There is nothing like seeing a WWII film through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino. He is able to take a subject that has been told so many times in all different kinds of ways, and make it feel fresh and original. Now in doing that, he changes history, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Tarantino.
Inglourious Basterds is told in five chapters. The first chapter introduces Nazi Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). He has the nickname of “The Jew Hunter” and he doesn’t mind it. His job is to rid France of all the Jews. He is very good at his job, but his ego gets the best of him and he lets one Jewish girl escape. That was a big mistake, and not his last.
The next chapter introduces the Inglourious Basterds, who are led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). He is a southern boy who will lead a ruthless team of Jewish Americans in to France and kill every Nazi they come in to contact with. And don’t forget about the 100 scalps from each soldier. That’s a lot of scalps, but they get each one.
The rest of the chapters all lead up to a big premiere of a German film called “Nation’s Pride” and it’s even based on “true” events. Tarantino makes this premiere his big showdown between all of the characters involved. All of the story lines meet at this one location. It doesn’t end pretty and who knows how many people die?
Tarantino was able to get a great cast and one big name. I’m talking about Brad Pitt of course. His character is brutal and funny. You can tell by the scar around his throat that he has been in some battles. We don’t know his stories, but we know he is good at what he does. His team backs him up and never disappoints. Eli Roth (director of Cabin Fever and Hostel) plays “The Bear Jew” and his weapon of choice is a baseball bat. And to say he crushes skulls with it is an understatement.
Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak (The Office), Melanie Laurent, and Samm Levine round out the cast and all have important roles. They all help build the story. Even Mike Myers (Austin Powers himself) has a cameo and he plays the guy who sent “The Basterds” on their mission in the first place.
Waltz plays the ruthless villain in this film. He appears worse than Hitler himself. His character, Col. Hans Landa, is a polite and mannered man. But he can become ruthless at the flip of a switch. He uses charm and his words to kill his victims slowly. He is an intelligent man who, like Lt. Aldo Raine, is very good at what he does. I read some other reviews and they praised Waltz for his performance and are already discussing Oscar nomination. I would agree with that. Waltz and Pitt really stand out and they are the ones you wait to come on screen again. It’s exciting to see when those two finally meet face-to-face.
Now to the man behind the camera: Quentin Tarantino. He tells a story about WWII and incorporates his love for movies in the film as well. I mean it’s not accidental that everything goes down at a movie premiere. Now Tarantino still sticks to what he does best, which is violence and blood. But we are also in the world of war. ‘The Basterds” are brutal, but so is Col. Hans Landa. So it seems necessary to show the brutality of battle.
Tarantino is back to what he became famous for. I didn’t mind Death Proof, and I enjoyed Kill Bill. But this film takes us back to Pulp Fiction and his first film, Reservoir Dogs. It’s the Tarantino everyone loves. He tells a simple story with unique characters. The dialogue is sharp and you know it’s Tarantino who is behind it. He never forgets to throw in some violence and blood. But Inglourious Basterds is a ruthless film with ruthless characters.
The film is more than that though. It is funny, entertaining, and well structured. All of the story lines play important roles and the finalé is nothing shy of exciting. You will never see a war film like this.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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