Reservoir Dogs (1992) Dir: Quentin Tarantino
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This early 90s classic is the first feature film written and directed by the divisive Quentin Tarantino. It's also one of his more underrated films, at least in my view. It's a simple but very effective film that I've seen a few times, though not in quite a while now. I was interested to see what I'd pick up on this time.
The film is a great example of maximising a basic set. The vast majority of the film takes place in one warehouse, which could've been very dull, if not for some clever writing. The stripped back, low-budget feel of the film means the focus is on the dialogue and the characters, which is no problem at all.
The screenplay is a lesson in smart dialogue - telling a story through seemingly irrelevant conversations - a trademark of Tarantino's. However, something that really hit me this time around was the use of some very unnecessary, derogatory, and racist language, which unfortunately isn't exactly new for Tarantino. A case can be made in some of his films, but certainly not this one.
The narrative is concise, it's interesting, and it has some really fun little developments that make it a thrilling watch. It has very strong themes of betrayal, mystery, trust, and even a great father-son dynamic. The twists and turns make the story that much more enjoyable, in a film that utilises its characters excellently in pursuit of the subversion of expectation.
I think that Harvey Keitel gave an excellent performance in his leading role. He felt so authentic, especially in the portrayal of his relationship with Roth. Keitel's smooth delivery on dialogue and natural presence serves him well here, and is no doubt a big reason why he has appeared in some of Tarantino's other films.
Tim Roth was another who gave a strong performance in a prominent role. I don't think I appreciated his acting as much before, but on this most recent viewing, I found myself really enjoying his acting, especially during his flashback sequences, which are excellent.
Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi provide the best performances from the supporting cast members. Buscemi is so good at playing slimy characters, while Madsen's increasingly unhinged behaviour is so entertaining. I actually think this is a really underrated performance from Buscemi, that doesn't get appreciated enough.
Chris Penn doesn't have a whole lot of screentime, but he makes sure to give a memorable performance, particularly in his scenes with Madsen. Lawrence Tierney and Quentin Tarantino himself also deserve mentions for their own acting performances, despite the brevity of the roles.
Overall, I still think this is a very good crime film, which uses its various limitations phenomenally well, and turns them into some of its biggest strengths. Ironically, the best and worst aspect of the film is the dialogue. The vast majority of it is really well written, but the really unnecessary language used at points really takes away from it.
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