8 Problems With Reservoir Dogs Nobody Wants To Admit

2. The Use Of The N-Word Feels Entirely Unjustified

Tarantino frequently comes under fire for his perceived obsession and continued use of the "n-word" - to the point where it's considered to be a trademark aspect of his pictures. For anyone who thinks that Pulp Fiction marked the beginning of Tarantino's obsession with the word, what with that awkward "dead n*gger storage" conversation that takes place towards the end of the film (a speech that he himself delivers), one needs only to look back at Reservoir Dogs to realise that the director's debut favoured the slur also. In one particularly memorable scene (though not necessarily "memorable" for a good reason), Mr. Pink addresses two of his fellow gangsters and says: "You guys act like a bunch of fuckin€™ n*ggers! You wanna be n*ggers, huh? They€™re just like you two, always fightin€™ and always sayin€™ their gonna kill each other!" "Okay, so maybe Mr. Pink is a racist," you say. "Maybe he's just a racist character and his use of the word doesn't reflect Tarantino." Still, there's something undeniably awkward and jarring about the sudden - and rather unnecessary - use of the word in this particular context (and the four of five other uses of the word in the film). Tarantino could have taken all uses of the word out, after all, and the movie really wouldn't have been any different.