Let slip the dogs of film
Reservoir Dogs
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
Coming soon to Kino, Melbourne
Reviewed by Mario Giorgetti
A pretty explosive first film by Quentin Tarantino, who may well fancy himself Scorsese's disciple in cinematic style as well as in choice of theme. There are obvious influences here from Scorsese's Mean Streets, and the gritty, brutal texture finds echoes in such films of violence as Kubrik's classic The Killing and, more recently, the likes of Goodfellas.
The setup is simple: five hardened criminals, the "dogs" of the title, known to each other only by their colour-coded names: Mr White, Mr Orange, Mr Pink, Mr Blonde and Mr Brown, played by Tarantino, are recruited for a jewellery heist.
The carefully planned job, however, is foiled by a tip-off to the police, and the ensuing confrontation, which takes place off screen, ends in a bloody shoot-out. The survivors make it back to a warehouse rendezvous to count their losses, regroup and perhaps figure out which one among them blabbed to the cops. In this claustrophobic setting most of the drama unfolds, and the theme of buddy loyalty and honour among thieves is developed.
Unfortunately, what emerges overwhelmingly in the end is the non-theme of senseless, bloody violence. The protagonists, despite possessing a pinch of human dignity in the form of loyalty to their partners in crime, are as likable as sewer rats and deserve everything they get.
Like the images, the language in this film is designed to shock. It is the speech of a certain subculture, casually racist and sexist and generally coarse and offensive, spraying more effing expletives than a losing football team at half-time. The occasional humour and the upbeat bubblegum music make the violence even more heinous and repugnant, to the point where it hurts to laugh.
There is a disturbing innocence in the dialogue, and the criminal mind is here portrayed as having the infantile logic of playground children fighting over who should have the next turn on the swing. The guns are used to kill and maim with the same casualness with which little boys use toy guns in their pretend games of cops and robbers. The blood flows too easily.
Some fine talent has gone into producing a story of brutish life in an urban jungle. Reservoir Dogs has some genuinely funny moments, and it crackles with snap-fresh dialogue. Tarantino has produced a tight, well-crafted script which builds to a strong climax. It's a pity that the violence and savagery tend to overwhelm the film's charm and undeniable fine qualities.