By: John Heffernan

“You don’t need proof when you have instinct”- Joe Cabot (Reservoir Dogs)

The world is a dog eat dog world, were dishonesty, lies, cheats, and saboteurs remain supreme. Politicians, drug-dealers, gangsters, and mob bosses were some of the most powerful and intimidating individuals in the culture of 1970-1980’s America. The only way to make it to the top, was to be ruthless and cutthroat, but what happens if this culture is condensed? What would happen if six of the world’s most despicable and filthiest criminals were brought together for a single jewelry heist. As expected, egos collide, lives are lost, and no one is safe in this concentrated world of deceit and crime except for the most evil of the world. A world supposedly built on the equilibrium of structure. Quentin Tarantino’s criminal drama film Reservoir Dogs (1992) explores the individualistic nature of the human mind, through the use of varying cinematography methods, color juxtaposition, and nonlinear organization.

A cinematographer’s choice in camera angle and placement can deepen the overall meaning of the film immensely. The film uses zoom lens to emulate the world collapsing in on many of the characters, for example when Mr. White and Mr. Pink discuss what to do with the shot Mr. Orange. In such a haste, the two men fight over whether to bring Mr. Orange to a hospital, the collective mindset of Mr. White, or to go along with the plan and call Joe Cabot, the individualistic mindset of Mr. Pink . The camera zooms in on Mr. White as he hears the ideology of Mr. Pink, while knowing in the back of his mind the severity of the “bloodbath” (Reservoir Dogs) they caused. Mr. White’s eyes dart across from Mr. Pink to presumably the body of Mr. Orange as it sinks into its own “bloodbath” (Reservoir Dogs). This shows an internal conflict in the character, does he leave his fellow men behind, in order to save his own life, or risk both in the hopes of a collective safety. Ironically they both decide to leave Mr. Orange literally soaking in his “bloodbath” (Reservoir Dogs), but not before a infamous gun duel that is one of the most iconic images of the film, however no shots are fired. This scene is also the introduction of Mr. Blonde, as the camera backs away from Mr. White and Pink, presumably through steadicam, to reveal Mr. Blonde. As the camera pulls away to reveal Mr. Blonde both men point their guns away from each other, in different fashions. Mr. White, the collective voice, points his up and away from both Mr. Pink and Blonde. Mr. Pink, without thought points it at the newly revealed character, as if a defense mechanism. Mr. Pink is so devoted to himself that his basic instincts are to protect himself. Furthermore during the scene of the kidnapped police officer, Nash, being tortured by Mr. Blonde, as if a tiger playing with the gazelle before the kill, a camera pan highlights an interesting detail. Above the archway where the seemingly dead Mr. Orange lays, is a crudely written warning to “watch your head” (Reservoir Dogs). The literal interpretation of course is to duck beneath the archway, but the metaphorical meaning means to watch yourself through preservation. Seemingly a motto for the film, “watch your head” (Reservoir Dogs) as well as the other camera movements, add an additional layer of complexity to the film. Additionally color contrast is used in order to both distinguish a man vs. world and man vs. man conflict in the film.

Conflict is defined by the differences in characters, but Tarantino uses the surroundings of the characters to deepen the individualistic meaning of the film. The main setting of the film takes place in an abandoned warehouse, that has completely white walls. Contrasting this most of the members of the heist wear suits to be presented in a mature way, yet the vulgar promotes immaturity. The black to white color contrast allow the characters to stand out from the scenery behind them. Additionally when a member does get injured, the blood that splatters from them sticks out on the canvas-like walls of the warehouse. Furthermore the characters individualistic nature is literally mirrored by their position in the scenery. The character’s themselves at time stick out from one another, a key example being the character Nice Guy Eddie. His navy blue tracksuit and bright hair, juxtapose characters like Mr. Brown, a black suited and haired man. While the members of the heist have their individualistic tendencies, they act as a group initially thus resulting in their shared outfits, however Nice Guy Eddie is a secondary character introduced in the midst of the plot. He is a support for Joe and thus has an additional layer of individualism from the members of the heist, additionally Joe in the latter scenes begins wearing different clothes other than his traditional suit. He was the leader of the heist and now is backtracking from the group, as evident in the scenes that are chronologically placed at the end of the film.

The final scenes of the film depict the development of Mr. Orange as the saboteur of the group. Ironically one of the most underdeveloped characters in the firsts one hundred minutes of the film, rises to be the reason the heist fails. The montage of Mr. Orange’s rise to the opposition to the group, shows the progression of the character. Learning, practicing, and executing his speech seems to be a much longer scene than his inclusion into the actual group. Mr. Orange climbs to power the only way that he knows how, lying and deception. Having it being placed chronologically at the end only makes the reveal more impactful to the film. Mr. Orange is an onlooker, waiting for his time to strike. When he does strike his only friend in the matter Mr. White, after enduring shot wounds, looks especially in pain. Is it the pain from the gun wounds that causes it or is it the painful backstab of what he thought was a friend. Deception has its price, using people to the point of death, shows the true individualistic monster that is a human.

The humanistic aspect of psychology looks at people finding their true potential and achieving it, but to what extent does this goal stop. Tarantino creates a snapshot of American culture, survival of the fittest in a world with no rules. Structure attempts to detract from this psychology, but when the government in charge of it is as corrupt as the culture, it is useless. Reservoir Dogs is a world without reason and order, especially with its lack of a linear narrative. The only one who makes it out unshaven in the ordeal of course is Mr. Pink , the voice of individualism. Pink thrives off of the killing, he indulges in a world with no order or set code, as evident in the establishing scene in the diner; “That ain’t my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government (screws) in the (butt) on a regular basis.” (Reservoir Dogs) Tarantino depicts the traumatic world of lack of structure as juxtaposed with the traumatic world of structure with no equilibrium in sight.

 

References

Reservoir Dogs. Directed by Quentin Tarantino,  Performances by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Live Entertainment, Dog Eat Dog Productions Inc., 1992.