in the Middle With You” is a transcendent cinematic moment and it’s not just the performance and it certainly isn’t just the violence. It’s the magnificent tracking shot as we follow Madsen to the car and back and how the music is off when we’re outside and then back on when he reenters the warehouse—astounding– we then get the great cutaway of the actual slicing of the ear which is a choice- it’s more horrifying than showing it
A great Welles/Wyler/De Palma framing shot—the cop’s head while he sits in the chair tied up with Roth in the background- stunner
Another nice shot is graffiti-laden mise-en-scene shot when Roth’s Mr. Orange talks to his cop buddy about the story he’s going to rehearse
Full De Palma 360 degree shot of Roth in the bathroom in the cops in that fake flashback story
A quiet QT moment of brilliance is the hallway shot during a discussion between Buscemi and Keitel — to use a natural setting as a picture frame is pretty impressive visually for a first time director
A masterstroke of bad guy small talk and jokes—crackling dialogue that is David Mamet yet very much QT’s own voice of course and the structural achievement bravura
I just saw it and I also have it as a MS/MP. Can’t decide where to put it.
The movie hits on themes like betrayal and getting punished for your sins. I would like to add that the ending and entire movie shows that crime and violence does not pay. You will get punished for your sins. Like Keitel was punished for his sins in Mean Streets, he is also punished and killed here. It also shows the world isn’t fair. A cop gets murdered and Keitel is betrayed by the one person he trusts and gets shot for. Also, Mr. Pink runs away with the money. That is so unfair. I guess it was because he was “professional”- haha.
As usual, you observed all the ‘technicalities’ I did it too. Can’t add much more to that. The narrative and dialogue stand out, as do the performances (as you mention). The robbery is never even shown! I like how you mentioned the “stuck in the middle with you” scene. It is indeed brilliant. Great camera movement and great shots. Not quite Pulp Fiction level movie but truly incredible. One of the greatest heist movies ever made along with Kubrick’s killing and Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon and more.
A lot of people seem to criticize Tarantino on your website. Even Siskel and Ebert don’t like some of his movies. After watching
Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs recently, I cannot understand how some people can possibly call him overrated. Why do you think some critics and visitors on your website dislike him. Is it because some of these critics are placing too much importance on ‘violence’?
“The exaggerated raw violence of “Reservoir Dogs” leaves one feeling cheated in the end. For this movie isn’t really about anything. It’s just a flashy, stylistically daring exercise in cinematic mayhem.” – Kathreen Carroll ( critic for New York Daily)
this is a good film but i don’t see it as great. i have no problem with film violence, over the top and all. my problem with him besides his ego (how he says he thinks he is the reincarnation of shakespeare- that’s a BIG downgrade), is that his films seem disingenous. take pulp fiction, the sam jackson character. thecharacter is Christian and talks about redemption and all, but it doesnt feel like tarantino actually cares about religion and all that, he just uses the sterotype of a blck religious character. tim roth and steve buscemi are good in this(as usual tarantino is a terrible actor).or in hateful eight with samjackson and bruce dern, it makes it look like tarantino is showing two men who hate each other share a meal despite because of sharing a battlefield once but he turns it into a cruel disgusting scene. this movie doesn’t have a terrible turn in my opunion, it is moreso just boring. i also am not a fan of the killing (though i love kubrick). also people accredit tarantino for his use of music, like stuck in the middle, but kubrick did it twenty years earlier in clockwork orange with malcolm mcdowell singing in the rain (which, by the way,singing in the rain might be the best movie ever created.)
Hello Azman, I will give my opinion, the same thing happens to him as to Spielberg, the elitists are the answer, they think that it is overrated because it is not at the same level as Kubrick, Fellini, Hitchcook etc and because people not so knowledgeable when they talk about auteur cinema name Tarantino one of the 10 best directors of all time, so the elitists get angry and call it “overrated” in my experience with those people and well the easiest @m said is because of his ego.
P.D Sorry for my English if you don’t understand something
Well, I dont think people care about Tarantino’s ego. He is one of the best and it’s okay for him to think like that. Its more self confidence than ego. Also I think you’re point is a little bit valid. It will be interesting hearing Drakes opinion or the opinion of someone who dislikes Tarantino.
“Singing in the rain might be the best movie ever created” – you legit say this about so many movies. Last month you said that about 2001. Also on the Tarantino page you called Pulp Fiction flawless…
you called Samuel L Jackson a stereotypical black, religious man. Whaaaaat????. I respectfully disagree with your criticisms. I dont think R dogs is boring and so doesn’t Drake(he mentions it I think)
@Azman, I’m just saying in my experience with people who don’t like Tarantino.
On @m’s comment he probably confuses best with favorite, there are people who say that The Dark Knight is the best movie made and it is incorrect it is very good, but there are at least 150 better movies than that, he probably says it because it is his favorite
well when i talk about reatest movies sometimes i exagerrate but ones like singing in the rain and 2001 and wizard and the searchers really are the greatest. dark knight, by the way, is extremely overrated so is inception and nolan is a great director but batman begins is his opus.
@Azman– as for your question on why a lot of people seem to criticize Tarantino– I mean you have to throw them out. You can cherry-pick bad reviews on any film and/or filmmaker but by the consensus- Tarantino is one of the greatest auteurs of the last 30 years. Reservoir Dogs is #2 on TSPDT for 1992- that’s masterpiece territory for sure. In fact, on TSPDT on the top 250 directors list he is the best-rated directed to have his/her film debut in 1990 or later. Just run the other way when you read reviews like the daily news critic.
@m- I don’t understand several things here: you downgrade Tarantino for his ego? Why? It isn’t part of the film. And to compound that you praise Kubrick. Kubrick’s ego wasn’t huge? Those are irreconcilable. Reservoir Dogs, Dark Knight and Inception are overrated now? Yikes.
well you’re right. sorry if i sounded a little mean or anything. i guess its just i think kubrick can back up his ego. and my problem with quentin is more what i saidabout being cruel and disingenious. as for the thing about nolan dark knight is still one of the best films of the 00s. so are kill bill (1) and inglorious. inception i see kind of like magnolia, or even pulp fiction where there are some great thingsin them but i dont know if id call them great because of many flaws. in inceptions case, it feels incredibly shallow, and it was a bit bring. i do however love the “they come here to be woken up” scene and ellen page+Leo’s performance. also the fact it was shot on film and they did all that crazy stuff is very admirable
QT is correct,, you can’t go wrong with the black suit and tie. What movies do you think have the best fashion. I remember mean streets (also with keitel) had really nice suits and was watching rope by hitchcock the other day. I like the uniqueness of clockwork orange attire. As far as period dramas like gone with the wind there is great fashion. Any other ideas?
also i’d say that reservoir dogs is qt’s one great film in terms of fashion. not his best movie but i think the suits help contribute to the slickness of it. as for pulp fiction there is some good outfits and mia’s dress and the suits and tim roth’s hawaiian shirts and all but i can’t get past john travolta wearing a bolo tie. come on man.
also who do you think are the best dressed stars, or who looks the most stylish (not necessarily attractive). it all comes back to bogart and bacall. stewart, hepburn, mastronioni, cary grant, and george clooney even.
QT’s one great film for fashion? All of his films contain pretty great examples of fashion, even Death Proof with Kurt Russell’s silver jacket, a highlight of an otherwise pretty mediocre film. I don’t see any reason to put Reservoir Dogs over his other works with particularly great clothing like Inglourious Basterds (especially Landa’s wear) Django Unchained or especially Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which imo has the best out of all of them. I’m not saying the suits in Reservoir Dogs aren’t stylish or anything but they’re not Tarantino’s #1 in terms of costumes.
@Zane i respect your opinion but still disagree. i feel the basterds suits were kind of generic as in just the normal costumes you’d suppose they wear. django is a period drama and a lot of times they are kind of repetitive in costume design. ouatih is very colorful but not personally my favorite style.
Would the RD suits not be more generic than the others in this case? They aren’t, but calling the Basterds suits generic is just not true. Neither are the RD suits for that matter. About the RD suits I really love how you can compare the personalities of the characters just by observing the manner in which they wear their suits. Blond’s is the best in this regard imo.
The foreshadowing in the opening scene is absolutely brilliant
– Mr. Orange, the undercover cop, quickly “rats out” Mr. Pink when Joe Cabot comes back from the bathroom and asks who didn’t put in a dollar for the tip
– Speaking of Mr. Pink his I don’t tip speech shows he’s all about himself and he’s the only one to survive
– Mr. Blonde “jokingly” threatening to shoot Mr. White for Joe Cabot after Mr. White steals his notebook because Joe’s annoying him
– Mr. Brown talking about hilarious but ultimately pointless subjects and his character ends up not really mattering in the flashbacks
– Mr. White defends the waitress just as he later defends Mr. Orange
@Zane – ok that’s true, but in a way you could still call him the last man standing as he waits until everyone else shoots each other and takes off with the diamonds even if he doesn’t technically make it, it none the less still shows off his traits of looking out for himself
I just saw it and I also have it as a MS/MP. Can’t decide where to put it.
The movie hits on themes like betrayal and getting punished for your sins. I would like to add that the ending and entire movie shows that crime and violence does not pay. You will get punished for your sins. Like Keitel was punished for his sins in Mean Streets, he is also punished and killed here. It also shows the world isn’t fair. A cop gets murdered and Keitel is betrayed by the one person he trusts and gets shot for. Also, Mr. Pink runs away with the money. That is so unfair. I guess it was because he was “professional”- haha.
As usual, you observed all the ‘technicalities’ I did it too. Can’t add much more to that. The narrative and dialogue stand out, as do the performances (as you mention). The robbery is never even shown! I like how you mentioned the “stuck in the middle with you” scene. It is indeed brilliant. Great camera movement and great shots. Not quite Pulp Fiction level movie but truly incredible. One of the greatest heist movies ever made along with Kubrick’s killing and Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon and more.
A lot of people seem to criticize Tarantino on your website. Even Siskel and Ebert don’t like some of his movies. After watching
Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs recently, I cannot understand how some people can possibly call him overrated. Why do you think some critics and visitors on your website dislike him. Is it because some of these critics are placing too much importance on ‘violence’?
“The exaggerated raw violence of “Reservoir Dogs” leaves one feeling cheated in the end. For this movie isn’t really about anything. It’s just a flashy, stylistically daring exercise in cinematic mayhem.” – Kathreen Carroll ( critic for New York Daily)
this is a good film but i don’t see it as great. i have no problem with film violence, over the top and all. my problem with him besides his ego (how he says he thinks he is the reincarnation of shakespeare- that’s a BIG downgrade), is that his films seem disingenous. take pulp fiction, the sam jackson character. thecharacter is Christian and talks about redemption and all, but it doesnt feel like tarantino actually cares about religion and all that, he just uses the sterotype of a blck religious character. tim roth and steve buscemi are good in this(as usual tarantino is a terrible actor).or in hateful eight with samjackson and bruce dern, it makes it look like tarantino is showing two men who hate each other share a meal despite because of sharing a battlefield once but he turns it into a cruel disgusting scene. this movie doesn’t have a terrible turn in my opunion, it is moreso just boring. i also am not a fan of the killing (though i love kubrick). also people accredit tarantino for his use of music, like stuck in the middle, but kubrick did it twenty years earlier in clockwork orange with malcolm mcdowell singing in the rain (which, by the way,singing in the rain might be the best movie ever created.)
Hello Azman, I will give my opinion, the same thing happens to him as to Spielberg, the elitists are the answer, they think that it is overrated because it is not at the same level as Kubrick, Fellini, Hitchcook etc and because people not so knowledgeable when they talk about auteur cinema name Tarantino one of the 10 best directors of all time, so the elitists get angry and call it “overrated” in my experience with those people and well the easiest @m said is because of his ego.
P.D Sorry for my English if you don’t understand something
Well, I dont think people care about Tarantino’s ego. He is one of the best and it’s okay for him to think like that. Its more self confidence than ego. Also I think you’re point is a little bit valid. It will be interesting hearing Drakes opinion or the opinion of someone who dislikes Tarantino.
“Singing in the rain might be the best movie ever created” – you legit say this about so many movies. Last month you said that about 2001. Also on the Tarantino page you called Pulp Fiction flawless…
you called Samuel L Jackson a stereotypical black, religious man. Whaaaaat????. I respectfully disagree with your criticisms. I dont think R dogs is boring and so doesn’t Drake(he mentions it I think)
@m
@Azman, I’m just saying in my experience with people who don’t like Tarantino.
On @m’s comment he probably confuses best with favorite, there are people who say that The Dark Knight is the best movie made and it is incorrect it is very good, but there are at least 150 better movies than that, he probably says it because it is his favorite
well when i talk about reatest movies sometimes i exagerrate but ones like singing in the rain and 2001 and wizard and the searchers really are the greatest. dark knight, by the way, is extremely overrated so is inception and nolan is a great director but batman begins is his opus.
@Azman– as for your question on why a lot of people seem to criticize Tarantino– I mean you have to throw them out. You can cherry-pick bad reviews on any film and/or filmmaker but by the consensus- Tarantino is one of the greatest auteurs of the last 30 years. Reservoir Dogs is #2 on TSPDT for 1992- that’s masterpiece territory for sure. In fact, on TSPDT on the top 250 directors list he is the best-rated directed to have his/her film debut in 1990 or later. Just run the other way when you read reviews like the daily news critic.
@m- I don’t understand several things here: you downgrade Tarantino for his ego? Why? It isn’t part of the film. And to compound that you praise Kubrick. Kubrick’s ego wasn’t huge? Those are irreconcilable. Reservoir Dogs, Dark Knight and Inception are overrated now? Yikes.
well you’re right. sorry if i sounded a little mean or anything. i guess its just i think kubrick can back up his ego. and my problem with quentin is more what i saidabout being cruel and disingenious. as for the thing about nolan dark knight is still one of the best films of the 00s. so are kill bill (1) and inglorious. inception i see kind of like magnolia, or even pulp fiction where there are some great thingsin them but i dont know if id call them great because of many flaws. in inceptions case, it feels incredibly shallow, and it was a bit bring. i do however love the “they come here to be woken up” scene and ellen page+Leo’s performance. also the fact it was shot on film and they did all that crazy stuff is very admirable
QT is correct,, you can’t go wrong with the black suit and tie. What movies do you think have the best fashion. I remember mean streets (also with keitel) had really nice suits and was watching rope by hitchcock the other day. I like the uniqueness of clockwork orange attire. As far as period dramas like gone with the wind there is great fashion. Any other ideas?
@D.WGriffith– I remember being impressed with this list in terms of fashion– https://www.gq.com/gallery/most-stylish-films-slideshow — it may be a little 1960’s and 1970’s heavy but still a good list
also i’d say that reservoir dogs is qt’s one great film in terms of fashion. not his best movie but i think the suits help contribute to the slickness of it. as for pulp fiction there is some good outfits and mia’s dress and the suits and tim roth’s hawaiian shirts and all but i can’t get past john travolta wearing a bolo tie. come on man.
also who do you think are the best dressed stars, or who looks the most stylish (not necessarily attractive). it all comes back to bogart and bacall. stewart, hepburn, mastronioni, cary grant, and george clooney even.
QT’s one great film for fashion? All of his films contain pretty great examples of fashion, even Death Proof with Kurt Russell’s silver jacket, a highlight of an otherwise pretty mediocre film. I don’t see any reason to put Reservoir Dogs over his other works with particularly great clothing like Inglourious Basterds (especially Landa’s wear) Django Unchained or especially Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which imo has the best out of all of them. I’m not saying the suits in Reservoir Dogs aren’t stylish or anything but they’re not Tarantino’s #1 in terms of costumes.
@Zane i respect your opinion but still disagree. i feel the basterds suits were kind of generic as in just the normal costumes you’d suppose they wear. django is a period drama and a lot of times they are kind of repetitive in costume design. ouatih is very colorful but not personally my favorite style.
Would the RD suits not be more generic than the others in this case? They aren’t, but calling the Basterds suits generic is just not true. Neither are the RD suits for that matter. About the RD suits I really love how you can compare the personalities of the characters just by observing the manner in which they wear their suits. Blond’s is the best in this regard imo.
The foreshadowing in the opening scene is absolutely brilliant
– Mr. Orange, the undercover cop, quickly “rats out” Mr. Pink when Joe Cabot comes back from the bathroom and asks who didn’t put in a dollar for the tip
– Speaking of Mr. Pink his I don’t tip speech shows he’s all about himself and he’s the only one to survive
– Mr. Blonde “jokingly” threatening to shoot Mr. White for Joe Cabot after Mr. White steals his notebook because Joe’s annoying him
– Mr. Brown talking about hilarious but ultimately pointless subjects and his character ends up not really mattering in the flashbacks
– Mr. White defends the waitress just as he later defends Mr. Orange
@James Trapp- I love this- great work here James, thank you
Actually, Pink gets killed by the police in the background as White and Orange are dying.
@Zane – ok that’s true, but in a way you could still call him the last man standing as he waits until everyone else shoots each other and takes off with the diamonds even if he doesn’t technically make it, it none the less still shows off his traits of looking out for himself
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