Written and Directed by QT

Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, Quentin Tarantino, Kirk Baltz, Eddie Bunker, Randy Brooks, Steven Wright (voice).

A mob boss, Joe Cabot (Tierney) hires a group of men – all assigned codenames to rob a bank. Mr’s White (Keitel), Orange (Roth), Pink (Buscemi), Blonde (Madsen), Brown (Tarantino) and Blue (Bunker). When the robbery goes south, the surviving members hole up in the safe house – and discuss if and who could be the ‘rat’ that gave the robbery information to the police.

Tarantino’s first feature film, as both writer and director, introduces us to his directorial style; his homage to past cinema, along with his own unique style of writing and directing. Here he introduces us to such works as his use of graphic language, and his camera work – including the frequent use of the ‘n’ word, and shots like the classic trunk shot, and the long takes with tracking shots.

The screenplay is also an introduction to what would be one of Tarantino’s trademark ‘non linear’ style, with the bulk of the film taking place after the ‘never seen’ bank heist. We then are given flashbacks scattered within the film to work out who some of the characters are, and how they are known to Joe.

While the film has quite violent moments in them, most of this occurs ‘off camera’ such as the bank heist itself, the ‘ear’ scene, and Orange getting shot. It is the ‘aftermath’ that is the more graphic moments – with Nash’s wound, and Orange’s blood loss.

The cast are all solid, with most of the cast going on to work with QT again on later films. With the script written as both ensemble, however some cast do get more to do than others.

Rather than work with a score to play behind the events on the film, there is rather a strong soundtrack of popular songs from decades earlier – and even the voice of Steven Wright as a disk jockey that features throughout.

At just under 100m it is also QT’s shortest film to date, and was a perfect introduction to his filmography.

4/5

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