Reservoir dogs clip analysis

Directed by Quentin Tarentino in 1992 this film shows the difficulties that occur when five criminals are hired to carry out a jewellery robbery. Showing thriller conventions throughout to add not only fear but suspense as well to this crime thriller. Mostly shot in a dark grim warehouse making the crime seem more vulgar and wrong, this is a generic location for a thriller film because there isn't much natural light entering in it meaning that it makes the place feel more claustrophobic, and that there is no escape. Also as it is a dark and bleak place it reflects on what's happening as whatever happens seems twice as bad because of where it is situated, it makes the audience feel uneasy about what's happening. 

                                     Ironically right in the middle of this film the song 'Stuck In The Middle With You' is played as an introduction to a horrific torture scene involving the character 'Mr Blonde' and the cop that they held hostage.You see Mr Blonde dance to this music it this is ironic as you would normally expect a dance scene to be featured in a film where something good is happening whereas this completely contrasts this and makes what's happening seem even worse. When listening to the lyrics to this song it tells you that maybe the cop is wondering how he got into this situation and is scared he won't make it through this torturous situation alive. You could say that the cop being tortured is stuck in the middle, as the officers shouldn't have let the situation get so out of control and the criminals are on the other side who are leading him to potential death. A particular lyric that stood out to me which if you listen to carefully gives you an insight to what's happening, "It's so hard to keep the smile off my face" this could be because he knows that there is an undercover cop there too and that the cops are outside waiting to bust the operation make the torture stop. Also Mr Blonde seems to be in control of everything but really everything will get out of his control sooner or later and the cop knows this which relates him to the lyrics of this particular song. 

Particular shots that stand out in this film which set the genre and add suspense is the 'trunk and hood' point of view shot, Quentin Tarentino showed this shot when the Mr Blonde shows two of his accomplices the cop that he kidnapped and put into the trunk of his car. This shot is also featured in another one of Tarentinos films which is Kill Bill when the bride is looking into the trunk of the car at the character Sofie Fatale. This shot is from the point of view of the character in the trunk, it enables the audience to feel threatened as they can see what's happening though that characters eyes and makes them feel vulnerable. This particular shot also makes the three characters in the shot seem more dominant and therefore signifies their power.

Another shot used in this film which adds suspense to this film is a mirror shot of the character looking at themselves in the mirror but the camera only shows their reflection in the mirror. This enables the character to reflect upon a certain situation that may have happened. Also it tells the audience the character is alone and lets them get to know the character more. They can do this as it is a close up shot of his face, showing his reaction to what he can see in the mirror. There is also another scene where the undercover cop also known as Mr Orange looks into a mirror at himself before covering his real identity with a new nasty persona.


When watching this dramatic scene this shot particularly stood out to me due to the tension and fact you're left unsure as to who will be left dead. I researched what this particular shot is called and it is 'The Mexican Stand-Off', it is when two or more opponents aim at each other with guns. This shot was originated in the western 'The Good The Bad and The Ugly'. It is very effective in this scene as it leaves the audience in suspense, also Mr White is shown defending Mr Orange who is badly injured. The pool of blood around him and his arm are slightly covering Mr Whites legs in this shot which could signify that he's going to be the next one to die.

Costume- Throughout this film you see the criminals wearing smart black and white suits, the character 'Nice guy' who is Eddie Cabot doesn't wear the suits making him stand out more,He wears his normal clothes meaning that he isn't fake. As most of them are wearing the same suit this indicates that they all have a bond together, and operate like a pack of dogs. Their costume plays a big part in this film as it gives you an idea of what kind of characters these people are as subconsciously people judge others by what they wear. So these characters are trying to show off that they may have a lot of money and that they are typical gangsters and that it would be a mistake to mess with them.

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