Micro Study Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992) Reservoir Dogs is writer, director and co-star Quentin Tarantino's classic tale of a diamond heist gone horribly wrong. Yet this film is also his debut, boasting a first rate cast in one of the year's most original films. Tarantino is indebted to the films of both Howard Hawks and Jean-Luc Godard; the tone of the film is more absurdly comic, echoing the films of the latter in which bloodshed becomes a kind of gruesome farce, while the former's influence is apparent in the fragmented narrative, deconstructing the criminal subculture as a parody of "legitimate" capitalism. The subject of this micro study is the pre-credits "tip" sequence opening the film, running for approximately 7 minutes. Shot entirely in colour, the film starts with several men dressed in black suits, sitting around a table in a café diner, debating topics such as Madonna's "Like A Virgin". The setting is described as modern day, with certain affection for the 1970's. We soon learn the protagonists are strangers who address each other using false names assigned to them by heists' organiser, Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney). The opening scene is one of many throughout the film shot in real time. Other real time sequences include the bloodless yet harrowing scene in which Mr Orange "proves" his authenticity to Eddie by recounting a long, entirely fictional reminiscence about an ill-conceived drug deal. The choice of camera angle and the size of shots are important to how we interpret the scene. Tarantino avoids highly detailed compositions, constructing much of the film from simple, medium shot long takes. The opening scene features an endlessly circling camera. We fade-in to the characters as the camera dollies between them, introducing the spectator to each and every character . Close ups are commonly used to reveal to the audience the characters' facial expressions and what they are thinking, something which is often denied to the other characters. POV shots in this scene are very intermittent, as the spectator can often see the shadow of another character's shoulder at the far side of the frame. In doing this Tarantino places the spectator in with the characters, not distanced from them. The style and speed of editing contribute to the mood and sense of the story. Although in real time this scene should come halfway through the film, the director opens with this scene since it introduces us to each member of the group, almost becoming one in return. One of the most famous uses of angle and height is seen in Reservoir Dogs, most notably the scene in which Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) and Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) are squaring off. The film's cinematographer Andrzej Sekula uses the angle of the shot to create tension within the frame without having to use any dynamic or rapid edits. The sound fades up with Tarantino's flowing, snappy dialogue, while ambient noise can be heard in the background. This contributes to setting, although this dies down as the scene progresses, allowing the audience to concentrate more on the character dialogue. Heard on a fictional radio station with comedian Steven Wright providing the voice of the deejay, the group share a passion for the pop music of the Nixon era, a time when the country's most powerful professionals proved more than capable of bungling their own affairs. The dialogue makes various references to well known musical figures and the soundtrack includes Harry Nilsson and the George Baker Selection. The sequence in which Mr Blonde (Michael Madsen) viciously tortures a captive police officer (Kirk Baltz) set to the newly ominous 1970's pop classic, Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck In The Middle With You" is an example of how effectively Tarantino uses sound in film, as the spectator may start to tap their foot along to the upbeat rhythm in spite of the visceral, graphic violence that occurs on the screen. During the same scene, Mr Blonde briefly leaves the warehouse outside and we go with him, the soundtrack fading down and up as we re-enter the warehouse. Details to indicate the café diner setting include waitresses, other diners visible in the background and various condiments placed before the diners at the table. The action takes place in modern day California, USA. The setting may implicitly suggest the crime and gangster genre in that the scene is reminiscent of other gangster films, with the characters gathered round a table planning their next heist. Indeed, the film is an excellent example of a modern day low budget, independent film of the crime and gangster genre. The mood is generally relaxed, as it appear that these men are here for the purposes of a pre-heist get-together. Despite this, there is a certain degree of tension created between Mr. White, Joe Cabot, Mr. Pink and the other diners. It is difficult at this point to define each character's individual status, as their costume and proxemics both suggest that they are somehow bound together, further illustrating the themes of professionalism and loyalty. Costume allows us to interpret the characters within the scene. We can also establish a sense of time and a perspective of the society inhabited by the characters. Reservoir Dogs puts a post-modernist spin on the theme of professionalism. The gangsters keep defining and redefining the meaning of the term, while their actions undercut their words by proving these shady characters to be anything but "professional". In this scene the costumes do not necessarily indicate the historical period in which the film is set; the setting compensates for this. All characters, except for Joe Cabot and his son Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn), are dressed in black suits and ties, contributing to the theme of loyalty. This further emphasises the film's genre as a modern day gangster tale. The characters do not change their costumes during the scene, suggesting commitment to the purpose for which they have been brought together. In contrast, Joe and Eddie are in casual dress, indicating they are somehow different than the rest. In contrast to this, the film is divided up into parts, each part informing the viewer of how each member became a part of the group. It is in these short sections only that we see the main protagonists in everyday, casual dress. It is interesting how Tarantino does not use low-key lighting for dramatic effect, as most scenes in the film take place during the day. Lighting is generally muted, with this style of relentless, almost noir-parodic chiaroscuro lighting used to great effect in the opening scene, reaffirming the realistic qualities of the film as a whole. Tarantino uses a small amount of space within each frame, enabling the audience to concentrate on each individual character. The characters are positioned close to each other around the table, reflecting their growing relationship and loyalty. Joe Cabot is placed at what is essentially the head of the table, communicating his relative importance within the group. The key theme expressed by this scene is loyalty and it is worth noting how this is simultaneously built up and broken down as the film progresses. Tarantino interweaves his dialogue with references to 1970's popular culture bringing the characters together, reinforcing their unity. This scene also serves to introduce the potential tension created between them. This sense of loyalty soon turns to betrayal as the group become undone by their hunt for the enemy within. Mr. Brown (Tarantino) opens the scene, already in mid-conversation. As the narrative progresses he becomes a minor character, with the audience being informed of his death halfway through the film. It is unclear as to what happens to Mr Blue (Edward Bunker) at the end of the film, although his character is largely uninvolved in this opening scene. Tension is created between Joe and Mr White over an address book; the audience are listening to Mr Brown, but are really interested in Joe's interjections. Mr White is also revealed to be something of a sensitive character. He forms a bond with Mr Orange (Tim Roth) who himself remains detached in this scene. It is interesting to note their close proxemics, hinting at their developing relationship. At this point the audience has no reason to suspect him, but his role becomes more important as the narrative progresses. Nice Guy Eddie seems to be the unifying force between them, bringing up the conversation of 1970's pop music. This is to be a prevalent theme throughout the film, for example the torture scene timed to Stealer's Wheels' "Stuck in the Middle". Mr Blonde, we learn, has just been released from prison prior to becoming part of the group. This character comes across as easy going and something of a joker. Mr Pink is a cynical character who refuses to "tip" the diner waitress, becoming a great source of tension between the group. (1,464 words) Bibliography Bordwell, D. & Thompson, K. Film Art: An Introduction McGraw Hill, 1990 Clayton, T, Fitzgerald, I & Footman, T. (ed). The Guinness Book Of Film London 1999 Cook, P. & Bernick, M. The Cinema Book, 2nd ed. BFI, London 2001 Emgelmeier, P. Icons Of Film: The 20th Century, London 2001 Hill, J. & Gibson, P. Film Studies, Critical Approaches Oxford 2000 Monaco, J. How To Read A Film, 3rd ed. Oxford 2000 Müller, J. Movies Of The 90's London 2001 Nelmes, J. An Introduction to Film Studies London 1999 Tarantino, Q. Reservoir Dogs London 1994 Webography www.filmsite.org www.imdb.com www.afi.com www.ravecentral.com/afi.html http://afi.100movies.com/ http://adrianmco.batcave.net/cinematog.htm http://premieremag.radicalmedia.com/featpres/Sep_96/lynch/7.html http://www.media-culture.org.au/index.html Appendix This diagram serves simply to demonstrate how the characters are placed proxemically around the table at the diner, thus indicating their close-knit loyalties to the common cause of the heist. Diagram (i) Mr. Orange Mr. Brown Mr. White Mr Blonde Joe Cabot Mr Blue Nice Guy Mr Pink Eddie See appendix, diagram (i) 1 Rebecca Andrews AS Film Studies