Inglourious Basterds
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Staring: Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Eli
Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl
Released: 9/21/2009
Rating: R
Studio: Universal
Web Site: www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com
     Nazi’s, Brad Pitt, and Quentin Tarantino, what could go wrong? Not much really, just a few things. The first and biggest
complaint is that “The Basterds” were not the central focus, as the trailer and the title suggest. They were all such interesting
characters I wanted to know more about them and see more of their exploits. The film is instead divided between them and the
tale of the Jewish  lead Shosanna. While it was an engaging story it did tend to drag, especially in Chapter 3. A faster pacing
would have been welcome.

    Now just because I started off with a negative dose not mean this film is bad. Quite the opposite is true. I loved this movie.
I just wanted to get my biggest grip out of the way. Now let’s talk about what’s right. In the middle of a very strong cast was a
performance that stole the show. Christoph Waltz plays Col. Hans Landa to perfection. He is vile, despicable, conniving,
ruthless, and all around nasty. But by the same token he is charming, handsome, intelligent, and silver tongued. Truly a man you
love to hate. Lt. Aldo Raine is portrayed terrifically and very funny by Brad Pitt. He might have even stole the spotlight from
Waltz, had Pitt be in the film more. Shosanna (Melanie Laurent), a very strong female lead, reminded me a lot of Uma
Thurman, and that’s not a bad thing. Then in walks Eli Roth as The Bear Jew. As with all “The Basterds” He was quirky and
bad ass. I was very impressed with Martin Wuttke’s portrayal of Hitler. Not to over the top but enough to laugh at. The
addition of Mike Myers and Samuel L. Jackson was great fun and a nice surprise.

    Now on to what you all want to read about, VIOLENCE!  There really isn’t all that much, only 4 major scenes. However
when it there it is wonderfully graphic. A little more action might have helped the pacing of the film, but I digress. The most
brutal scene features Eli Roth beating the holy hell out of a Nazi solider with a baseball bat. The camera doesn’t cut away as
we witness his head caving in. It’s up there with the “bottle scene” in Pan’s Labyrinth. The scalping and swastika carving
scenes are well executed, pardon the pun. The end, which I will not spoil, is a plane and simple just desserts bloodbath. There
is another bloody filled gun fight but it was quite a surprise to me when it happened so I will leave it as a surprise for you.

    On to the director and writer, Quentin Tarantino. Think what you want of him, love him or hate him. I see his film making as
art the same way a collage is art. He takes preexisting elements and uses them to form his own vision. And his dose is it well.
However his true genius is his gift for dialogue. Tarantino is a master at the spoke word. Who of us can’t recite words from
“Pulp Fiction” at any given time? In Inglorious Basterds the dialogue takes the center spotlight. In the opening Col. Landa
(Christoph Waltz) delivers a speech comparing Jews to rats. It is highly disturbing in it’s logic. I am sure this movie will spawn
many one-liners. As a period piece it creates a great and convincing atmosphere. There were a few sporadically placed “Grind
house” style titles that I found distracting. Maybe if they were more consistent it would have worked better.

    Tarantino is also known for his off beat music selection. “Basterds” is no different. It’s a wonderful soundtrack that
emphasizes the emotions and adds depth to the picture. It has already found a home in my music library. Now normally I have
a big pet peeve when it comes to contemporary music in a period film. Perfect example, the horrid “Moulin Rouge” or “A
Knight’s Tale”, sorry Heath. Strangely however the use of David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out The Fire)” works perfectly
here, juxtaposed against images of the Third Riche. What that says about Bowie or Tarantino, I’m not sure.

    To sum it all up: “Inglourious Basterds” is dramatic, intriguing, and most of all just plan fun. It’s a great alternate timeline
adventure. Outstanding performances, terrific writing, and a great look and feel makes this a must see film. The day it hits DVD
it will have a special place in my DVD collection. Let’s hope for a director’s cut with more of “The Basterds”.


Reviewed by: Jack