RESERVOIR DOGS FAQ By Simon Gleave (c) 1993 Reservoir Dogs is a film directed by Quentin Tarantino that was released in the USA in 1992 and in the UK at the beginning of 1993. The film deals with the meeting at a pre-planned rendezvous of a group of robbers who have been involved in an attempted jewellery heist. The robbery has been organised by Joe Cabot with his son Nice Guy Eddie who have put together a team of six men, each with a different role to play and each with a pseudonym chosen by Joe. The robbery has gone wrong although the participants have still managed to get away with a quantity of diamonds. The protagonists believe that one of their number is a police informer and the film deals with the recriminations that arise from this. I'd like to thank Greg Bole, Al Harrell, Dave Munroe, Colin Needham, Dave Robson and Joan Shields for their input into this FAQ. There are a number of questions which are often asked about this film and this FAQ attempts to answer them. 1. What is the meaning of the title 'Reservoir Dogs'? There are a number of possible explanations for this: a) When Tarantino worked in a video store, he referred to the French film 'Au Revoir Les Enfants' as 'the reservoir film' because he couldn't pronounce the title. This film was one of his favourite films along with 'Straw Dogs', a Sam Peckinpah film from 1971. He simply combined the two to produce the title 'Reservoir Dogs'. b) Quentin Tarantino gave an interview in the British magazine 'Empire' in which he said 'It's just a perfect title for those guys, they are reservoir dogs, whatever the hell that means'. c) An interesting idea from Dave Robson starts with, water is the essence of life and when it goes through a reservoir's purification process, it is reduced to it's essences. Therefore, this film is symbolic of the elements that have been removed giving us a rotten situation reducing all the people caught in it to their basest, most raw emotions (hate, fear, love, hysteria). In this context, dogs are animalistic creatures ripping each other to shreds. I think Dave's reading a bit too much into it!! 2. Which films influenced Quentin Tarantino in the making of this film? The biggest influence appears to be a 1987 Hong Kong film directed by Ringo Lam, 'City on Fire'. It stars Chow Yun Fat and Lee Sau Yin, both stars of John Woo's 'The Killer'. A review of 'City on Fire' can be found later in this document. In the 1974 American film, 'The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3', the four hijackers of the subway train are all dressed alike (hat, glasses, moustache, big overcoat and machine gun) and had the pseudonyms of Mr Blue, Mr Green, Mr Brown and Mr Grey. The scene which runs over the credits near the beginning of 'Reservoir Dogs' showing the characters walking in slow motion is a homage to a similar scene in Sam Peckinpah's 1969 film, 'The Wild Bunch'. Other inflences include 'Rififi' from 1955 directed by Jules Dassin and 'The Killing' directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1956. The films of Hong Kong director John Woo are also a great influence on Tarantino. 3. What fates befall the members of the robbery team? Joe Cabot killed by Mr White in triangular shooting. Nice Guy Eddie killed by Mr White in triangular shooting. Mr White shot by Nice Guy Eddie in triangular shooting, killed afterwards by the cops having killed Mr Orange. Mr Blonde killed by Mr Orange. Mr Orange shot by woman whose car he and Mr White are trying to commandeer, shot by Joe in triangular shooting and finally killed by Mr White. Mr Brown shot in the head by the cops, dies after he crashes the getaway car. Mr Blue Eddie says he was killed by the cops at the jewellery store. Mr Pink there is a debate about the fate of Mr Pink which has yet to be resolved. Having left the warehouse with the diamonds, he is surrounded by the cops, but the soundtrack is ambiguous and some people believe he was killed outside whereas others (myself included) think he is arrested. 4. What is the order of gunfire in the triangular shootout? Joe shoots Mr Orange, Mr White shoots Joe, Nice Guy Eddie shoots Mr White, Nice Guy Eddie shoots Mr White again and Mr White shoots Nice Guy Eddie as he falls from his wounds. 5. Plot Problems There are a number of things in the film that don't quite add up: a) Why would the cops be waiting at the jewellery wholesalers as they knew that everybody would meet up at the warehouse after the heist? A possible reason for this is that the cops were carrying out surveillance at the jewellery store just in case anything happened and when Blonde started shooting people, they had to move in. Mr Blonde does say that he shot one of the cashiers for setting off the alarm, so the cops were presumably not in the store at that stage. b) Eddie is very open about the events of the heist when talking to Joe over a cellular phone. Cellular phones are relatively easy to monitor and it is surprising how much Eddie says in this scene. c) If Joe is supposed to be the head of an 'empire of crime' where he gets people to do the work for him, why is he involved in jewellery robberies which are dangerous without huge rewards, instead of drugs which are less dangerous with much bigger rewards? The best explanation for this is that Joe is from the 'old school' of organised crime and does things like bank robberies because the banks are insured and nobody gets hurt. He clearly had moral beliefs as shown in the restaurant tipping scene at the beginning of the film. 6. Why did Mr Orange tell Mr White that he was a cop? This is thought to stem from Tarantino's love of Hong Kong action movies where honour and respect are an integral part. Mr White had saved his life, told him his real name and killed two friends (Joe and Eddie) to protect him. The only thing that Mr Orange could offer in return was the truth and this is why he told Mr White that he was the undercover cop. 7. How did Mr Brown die? There has been some comment made on the death of Mr Brown. In my opinion, this is one of the best things about the film in that it shows more clearly than any other demise that you don't just die instantly when shot. My interpretation is that Mr Brown has been shot in the head by the cops while escaping from the robbery. He doesn't die instantly, but is able to drive (albeit erratically) away from the scene. Eventually, he crashes and to show that he is on the verge of death, he says that he has gone blind when in fact, he just has blood in his eyes. Mr White and Mr Orange leave the car and when they return, Mr Brown has died. 8. Why did Mr Blonde start shooting at the jewellery store? Mr Blonde wasn't a robber, he was only put on the job because Joe owed him a debt of gratitude for doing time without dragging Joe's organisation down with him. Joe also referred to him as a 'goodfella' suggesting that Mr Blonde is more of a trigger man, employed to sort out the opposition. Unfortunately, this means that Mr Blonde will shoot with the slightest provocation and putting him on this job is a fatal misjudgement by Joe, possibly indicating a weakness of Joe's in that his emotions affect his judgement. 9. Trivia There are a number of bits of trivia which are worth mentioning: a) Roger Avary, who co-wrote the radio play, used to be Tarantino's co-worker in a video store. b) The seventies figure heavily in 'Reservoir Dogs' with the soundtrack being composed of seventies music, and references to television (Christy Love and Baretta), comic books (Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer) and filmstars (Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin). c) Tarantino was going to film 'Reservoir Dogs' in black & white with him and his friends playing the lead roles. However, an acting teacher friend of his knew Harvey Keitel and she mailed the script to him. Keitel was so impressed that he immediately signed on and helped with raising the money to film it. Keitel's participation also made it possible to attract other character actors to the piece. d) In the warehouse where the film takes place, there are coffins sitting on end all around them and Mr White is sitting on a hearse when Nice Guy Eddie arrives. e) Eddie Bunker (who played Mr Blue) was a convicted bank robber. f) Tim Roth (Mr Orange) insisted that his voice coach played the woman in the car that he shoots, as he wanted to pay her back for all the hell that she'd put him through. g) There is an orange balloon behind Nice Guy Eddie's car when he's on his way to the rendezvous. Is this symbolic of the fact that Mr Orange is the rat? APPENDIX - Review of 'City on Fire', Soundtrack, Cast and Filmographies Review of City on Fire (c) Joan Shields A jewel heist goes wrong due to the presence of an undercover cop in the gang. During a gun battle between the thieves and the cops, the undercover takes a bullet in the gut trying to save one of the thieves he has befriended. to. The thieves get away and meet at the warehouse the caper was planned. The boss of the gang accuses the undercover of being a cop. There is a three-way face-off with the boss pointing a gun at the undercover, the friend/thief pointing a gun at the boss and another thief pointing a gun at the first thief. At the end of the movie the first thief and the undercover are left alive - the undercover confesses to being a cop and to betraying them as he dies from his wounds. Sounds familar? Sounds like the plot to "Reservoir Dogs?", right? But in this case, it's the last twenty minutes of "City on Fire". Writer/director/actor Quentin Tarentino, has often been heard to cite the work of John Woo ("Bullet in the Head", "Hardboiled", and "The Killer") as a major inspiration for "Reservoir Dogs". The influence is easy to spot: the slow motion shots in the action sequences, the brutal and unflinching violence, the running theme of unlikely but true friendships, and the use of action to develop the characters and story. However, with all of these similarities there is a closer source Tarentino fails to mention: Ringo Lam's 1987 "City on Fire". Where "RD" is from the thieves' point of view, "City on Fire" uses the perspective of a reluctant undercover cop caught between duty and loyalty to friends. It's the story of Ko Chow, an indercover cop who find himself closer to the thieves he betrays than to his fellow cops. He's cajoled and forced into infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves. This particular gang is professional, deadly, and successful. Chow Yun Fat ("The Killer", "Hardboiled", and the "A Better Tomorrow" series) plays Ko Chow. Ko Chow is lost, he's torn between his duty as a cop and the guilt he feels when he betrays the thieves in whose world he exists. He's a man in a world where the means no longer seem to justify the ends. Ko Chow's not a typical good guy: he's irresponsible, scared, and a boarderline asshole. Chow Yun Fat's unusual screen charism bring these qualities together and ties them up with a playfulness and sincerity that make Ko Chow both sympathetic and tragic without diving into maudalin cliche. Sun Yeuh plays Lau, a police inspector who does his best to protect and support Ko Chow. He's Ko Chow's lifeline, the only hand that keeps able to keep in on the police force. Lau's his conscience, reminding him of his duty, the only man Ko Chow can really trust. Sun Yeuh gives a wonderful preformance of a man desperately trying to keep the cause of justice from killing a man. Danny Lee (Lee Sau Yin) ("The Killer", "Just Heros", and "Dr. Lamb") plays Fu, the cool aimiable thief who befriends Ko Chow. If Inspector Lau is Ko Chow's conscience then Fu is his heart. Fu is canny and professional, loyal to his friends and realistic about his profession. Danny Lee brings his usual solid and dependable skill to the role. He makes Fu likeable and sympathetic without lapsing into sentimentality all the while not denying Fu's brutality and deadliness. The easy chemistry between Lee and Chow make the friendship between the two characters believable and genuine. Ringo Lam gives the movie a hard gritty feel. Greys and blues dominate and the characters and story are in the forefront. He's not as stylized or romantic a director as John Woo though both explore similar themes in their movies and both are as successful in their efforts. Ringo Lam uses the camera angles and scene set-ups to allow the story to tell itself. The characters interact, the action develops them even more and propells the story forward. The direction is subtle and effortless which is all the more difficult to accomplish and highlights Lam's skill. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Soundtrack: Little Green Bag The George Baker Selection Hooked on a Feeling Blue Swede I Gotcha Joe Tex Magic Carpet Ride Bedlam Fool for Love Sandy Rogers Stuck in the Middle with You Stealers Wheel Harvest Moon Bedlam Coconut Harry Nilsson Cast: Kirk Baltz.......................Marvin Nash Lawrence Bender..................Young Cop Randy Brooks.....................Holdaway Eddie Bunker.....................Mr. Blue Steve Buscemi....................Mr. Pink Tony Cosmo.......................Sheriff #3 Craig Hamann.....................Radio Play Background Voice Harvey Keitel....................Mr. White Laurie Latham (voice)............Radio Play Background Voice Michael Madsen...................Mr. Blonde Christopher Penn.................Nice Guy Eddie Steve Poliy......................Sheriff Tim Roth.........................Mr. Orange Robert Ruth......................Shot Cop Michael Sottile..................Teddy David Steen......................Sheriff #2 Burr Steers (voice)..............Radio Play Background Voice Quentin Tarantino................Mr. Brown Lawrence Tierney.................Joe Cabot Rich Turner......................Sheriff #1 Steven Wright (voice)............K-Billy DJ Filmographies: Baltz, Kirk (Marvin Nash) Dances with Wolves (1990) Marla Hanson Story, The (1991) (TV) Out of the Rain (1991) "Human Target" (1992) Reservoir Dogs (1992) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bunker, Eddie (Mr Blue) Running Man, The (1987) Tango & Cash (1989) Reservoir Dogs (1992) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Buscemi, Steve (Mr Pink) Parting Glances (1986) Heart (1987) Kiss Daddy Goodnight (1987) Call Me (1988) Vibes (1988) "Lonesome Dove" (1989) (mini) Mystery Train (1989) New York Stories (1989) Slaves of New York (1989) King of New York (1990) Miller's Crossing (1990) Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) Zandalee (1990) Barton Fink (1991) Billy Bathgate (1991) CrissCross (1992) In the Soup (1992) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Ed and His Dead Mother (1993) Twenty Bucks (1993) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Keitel, Harvey (Mr White) Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1968) Mean Streets (1973) Virginia Hill Story, The (1974) (TV) Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1975) Shining Star (1975) Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) Taxi Driver (1976) Duellists, The (1977) Welcome to L.A. (1977) Blue Collar (1978) Fingers (1978) Eagle's Wing (1979) Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980) Deathwatch (1980) Saturn 3 (1980) Border, The (1982) That Night in Varennes (1982) Corrupt (1983) Exposed (1983) Falling in Love (1984) Blindside (1986) Camorra (1986) Men's Club, The (1986) Off Beat (1986) Star Knight (1986) Wise Guys (1986) Dear America (1987) (TV) Dream One (1987) Inquiry, The (1987) Pick-up Artist, The (1987) Cordial Gorbatschev (1988) Last Temptation of Christ, The (1988) January Man (1989) Two Evil Eyes (1990) Two Jakes, The (1990) Bugsy (1991) (S:AAN) (S:GGN) Mortal Thoughts (1991) Thelma & Louise (1991) Bad Lieutenant (1992) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Sister Act (1992) Piano, The (1993) Point of No Return (1993) Young Americans (1993) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Madsen, Michael (Mr Blonde) Special Bulletin (1983) (TV) WarGames (1983) Natural, The (1984) "Our Family Honor" (1985) Killing Time, The (1987) "War and Remembrance" (1989) (mini) Blood Red (1989) Kill Me Again (1989) Montana (1990) (TV) Doors, The (1991) End of Innocence, The (1991) Fatal Instinct (1991) Thelma & Louise (1991) Almost Blue (1992) Baby Snatcher (1992) (TV) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Straight Talk (1992) Free Willy (1993) House in the Hills, A (1993) Inside Edge (1993) Trouble Bound (1993) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Penn, Christopher (Nice Guy Eddie) All the Right Moves (1983) Rumble Fish (1983) Footloose (1984) Wild Life, The (1984) North Beach and Rawhide (1985) (TV) Pale Rider (1985) At Close Range (1986) Made in USA (1988) Best of the Best (1989) Mobsters (1991) Leather Jackets (1992) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Best of the Best II (1993) Music of Chance, The (1993) Pickle, The (1993) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Roth, Tim (Mr Orange) Meantime (1983) Hit, The (1984) Murder With Mirrors (1985) (TV) To Kill a Priest (1988) World Apart, A (1988) Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The (1989) Farendj (1990) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) Vincent & Theo (1990) Backsliding (1991) Jumpin' at the Boneyard (1991) Common Pursuit (1992) (TV) Perfect Husband, The (1992) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993) Murder in the Heartland (1993) (TV) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tarantino, Quentin (Mr Brown) Reservoir Dogs (1992) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tierney, Lawrence (Joe Cabot) Ghost Ship, The (1943) Back to Bataan (1945) Dillinger (1945) San Quentin (1946) Born to Kill (1947) Bodyguard (1948) Shakedown (1950) Greatest Show on Earth, The (1952) Female Jungle (1956) Abduction (1975) Kirlian Witness, The (1978) Arthur (1981) Midnight (1981) Prizzi's Honor (1985) Silver Bullet (1985) Murphy's Law (1986) Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The (1988) Horror Show, The (1989) Why Me? (1990) City of Hope (1991) Dillinger (1991) (TV) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Runestone, The (1992) Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story (1993) (TV) Eddie Presley (1993) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon Gleave, E-Mail sg@ssru.city.ac.uk Phone +44-71-477-8000  x 4129 Computing Officer, LS Support Group, Social Statistics Research Unit, The City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK