Reservoir Dogs (1992)

A group of men in black suits and with strange nicknames have their breakfast with dignity and measure, speak about music in a free and easy way, then stand up and go out of the cafe. The next moment they commit an attack on a jewelry shop and perform a most insolent daylight hold-up. However the cops are ready to get them, and their thorough plan drops through. The cops shoot Mr. Blue and Mr.Brown, the others manage to escape. It’s obvious that there is sneak in the gang. The survives – Mr. White, Mr. Orange (gravely shot and bleeding), Mr. Blonde and Mr. Pink (with the stolen diamonds) gather again in an abandoned warehouse to figure out who the rat is.

Reservoir Dogs is the first movie by Quentin Tarantino shown in cinemas, and most critics agree that one could hardly wish a more stunning debut. Very soon the Dogs acquired a status of a cult film, as well as a number of Tarantino’s following works. There are some characteristic features of Tarantino's unique style that make his movies recognizable and create an affinity between them. He prefers to perform cameos in his own movies, and, honestly speaking, he is a great master of such roles. The images created by this cult self-taught director are all different from one another and unforgettable. This tradition begun with Reservoir Dogs where he played Mr. Brown shot by the police after the robbery. In his another masterpiece and cult movie Pulp Fiction which followed the Dogs he also plays a cameo. Another actor uniting these two crime movies is Harvey Keitel who was an undisputable candidate for the role of Mr. White.

As well as Pulp Fiction Reservoir Dogs has much more of a black comedy, than of a criminal drama. Absurd situations and hilarious dialogues make the movie especially worth watching.

One more zest of Tarantino's creations is that he likes to leave some things unexplained. It’s up to the viewer to think and try to guess what he meant. As well as the contents of the legendary case with 666 access code from Pulp Fiction remains unknown to you, the mystery about Mr. Pink's fate keeps on teasing the admirers of this unique director and actor. He isn’t killed in the gangster scuffle, but as soon as he runs out the viewers hear shots. He is probably killed or wounded by the cops who have arrived just on time, or perhaps he is saved by a miracle and gone with the stolen diamonds.

Another peculiar feature of Tarantino's films is their non-linear structure.

By the times of Reservoir Dogs release Tarantino hasn’t yet been well-known in the world of cinema. The movie enjoyed a surprisingly fair acceptance and a considerable number of nominations and prizes, mainly for the original direction. As far as the evident disadvantages of the Dogs are concerned, many critics and spectators share the opinion that the movie is too cruel and naturalistic. In one of the scenes Mr. Blonde cuts a cop's ear off with a razor, and this is absolutely shocking. The movie also abounds in obscene words and statements with elements of racism. However this exaggerated brutality is also part and parcel of Quentin Tarantino's identifying style, and his fans will surely forgive him for such things.

Reservoir Dogs had a great influence on the mass culture and on the cinema industry in particular. Tarantino himself developed the distinguishing features of his debut project not only in Pulp Fiction, but also in Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds. Some of his colleagues were also inspired by his work and accepted some ideas for their own movies. In particularly, some people think that if Reservoir Dogs hadn’t revived the noir style, the world would never enjoy such noir thrillers as The Usual Suspects, L.A. Confidential, Memento and Amores perros.