Inglourious Basterds [MA]

In German-occupied France, Shosanna witnesses the brutal massacre of her family at the hands of the merciless Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. She narrowly escapes and flees to Paris where she forges a new identity for herself as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe American Lieutenant Aldo Raine organises a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in bloody acts of retribution against the Nazis, who collectively refer to them as “the Basterds”. Over the course of the war the Germans make many enemies and fates converge when Raine and his team join forces with an undercover agent to take out the leaders of the Third Reich at a film premiere where Shosanna is poised with a little revenge plan of her own. 

From the first appearance of Christopher Waltz as Colonel Hans Landa with his great monologue about the dichotomy of hatred and war, like and dislike, I was completely hooked on this movie. A fantastic film packed with Tarantino’s indulgences in violence and clever comedy, Inglourious Basterds is an absolute blood soaked gem of a film! 

In German-occupied France, Shosanna witnesses the brutal massacre of her family at the hands of the merciless Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. She narrowly escapes and flees to Paris where she forges a new identity for herself as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, American Lieutenant Aldo Raine organises a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in bloody acts of retribution against the Nazis, who collectively refer to them as “the Basterds”. Over the course of the war the Germans make many enemies and fates converge when Raine and his team join forces with an undercover agent to take out the leaders of the Third Reich at a film premiere where Shosanna is poised with a little revenge plan of her own. 

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, as is my fancy, Inglourios Basterds is a film that I found really great because it wasn’t typically Tarantino. Like practically everyone in the world, there are traits that define Tarantino’s movies, things that just distinguishes them from others. It’s nice to say that this movie was a different one in Tarantino’s repertoire. Where there is usually mind-blowing action, bloodshed, a hip and contradictory soundtrack, and very cunning comedy, there is wonderful, powerful, and emotive ideals and world perceptions, dramatic irony, and very cunning comedy. 

The foremost thing that hits the audience when they watch this film, I think, is the incredible way in which it sends the mind whirring with ideas and questions about the world and perceptions and human nature and everything. It’s always wonderful to find a movie that does that: changes your way of thinking. And what this movie does is show a great a violent truth: equality. At the base of everything that happens in this movie, most of which is all unutterably terrible, one point makes itself irrevocably known: there is no better side. In the mind, yes we’re rooting for the people who are against the Nazis, but when you look at what these “heroes” engage in to take them down, they are just as bad. On what side do the better men stand? It’s fantastic to behold! 

Some of Tarantino’s patented comedy cannot help but creep into the mix, here via the use of subtitles. The film, divided into chapters true to Tarantino style, is spoken in three languages: English, French, and German. I found it quite entertaining that the subtitles did not bother to interpret the words of the language that most audiences do know, e.g. instead of reading “thank you” when it’s spoken in French, the subtitles read “merci”. However, this little thing is not consistent all the way through so it sort of keeps you on your toes. I don’t know if you’d find it interesting, but I personally found it quite amusing and very clever. 

Starring Brad Pitt, Christopher Waltz (who was absolutely brilliant in his role, playing the ruthless nasty superbly and easily the best character in the show), Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, and Micahel Fassbender, Inglourious Basterds is a fantastic movie packed with action, drama, violence, bloodshed, romance, dramatic irony, and cunning comedy. I absolutely adored it and hold it in firm place as one of Quentin Tarantino’s most remarkable films.