Reservoir Dogs Opening Titles Analysis

The opening frames for the title sequence begin with a voice-over narration to accompany a medium close up over the shoulder shot focused on the characters leaving the table from the scene that opened the film. As the voice-over continues we hear a non-diegetic piece of music fade in to accompany the narration, as the speech draws to an end, the music builds and eventually replaces the speech at it’s end. The clip fades to blackout as the music builds and nearing the end of the narration we see the first credit, ‘Quentin Tarantino’ flashes on screen with a drum beat originating from the supporting song ‘Little Green Bag’. The credit has no camera work to accompany it, is an edited title on a black screen, this creates a good transition from the first scene to the frames opening the main title sequence; by separating the scenes with a black scene we get a dramatic effect when the camera is reused to open a slow-motion long shot of the main actors.

The next frames open with a long-tracking shot to slowly reveal all of the actors walking together. This creates dramatic effect as we see all main characters revealed together, this is edited in slow motion which represents the characters as cool, calm and collected people which contrasts with the later, hectic and violent features of the film. This goes against a convention of title sequences as the representation of the film is that it’s characters are calm yet the majority of the film holds foul language and panicked moments. The camera cuts to a medium close up of the first of the characters, a head on camera focuses on each actor individually which is accompanied by a credit. Once the camera has cycled each character and introduced the actors it stays at a long shot as they walk off in the distance. This allows a reveal of the whole group, with them walking far from the camera it connotes and this hints at some deaths in the film. The title of the film is edited to roll in over the characters which labels the group as the ‘Reservoir Dogs’.

The narrative that is portrayed through the title sequence suggests instantly that they are a tight group, we understand that they are a close group that we will follow. The camera works with the narration as it singles out every one of the characters, singling out them as individuals which hints to the story that they are multiple men brought randomly together to perform this heist. By having the group move from the restaurant where they were sat in the first scene to down the street as a group, without breaking formation we know they are to become a close group throughout the film, this can create audience feeling as we bring a bond between the characters which then concerns us allowing us to watch on as we fear that in such activates as a bank heist, there may be death which would break the bonds we create in the opening sequence.