Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay

Description

Quentin Tarantino's films have single-handedly revived and redefined American noir, bringing to Hollywood a new energy, irony, and cool. Tarantino has won awards and accolades around the world, earned a devoted following among critics, actors, and audiences, and paved the way for a new generation of young filmmakers. Tarantino's directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs , hit the screen with a freshness and brutal edge that left critics and audiences stunned. The story of a heist gone wrong, the film weaves a taut and menacing path, laced with bursts of absurd and unexpected humor, as an eccentric cast of urban outlaws attempts to identify the rat in their midst. The film established the groundbreaking aesthetic—smart-ass, hard-edged, and ultravoilent—that made Tarantino one of the most sought-after directors in the nation. As Newsweek wrote, "Reservoir Dogs leaves little doubt that you are in the presence of major league talent." Review: A Must Film School Teaching Tool - Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" is a MUST teaching tool for film schools. This is precisely what we want to tell students how they can make great films with bare minimum resources and lots of creativity. The entire film was shot in a funeral home warehouse (cheap rent)which was used for shooting most scenes and for turning an upstairs room into Mr Orange's flat. There was no big budget for grand sets, costumes, pretty girls and handsome faces but the right mix of creativity, talents, a good script, strong performance of a fine cast and crew that delivered miracles!! The Tarantino phenomenon began with "Reservoir Dogs", the film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino which won him worldwide acclaim and gave him his first break. Eight to eighty years old are fascinated by the riveting heist story and moved by the unlikely friendship developed between Tim Roth/Mr Orange (the undercover cop) and Harvey Keitel/Mr White (the veteran criminal who unwittingly took Mr Orange under his wing, cared for him while he was badly wounded and got himself mortally wounded protecting Mr Orange in a shootout which saw him killing his longtime criminal friends Joe Cabot and Nice Guy Eddie for the sake of Mr Orange in a scene made famous by Mr White's line:"Kill that man, you die next.") In the end, because of honour and friendship, Mr Orange told Mr White the truth and was executed point blank by a sobbing Mr White who was in turn brought down by a shower of bullets from the arriving police. The stunned audience will forever carry the poignant image of Cop and Criminal embraced in Death. It is not just the plot that captivates our imagination, but Tarantino's ability to make us captive audience witnessing scenes of violence and suspense while he eases our tensions with the most unlikely if not incongruously light-hearted K-Billy's Supersounds of the Seventies (think the ear-hacking torture scene of Marvin Nash, the cop tied to a chair by Mr Blonde). Well, who can ever forget the violent ear-hacking scene accompanied by Stealers Wheel's delightful "Stuck In the Middle With You". In a way, the juxtaposition makes the violence more vivid and keenly felt which is absolutely ingenious and brilliant!! It is great that the Reservoir Dogs Screenplay has this watershed, climactic scene of Tim Roth/Mr Orange shooting Mr Blonde as its cover. Think the horror and helplessness of the audience when the psychopathic Mr Blonde hacked off the ear of the cop tied to a chair to the tune of "Stuck in the Middle with You" and doused him in petrol and Mr Orange delivered the surprise fatal rounds of shots to save the poor cop just in time, much to our relief!! It was only then that we discovered the undercover role of Mr Orange. For Reservoir Dogs fans, the screenplay has to be one of the most coveted and treasured items. Not only does it provide the entire script with all the dialogue in the film, hence "Dogs" fans can recite the lines along with their heroes or even before they deliver the lines at film-screenings; the introductory article "The Miscegenated Cinema of Quentin Tarantino" by Stanley Crouch also makes interesting reading. This screenplay is well produced with plenty of still photos from the film and more. Review: It's AMAZING - its nice to have memorabilia like this