Reservoir Dogs’ Like A Virgin Moment Is About Tarantino Himself – Theory Explained

The opening scene in Reservoir Dogs is a favorite among movie fans, and it includes a debate on the meaning of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” – and this moment made way for a fan theory on the real meaning of it within the movie. Quentin Tarantino’s career as a filmmaker began in 1992 with the crime thriller Reservoir Dogs, which gave the world a taste of his unique narrative and visual style, as well as of his trademark doses of violence. Reservoir Dogs is considered one of the most influential works in the realm of independent filmmaking and has developed a cult following since its release.

Reservoir Dogs follows a group of thieves whose planned heist of a jewelry store goes terribly wrong, and to add more conflict and tension to the mix, there’s an undercover cop among them. The group is led by crime boss Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney) and his son Eddie “Nice Guy” Cabot (Chris Penn), and is formed by Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), Mr. Blue (Edward Bunker), and Mr. Brown (Tarantino). Reservoir Dogs has an iconic opening scene that many often use as an example of Tarantino’s mastery to write dialogues, and it’s actually a very important scene as it subtly foreshadows many of the events of the movie, and it might also hide a deeper meaning related to Tarantino himself.

The opening scene of Reservoir Dogs is set at a Los Angeles diner, and it sees the whole crew (including Joe and Eddie) having breakfast and talking about different things. The very first topic of discussion is the real meaning of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, with Mr. Brown passionately talking about it and Mr. Blonde offering a different, more obvious interpretation of it. Mr. Brown goes on and on about it and while it seems like the song is out of context in the story, fans have given it a different interpretation linked to Tarantino and his career in the film industry. First off, and as pointed out by ScreenCrush (via EW), the line was originally written for Mr. Pink as Tarantino meant to play the character, but ended up giving it to Buscemi after his outstanding audition. The monologue was then given to Tarantino’s new character, Mr. Brown, but the essence of Mr. Pink stayed the same: the only character that truly was a “professional”.

Now, many have questioned why Tarantino picked, of all songs, “Like a Virgin”, and that’s where the theory begins. Although by the time Reservoir Dogs came out Tarantino had already sold the script of True Romance, this was the first movie he wrote and directed, so he was a “virgin” in the field of filmmaking. The monologue has been interpreted as Tarantino’s subtle declaration of who he is and what he believes in when it comes to filmmaking and pop culture – and this last one is a very important element in his movies, as they are all packed with pop culture references and Tarantino is well-known for taking inspiration from other movies for his own.

The “Like a Virgin” monologue is also announcing Tarantino’s intentions to be a professional, which is why it was originally delivered by Mr. Pink when he was going to play the character. The theory adds that Reservoir Dogs is about what happens when you’re not a “professional”, whether as a thief or a filmmaker, as all characters die because they don’t act as such (and the last one standing is Mr. Pink), and Tarantino is ready to be a professional. The theory is easier to understand when placing Tarantino in Buscemi’s place as was originally planned, so that way, Tarantino would have been the last man standing as he was the only professional in the group – and when it comes to his career as a filmmaker, he has definitely stayed professional through most of it, allowing him to continue telling stories for years. Whether the theory fits Reservoir Dogs or not is up to every viewer, and while it can be a confusing theory, it’s also an interesting interpretation of a memorable scene.

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Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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