[quote=“cyber-lili”]Structure, dialogues, editing, lots of cool details about pop culture (though there was already a poster of Madonna in the movie at a key scene, which might have been seen by Tarantino and inspired him for the Madonna speach) are of course original. But still, you would call it a plagiat in any other context with any other director.[/quote]
I would if it was his only film. But there is definitely a signature style to Tarantino’s oeuvre and the final product of Dogs has come to be representative of his style.
No one was really like, “oh wow! The very idea of that routine diamond heist was masterful!” All that Lam, in a way, contributes to the film is not particularly unique. City on Fire is very much a Hong Kong action film. And, as such, action takes the spotlight.
In a sense, Dogs is just an alternate ending to City on Fire. Most of the plagiarised scenes occur in flashbacks. The pivotal moments of the film, the real-time warehouse scenes, are original.