Film Breakdowns - Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Film Breakdowns - Reservoir Dogs (1992)

To become the best, we have to learn from the best.

Reservoir Dogs os one of those amazing movies that you quote and watch again and again. It's the story about a group of gangsters after a robbery goes wrong as they regroup and try to figure out which one of them is an undercover cop.

Taratino did a great job on this film and is a great precursor to the amazing Pulp Fiction to soon come after.

Let's begin breaking down my favourite frames from the film that encapsulate That I feel are some of the pivotal points of importance in the story.

Let's get started!

The opening of this film starts with Mr Orange, the youthful and kid-like gangster bleeding out in the back seat. Later we learn he is the undercover cop so in this first scene, he has started paying the price for what he does to keep cover. He is being punished for betraying a soon to be loyal friend and learns the criminal life is a harsh one.

When both men get back to the safehouse, Mr White is shown down this long corridor, isolated from all existence seemingly in this Barron warehouse. He is alone because the cops knew about the robbery, they were caught off guard and he is coming to terms that one of this fellow gangsters is an undercover cop. The unknown is an anchor pulling him down.

When more people show up at the warehouse the thing to notice is how everyone is in different places. No one stands by anyone else. No one trusts anyone else and everyone is watching their own backs. The framing shows isolation despite being near people who are supposed to be friends.

I find it interesting that Mr Blond is sitting on a file of boxes in the warehouse because his body language and how he acts reminds me of a child sitting on a table top, kicking his legs because he can't touch the floor. He is the childish one of the group but also the most psychopathic. having him sit on here shows his need to be king of the castle. A good subtle bit of storytelling.

Here, Mr Blond is setting a line of gasoline because he is about to set fire to the captured cop alive. The plot has hit a dead spot where nothing has happened so Mr Blond kick-starts this with a literal catalyst. The attempted burning of the man forces Mr Orange, the real undercover cop to shoot him and break cover.

Finally showing some element of control over what's happened, Mr Orange has literally had a death and rebirth moment where he has transcended who he was and began to become the man he needs to be. Despite bleeding out, he saves the life of another cop and breaks cover to uphold his sense of a moral compass.

Blatantly impersonating that famous scene in the mirror from Taxi Driver, he shows off his kid like personality. This contrasts with when he reveals who he is and kills Mr Blond. Mr Blond represents a lack of empathy and someone with no moral compass towards killing and while Mr Orange killed a lady to stay under cover, he rejects the Mr Blond within by shooting him.

The final sequence of the film sees everyone shooting everyone. No one survives and they all suffer for their sins. Even the cop dies despite doing nothing wrong. That's because Tarantino is telling us that there won't always be a happy ending. The criminal world is a ruthless one in which anyone can get burned and consumed. That crime doesn't pay. It kills you inside or literally leads to your death.

I love this move so much, I don't know how many times I've seen it and watching it again to get these screen-shots was more than enjoyable. It's hard to decide which I prefer more, Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction because they're so good, so I will leave it here saying you must see it if you haven't.