A great, refreshing film. Yes, at times it was a little unsettling but it’s a really well put together film and proof of Tarantino’s incredible talent and unique style.
Apart from the great cast of people like Harvey Keitel (who is also co-producer), Steve Buscemi and even a cameo by Quentin Tarantino (who wrote and directed the film), the first thing that sticks out in this film is the way it’s structured. Ultimately, it’s a story about a group of criminals who, after a diamond heist goes wrong, suspect they have a “rat” in their group who alerted police beforehand. However, the film doesn’t unfold in this chronological order, in fact, we never see the actual diamond heist.
The film begins with the criminals having breakfast at a diner (and discussing the meaning of some of Madonna’s songs), ending with a quite amusing conversation about why Steve Buscemi’s character needs to tip the waitress. (He rubs his thumb and finger together and says: “Do you know what this is? It's the world’s smallest violin playing just for the waitresses.”)
The scene cuts and suddenly we see one of the criminals bleeding in car, which is being driven by Harvey Keitel’s character. It’s quite a visual shock − from the light-hearted banter in the diner to this graphic image of a guy who has just been shot and is bleeding heavily from his stomach. Anyway, we find out that the criminals are escaping after their heist, which did not go to plan. The rest of the film reconstructs moments and provides some snapshots into the back story. For instance, we see a few of the characters’ initial meetings with Joe, who is the organiser of the heist. Near the end of the film we also cut back to an entertaining scene when Joe is giving the criminals their names − they are not supposed to get friendly and reveal each others’ names so Joe gives them each a colour name (i.e. Mr Blonde, Mr White, Mr Pink).
Apart from the great cast of people like Harvey Keitel (who is also co-producer), Steve Buscemi and even a cameo by Quentin Tarantino (who wrote and directed the film), the first thing that sticks out in this film is the way it’s structured. Ultimately, it’s a story about a group of criminals who, after a diamond heist goes wrong, suspect they have a “rat” in their group who alerted police beforehand. However, the film doesn’t unfold in this chronological order, in fact, we never see the actual diamond heist.
The film begins with the criminals having breakfast at a diner (and discussing the meaning of some of Madonna’s songs), ending with a quite amusing conversation about why Steve Buscemi’s character needs to tip the waitress. (He rubs his thumb and finger together and says: “Do you know what this is? It's the world’s smallest violin playing just for the waitresses.”)
The scene cuts and suddenly we see one of the criminals bleeding in car, which is being driven by Harvey Keitel’s character. It’s quite a visual shock − from the light-hearted banter in the diner to this graphic image of a guy who has just been shot and is bleeding heavily from his stomach. Anyway, we find out that the criminals are escaping after their heist, which did not go to plan. The rest of the film reconstructs moments and provides some snapshots into the back story. For instance, we see a few of the characters’ initial meetings with Joe, who is the organiser of the heist. Near the end of the film we also cut back to an entertaining scene when Joe is giving the criminals their names − they are not supposed to get friendly and reveal each others’ names so Joe gives them each a colour name (i.e. Mr Blonde, Mr White, Mr Pink).
Another interesting aspect of this film is the editing and camera work. From an early scene when Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel are in a bathroom, you can sense that this film is shot in an original way. That bathroom scene is made up of many long takes, largely as a long shot from outside the bathroom, instead of close-ups. In fact, very few close-ups are used in the film and when they are used, it is in a moment of tension. In these cases, the camera will often focus on a character’s face and emphasise their reaction to something that is happening off screen. It’s quite an unusual and effective way of filming the action and really gives this film another edge, heightening the drama. There are also instances of tracking shots, often from behind a character, as the audience follows in their footsteps.
While the film would largely fit in the crime drama, it doesn’t really have a lot of action, as opposed to many films nowadays (with all their explosions and car crashes, etc). However, the film still manages to be very violent and we see the criminals pull out their guns numerous times (though most of the time, it’s used as a threat). The most unsettling moment though, is when one of the criminals hacks off a policeman’s ear. The audience doesn’t actually see this torture, instead, the camera pans to the left as we see the criminal approach the policeman with a knife. Then the camera shifts back to the screaming policeman and the criminal, who is now holding his ear. It is a creative way of filming the scene, even though it doesn’t make it any less gruesome or easier to watch!
In addition to what are now Tarantino hallmarks (non-linear plots and strong violence), the film is filled with great quotes and one-liners. The characters are also very human and not just two-dimensional vehicles for violence. We have Steve Buscemi’s character, who is like a cunning rat as we see at the end of the film, while Harvey Keitel’s Mr White is quite loyal and even seems to have a conscience after one of the other guys is shot because of him. There is also a good choice of music, largely from the 1970s, which add some sort of more classy feel to these sleek suited criminals.
So while this film is quite violent, for me it feels like a more stylised, or even refined violence. It’s graphic and there is definitely no lack of blood but somehow the film refrains from being a rough and raw sequence of guns and guts. There’s something more at work here and I like it.
4.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment