The Significance of Color in 'Reservoir Dogs' Meg Henry 12th Grade

Quentin Tarantino is known for his symbolism and hidden meanings throughout each of his films. Particularly, in Reservoir Dogs he uses color for an abundance of reasons. It is a major motif in the film, first introduced as a device to keep each of the criminal’s real identities anonymous. Not only that but it is then used to drop hints at who the "rat" is but to also highlight each character’s personality traits and reveal more details about them.

Color is first introduced upon the first meeting of all the gang members where they discuss details of the impending heist. The importance of color is that no one can reveal their name, in case one gang member is arrested he can’t then bring the others down with him. It also means that after the heist then men can’t trace each other or seek vengeance on one another or their loved ones. Everyone is happy with their color except Mr Pink. He is offended and asks for a different color. This is due to the color being synonymous with femininity, however his character isn’t portrayed as feminine. Other than hiding during the final shootout, he is the most pragmatic of the group, the one that ends up surviving. So, the significance of his color illustrates his dispassionate nature and lack of...