An analyses of the opening scene to 'Reservoir Dogs'

Reservoir dogs, interestingly enough begins by opening aurally rather than visually. Before we have even seen the characters we hear them conversing. The voice over, a common occurrence in many Tarintino films, acts to provide the audience with an element of suspension and surprise before the sound is matched to a picture. The dialogue continues and the film opens, introducing the audience to a group of men sitting around a table in a cafe, talking casually. Immediately our attention is drawn to the irregular setting and costume choice presented.

The men around the table are dressed typically smart in all black attire and straight away provide the image of organised crime, however the cafe they have chosen to meet at it strikingly average – orderly, busy and well lit. The lighting in the scene is very high key, everything in the cafe is visible and there are no shady goings on that the audience can’t quite catch. This cleverly contrasts heavily with the fact there is a group of organised and dangerous criminals sitting at the table. The setting is very different compared to the usual and stereotypical gang meeting scenes in other films (for example the restaurant in Goodfellas) as they have chosen not to associate with each other in a more upmarket place, and helps add to the bizarre charm of the movie.



The camera shots and movements pioneer this opening sequence. A group of men sitting around a table for 8 minutes, even despite engaging conversation, just isn’t very interesting. However, the shots utilised in this scene help to keep the audience engaged and the movie flowing. The way the camera has been positioned is particularly wonderful. It was placed on a track and moved around the table, beautifully capturing both the characters speaking and other characters reactions. Fairly often the camera moves behind the characters heads and the image goes black, leaving only the sound. This could be mistaken for sloppy camera work but in actual fact is another mark of Tarintino and makes the movie appear more stylised.

"What do you mean you don't tip?"

The powerhouse script (written by Tarintino himself) also helps to drive the opening sequence. The conversation at hand allows us to get an insight into the unique, complex and often differentiating characters sitting around the table. The script is effective because it is realistic and funny. It opens with the group discussing the meaning of a song but then swiftly moves on to more sophisticated discussion about women working the minimum wage and whether or not to tip. The main source of humour comes from the fact that these men are criminals, casually discussing their certain morals and respect for women workers and even going as far as to take into consideration the class and employment issues affecting America.

This opening sequence as a whole is spectacular and gives a great setup for the roller coaster ride of a movie that follows.

Not to mention it is followed by one of the coolest credit rolls in cinema history.