Some may find it hard to believe that Quentin Tarantino’s debut feature film, **Reservoir Dogs, is now a quarter of a century old. Such a landmark in independent cinema, it spawned a vast range of copycats and an entirely new style of filmmaking. One of the first things that a film student will remember learning is the world’s most famous use of contrapuntal sound, and it all started here.
The film follows a group of robbers after a failed heist as they try to figure out what went wrong along the way, with the story unraveling through the use of flashbacks. None of the group must know who each of them really are, and the struggles which ensue is what drives the film along. It is essentially a character and dialogue driven film, with the added extras of a great soundtrack and intense violence. Generally, with first time filmmakers, the lack of budget can really hinder the lengths an auteur can achieve to show the world who they are, but Tarantino’s distinct writing and directing styles enabled him to overcome this hurdle and deliver a masterpiece in independent film. It is stylish, funny, violent and raw. It laid down the blueprint for Tarantino’s career – he was making a statement saying this is who I am, and this is what I do, and this is kindred to what makes Tarantino such a remarkable filmmaker.
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