"We're in the Business...of Killin' Nazis!" and That's Exactly What the "Basterds" Did!
Aug 25, 2009
by Husher315
Rating:
+4
Seeing Inglorious Basterds was an interesting viewing experience for me. Not because anything crazy happened, but because of the ways in which the film kept pulling me back in. While I thoroughly enjoyed Basterds, there were definitely times I was asking myself, "what is this leading up to?" which I think a lot of people were asking about Death Proof . Of course the minute I asked myself this, everything came together and made me ecstatic about the current scene. What some people might not enjoy about this film is its long drawn out scenes. What makes these scenes work so well was the terrific acting performances given by the whole cast. And when the film was focusing on action, it was fast and explosive, just the way Tarantino likes it.
Set in an alternate timeline during the Nazi occupation of France, Inglorious Basterds is a film focused on the art of revenge. Basterds follows the two separate attempts to kill Hitler, the first, by Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent), the only survivor of the massacre of her family by the "Jew Hunter" Colonel Hanz Landa (Christopher Waltz) and the second by the Basterds, a crew of Jewish American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Both parties plan out a way to kill Hitler and his regime in one fell swoop at a movie premiere chronicling the events of a German sniper (Daniel Bruhl) who killed over 300 American soldiers in Italy. What the Basterds don't know is that the premiere is being held at Shoshanna's theater... and that she has a plan of her own...
The one thing I have to admit about Inglorious Basterds is that if it hadn't been for the acting, I probably would have walked out of this film...Quentin Tarantino or not. The only reason those LOOONNNGGG drawn out scenes were bearable was because they were acted so well. They were acted so well that they gave the scenes depth and character and made them entertaining to watch. There is this one scene at a tavern in France were a British lieutenant and two of the Basterds are undercover trying to pick up German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) who is a spy for the Allies. This scene is stupendously long, but the acting by Michael Fassbender who plays Lt. Archie Hicox was so amazing that this scene became not just the longest scene in the film, but the best as well. Along with Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Christopher Waltz (especially) and Melanie Laurent gave the best performances in the film. While Brad Pitt was funny as hell as Aldo, Christopher Waltz was a pleasure to watch as the villain Landa.
If you're expecting an action movie going into this film, walk out, because its not. Inglorious Basterds is a story and a really well thought out one with some action on the side. To go along with this story is Tarantino's stylistic filming approach which again in this film can do him no wrong. The very first scene in the film is so beautifully shot in the French countryside. If you have seen all of Tarantino's films, then you know how he likes to make a movie, with lots of stylistic shots and a whole lot of blood. Remember when I said this isn't an action movie? It's not, but it sure does have a lot of blood.
If you can't sit through a two hour and forty minute movie, then I suggest you go see something else. Tarantino's long style writing and filming isn't for everyone which is why in many ways he is still a cult director. I think if you're a fan of all his previous works, then I think you'll truly enjoy Inglorious Basterds. Please don't take your kids to see this film for the love of god or any other Tarantino film for that matter. Great acting and very well written scenes make for another masterpiece from the Q-Man. While some scenes very well could have benefited from some editing down, Basterds still is a glorious film, 4/5!
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MichaelNJanuary 28, 2010
Thanks Husher. Very well written and I agree with you totally. One thing you state is that it is set in an alternate timeline. Was this in fact stated in the movie? I must have missed it. Then I wouldn't have complained (see my review) about them changing history.
Husher315January 28, 2010
It's an alternate timeline based on the Basterds and what they do to Hitler at the end. Its basically a fiction tale of a non-fiction event....It's more of an alternate reality...
Coming from you, a major Tarantino-head, I'll take this as gospel. Have you made a list of your favorite Tarantino-directed films in preferantial order?
I saw it last weekend. And it is really long, but amazingly for someone who is known to fall asleep everytime i see a movie, the fact that I stayed alert and awake the whole time was proof enough for me how great the film is. There is suspense, my heart was literally pounding in some scenes, and i think enough gore to satisfy the tarantino fans and at the same time not have the squeemish people turn away for too long.
**** out of **** The Quentin Tarantino-directed "Inglourious Basterds" is not much unlike the wise-cracking genius of modern cinema's other features. It's a one big old fan film; another one of Tarantino's great homages to the many things that he loves. Once again, he shows his admiration of his inspirations through music choice, camera angles, and an overwhelming supply of movie references. While there are plenty of other directors who do this, Tarantino does it differently; … more
What a fantastic film! I see a lot of movies, but not very many "films", if you know what I mean. This one was an awesome ride, that ranged from incredibly tense to laugh out loud funny, to genuinely moving. Some quick takeaways & a few of my favorite things: classic tarantino devices used, like the "character" format, a la Resevoir Dogs and Kill Bill TOTALLY get why Christolph Waltz won that Oscar -- PHENOMENAL performance... … more
Ingloruious Basterds (I think I spelled that incorrectly) was the best movie I've seen all year. This was my first QT movie , and I went into it with trepidation, expecting cartoonish violence and macho muscularity without much depth. What I got was masterful moving picture making. Every scene works (even the one intentionally--and self-mockingly?--cartoonishly violent "Bear Jew" scene) but the opening scene builds so slowly and perfectly that it matches anything Hitchcock crafted in its beauty, … more
Quentin Tarantino, taking inspiration from the 1978 Italian film “Inglorious Bastards“, “INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS” (now renamed “Basterds”) is the latest installment from the acclaimed director. “Inglourious Basterds” isn’t just a war film, it is a war film with the Tarantino signature that features stupendous dialogue, incredibly opaque plotting, an anarchistic soundtrack (even worms in a David Bowie song from “Cat People“), … more
I'll save you time. You don't have to read the rest of this review to know how I feel. I loved this movie. There is so much to love about this movie and I will try to explain my perspective without the use of spoiler because I want everyone to see and experience this movie for themselves. Before we go any further, here is the trailer: See what I mean. I knew from the trailer … more
I am a huge QT fan so I went expecting a lot from this film. The movie is simply an experience and Tarantino immerses you into this world. I honestly am very surprised that there are so many comments stating this is a bad movie and Tarantino trash. I understand not everyone loves QT but how can you not appreciate the writing and acting in this film. The film, as most of us know by now, is a WWII revenge saga that follows a small unit of Jewish-American soldiers as they wreak … more
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS As any one can tell you I am a huge QT fan and basically own everything he has been a part of. So of course when this film was released I had to go see it and the second it was out on DVD/BLU-RAY I had to own it. I knew from the moment this film was announced that it would be another QT classic with out a doubt. Say what you will but it was a major success and you can't discount that at all. I of course knew that I would love this film and of course … more
With such an amazing year past us film wise, there are just some movies that you absolutely have to own, Inglourious Basterds being one of them. What Quentin Tarantino did with the World War II genre of films was take it, make an amazing fairy tale story out of it and have it be the be all end all of WWII films. After a film like Inglourious Basterds, there really isn't much more to do with the genre. With the 2010 Oscars fast approaching, Basterds is sure to be in the mix … more
Hi, my name is Julian Brown. I currently write for The Brotherly Game, a local Philadelphia soccer website where I cover the US Women's National Team and the local WPS Philadelphia Independence. I … more
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" Although Quentin Tarantino has cherished Enzo G. Castellari's 1978 "macaroni" war flickThe Inglorious Bastardsfor most of his film-geek life, his ownInglourious Basterdsis no remake. Instead, as hinted by the Tarantino-esque misspelling, this is a lunatic fantasia of WWII, a brazen re-imagining of both history and the behind-enemy-lines war film subgenre. There's a Dirty Not-Quite-Dozen of mostly Jewish commandos, led by a Tennessee good ol' boy named Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who reckons each warrior owes him one hundred Nazi scalps--and he means that literally. Even as Raine's band strikes terror into the Nazi occupiers of France, a diabolically smart and self-assured German officer named Landa (Christoph Waltz) is busy validating his own legend as "The Jew Hunter." Along the way, he wipes out the rural family of a grave young girl (Melanie Laurent) who will reappear years later in Paris, dreaming of vengeance on an epic scale.
Now, this isn't one more big-screen comic book. As the masterly opening sequence reaffirms, Tarantino is a true filmmaker, with a deep respect for the integrity of screen space and the tension that can accumulate in contemplating two men seated at a table having a polite conversation. IB reunites QT with...
