Reservoir Dogs (1992)

 

Talk about coming in with a bang: not many directors can claim to have made an instant classic with their first independent try, yet Quentin Tarantino did it. Not only that, but his style, visuals and flair for snappy dialogue and excellent music is also all here. True, he would repeat roughly the same formula a few times, sometimes to lesser success, but even after all this time, 'Reservoir Dogs' still stands as a masterpiece of violence, atmosphere and a large number of fucks given. 

Tarantino made gangsters cool again. 

The plot is brilliant in its simplicity: five men are recruited by a mob boss to pull a heist. They don't know one another and they are all given pseudonyms so they can never betray one another either. However, unbeknownst to them, one of them is an undercover police officer. The heist goes awry and the survivors retreat to an empty garage/warehouse where they are supposed to wait for further instructions. What makes it more pressing is that mr Orange is shot in the gut and is now bleeding to death. What will all happen in the span of 90 minutes and who is going to screw who over?

This is a film that's nearly all about the dialogue, save for a few key scenes. It already starts with the discussion in the diner whether or not Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' is about a girl who likes a guy that's humongously hung (and yes, I'm keeping it civil here). But there's more: the ascension of mr Orange into the ranks, the panicking mr Pink who is trying to convince mr White to up and leave, the Mexican stand-off near the end... Classic. 

There's also one of the most infamous torture scenes in any film, set to the tune of 'Stuck In the Middle With You' and it is still harrowing, even if you don't actually see all that much. Expertly done, and Michael Madsen is having a blast playing a complete psychopath. 

Even if you're not fond of Tarantino's quick blast dialogue that has more profanities than you could shake a stick at, then this will still remain an excellent piece of cinema that transcends genres. One could argue that 'Pulp Fiction' is the better film and on a technical level that is certainly true, but this one also has tons of heart and passion and it's visible on the screen.