Flickering Myth’s writing team discuss their favourite movie soundtracks; next up is Jackson Ball with Reservoir Dogs…
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Quentin Tarantino knows his way around a movie soundtrack. Known for his excessive use of popular music, QT’s films have amassed an impressive catalogue of great songs; from contemporary rap hits to forgotten gems of the 1970’s and everything in between. Like most things related to Tarantino, his flamboyant use of music can be traced back to the director’s inaugural feature: Reservoir Dogs.
The official soundtrack for Tarantino’s directorial debut is a narrative within itself. It has a beginning, middle and end as clear as any film plot, which we are guided through brilliantly by the soundtrack’s ‘narrator’: Steven Wright. The dead-pan comedian is our DJ, hosting an instalment of the fictional K-Billy Radio’s Super Sounds of the 70’s. This is in itself a wry piece of casting as it subverts the audience’s expectations brilliantly; the classic ‘upbeat DJ’ role is replaced by Wright’s recognisably gloomy tones.
After Wright’s intro the soundtrack slides smoothly into another gear with ‘Little Green Bag’ by the George Baker Selection. The opening bass for this track seemingly has the ability to transport you back in time. Not to the 70’s though, rather to the time and place you first saw Reservoir Dogs. The film was ground-breaking, even life-changing in many ways for many different people, and that second scene where the cast are set in slow motion to the opening titles is one of the most iconic by far.
Therein lays the real genius of this soundtrack: it can change your perceptions. Take the use of Stealers Wheel’s ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’, for example. Firstly, the song changes your perception of the scene, as the last thing you’d expect in a violent torture scene is this dance-floor classic. The use of sound in this scene is not only technically precise (changing from diagetic to non-diagetic at the crucial moment), but also connotes the true madness of Mr Blonde (Michael Madsen). The character’s laid-back enjoyment of the 70’s toe-tapper expresses the nonchalance to which he approaches brutality, and in turn his mental unbalance.
Secondly, the film returns the favour by changing the audience’s perception of the song. Can anyone ever watch Reservoir Dogs and listen to ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ in the same way afterwards? It’s highly unlikely, and what better proof is there of a film and soundtrack in perfect sync than that? The songs are not merely the background of the film, they are the film. Songs like ‘Hooked On A Feeling’ by Blue Suede and Joe Tex’s ‘I Gotcha’ are as important to this world Tarantino has created as the characters are.
Tarantino may have compiled other great soundtracks for his later films, such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, but I’m afraid none of them surpass the musical accompaniment to his first film. It simple terms, the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack is a perfect reflection of the film itself: entertaining, revolutionary and effortlessly cool.
Jackson Ball – follow me on Twitter.
Originally published July 23, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
