I would like to discuss Quentin Tarantino’s film Reservoir dogs as a modern day film noir. We won’t find rainy streets and fogy avenues or perhaps shadows bouncing off of walls like we have seen in the classics of the past. But make no mistake this film can defiantly be classified as a film noir. This film is about a diamond robbery that goes horribly wrong and how Tarantino tells the story is simply fantastic. Keep in mind Film noirs are meant to show you the dark side of life and that not every cowboy rides off into the sun set with the girl.

         In Reservoir dogs 8 guys are involved in robbing a jewelry store with two of the guys being a father and son team masterminding the robbery. Two out of the remaining six have previous working knowledge with the father a son. The other four robbers don’t have any other knowledge or history with any of the robbery team. One of the robbers “Mr. Blue” is actually an undercover cop who is trying to catch the father in the act. This all end up with a shootout at the Jewry store. With most of the robbers making back to the hide out they all start to accuse one other of being the informant. Mr. Blue was shot trying to escape the jewelry store and no one knows he’s a cop. It all comes down to a shoot off at the hide out between all of the remaining robbers and you get the impression that no one lives.

        In a lot of movies we see drama, violence, heart ache, sorrow and sometimes hero and villain. But for a lot of movie goers the promise of a happy ending or at least a message of completion is expected. With Reservoir dogs Tarantino keeps it with very dark with reality and there is no hero to speak of. The cop is presumed dead and all of the bad guys die and that’s what I think is what makes this a film noir.