Today’s quick review: Reservoir Dogs. When their heist goes wrong, six men (Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Edward Bunker, and Quentin Tarantino) flee to a warehouse to lick their wounds and plot their next move. Looking back on what happened, the criminals quickly conclude that one of them had to have been a traitor, and they set about pooling the limited information they know about each other. Tempers flare, threats fly, and lies abound as the men try to figure out which of them should pay with his life.
Reservoir Dogs is a crime drama from writer and director Quentin Tarantino. Despite a premise suitable for an action movie or a heist film, Reservoir Dogs focuses not on the crime but the aftermath. The warehouse setting with its characters that come and go gives the film a stage play quality, and it is a testament to Tarantino’s skill as a director that the brutality of his world shines through even when much of it is off-camera. The film’s tension is an ample substitute for overt violence, though, and the snatches of violence that are present are scarring enough to make the threat of further violence all the more credible.
Quentin Tarantino brings his signature style to the film. Long musings on trivialities contribute much to the tone and little to the plot. Gruesome violence is juxtaposed with cheerful music. None of the character are good people, and their volatile personalities cause them to clash in interesting ways. The details of the crime are glossed over in favor of the characters’ attempts to find the traitor. Even the characters’ names are secondary, both to the audience and to each other. Reservoir Dogs is a sickeningly tense film, where any slip can spell disaster and violence is always around the corner.
Reservoir Dogs is a well-crafted minimalistic thriller. It is a must-see for Quentin Tarantino fans and highly recommended for anyone who enjoys tense, violent movies, even if there is little actual action. Its characters are mere sketches, yet they are placed in such a powerful situation that they come vividly to life. The mystery surrounding the identity of the traitor is a strong one, but even stronger than its solution is the unnerving tone it generates. Watch Reservoir Dogs if you are looking for a tense crime drama with a dark tone. Skip it if you are squeamish or you are looking for a proper heist or action flick.
8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for incredible tension and solid execution.