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Directed By: Quentin Tarantino
Starring:
Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Rain
Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna
Christoph Waltz as Col. Landa
For those familiar with the work of Quentin Tarantino, you will recall that he admires the use of chapters for dividing a film’s narrative into more easily-digestible parts. He employs the technique once again with Inglourious Basterds, and titles the first of these chapters in a most appropriate way: “Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied France…” Some might look at this just as a catchy slogan, used for stylistic purposes exclusively. But, Tarantino means it quite literally; this is not World War II as history books would describe it, but rather a fairy tale of the war that ends with a drastically-different and far more appropriate conclusion. I shall put it this way: for those of you who believe in karma, this is how you probably believe World War II should have ended. But, really, this movie is not even about World War II…it is about, as Brad Pitt’s character so elegantly states, the “killin’ Nazi business.” And yes, business is a-boomin’ here.
The aforementioned Brad Pitt character, played by the actor with just the right amounts of flamboyancy and satire, is named Lieutenant Aldo Rain, the leader of a group known as the “Basterds.” They are a ragtag bunch of individuals who sweep across France, killing Nazis and plotting the permanent downfall of the Third Reich. But, even this colorful clan, including a member nicknamed “The Bear Jew” (played with gusto by acclaimed horror director Eli Roth) who becomes legendary for his brutal baseball skills, is overshadowed by Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent), a young Jewish girl thirsty for revenge following the murder of her family. She now runs a movie theater and strategically allows it to be used for the premiere of a Nazi propaganda film, an event that will play host to both the man that killed her family, Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz), and Adolph Hitler himself.
Tarantino effortlessly weaves these two storylines together, both leading up to a stunning and rather awe-inspiring climax. Some may fault the film for its perceived excessive use of dialog. But I implore you to remember that Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay and, therefore, it can be correctly assumed that the conversations his characters have are far more interesting than most of the action sequences you have seen this summer. They are foul-mouthed and yet poetic, rugged and yet brilliant. That Tarantino has assembled a top-notch cast to speak this dialog is another reason for its overwhelming success. Brad Pitt is exceptionally good as the film’s primary source of dark humor; he clearly loves the art of acting and his overwhelming devotion to the craft is vividly apparent in this performance. But the highest honors must go to Mélanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz, both of whom are so electric in their respective roles that they practically leap off of the screen.
Though this is my first review for The Cinema Issue, one of the things you will quickly learn about me is that, if nothing else, I crave innovation in cinema. I desire to see new material or old material presented in a new way. If you were skeptical before, Inglourious Basterds proves without a shadow of a doubt that Quentin Tarantino is a master innovator. Very few screenwriters or directors would dare to drastically alter such well-known history in favor of a more satisfying film; even fewer would venture to present World War II in such a satirical manner. That all of the risk pays off and makes Inglourious Basterds one of the best and most fascinating films of the year is a testament to the skill and precision of Tarantino and his cast. It might be too early to make predictions for the upcoming Oscar competition, but I imagine it will be difficult for the Academy, having shut Tarantino out ever since Pulp Fiction in 1994, to completely ignore a film like Inglourious Basterds.
The aforementioned Brad Pitt character, played by the actor with just the right amounts of flamboyancy and satire, is named Lieutenant Aldo Rain, the leader of a group known as the “Basterds.” They are a ragtag bunch of individuals who sweep across France, killing Nazis and plotting the permanent downfall of the Third Reich. But, even this colorful clan, including a member nicknamed “The Bear Jew” (played with gusto by acclaimed horror director Eli Roth) who becomes legendary for his brutal baseball skills, is overshadowed by Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent), a young Jewish girl thirsty for revenge following the murder of her family. She now runs a movie theater and strategically allows it to be used for the premiere of a Nazi propaganda film, an event that will play host to both the man that killed her family, Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz), and Adolph Hitler himself.
Tarantino effortlessly weaves these two storylines together, both leading up to a stunning and rather awe-inspiring climax. Some may fault the film for its perceived excessive use of dialog. But I implore you to remember that Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay and, therefore, it can be correctly assumed that the conversations his characters have are far more interesting than most of the action sequences you have seen this summer. They are foul-mouthed and yet poetic, rugged and yet brilliant. That Tarantino has assembled a top-notch cast to speak this dialog is another reason for its overwhelming success. Brad Pitt is exceptionally good as the film’s primary source of dark humor; he clearly loves the art of acting and his overwhelming devotion to the craft is vividly apparent in this performance. But the highest honors must go to Mélanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz, both of whom are so electric in their respective roles that they practically leap off of the screen.
Though this is my first review for The Cinema Issue, one of the things you will quickly learn about me is that, if nothing else, I crave innovation in cinema. I desire to see new material or old material presented in a new way. If you were skeptical before, Inglourious Basterds proves without a shadow of a doubt that Quentin Tarantino is a master innovator. Very few screenwriters or directors would dare to drastically alter such well-known history in favor of a more satisfying film; even fewer would venture to present World War II in such a satirical manner. That all of the risk pays off and makes Inglourious Basterds one of the best and most fascinating films of the year is a testament to the skill and precision of Tarantino and his cast. It might be too early to make predictions for the upcoming Oscar competition, but I imagine it will be difficult for the Academy, having shut Tarantino out ever since Pulp Fiction in 1994, to completely ignore a film like Inglourious Basterds.
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