Inglorious Basterds
Tarantinoās World War II opus asks a fascinating and penetrating question: What if the Allies had taken it to the Nazis using the most ruthless, cold-blooded, and certainly unethical measures possible? The answer is provided in the form of Brad Pittās Lt. Aldo Raine and his gang in the jolly way they roll through the French countryside ambushing and scalping Nazis everywhere they go. However, Tarantino keeps the group almost as a subplot in the film, smartly realizing that if the whole film was about them brutalizing the enemy, the viewer would lose all empathy for them. Some critics have compared the Basterdsā tactics (including a suicide bombing) to that of Al-Queda, when in reality they more resemble the bored yet bloodthirsty U.S. soldiers who beat and humiliated Muslim prisoners at Abu-Gharab prison, alongside other atrocities attributed to the Bush regime in the Iraq war. Pittās performance is more of a comic book sadistic redneck than anything: Fun, yes, but not a character to be taken all that seriously, and for the most part the Basterds are rather underwritten and underdeveloped (though a couple of them get a pretty showy entrance). The true main story begins with a Nazi visit to a dairy farm in the French countryside. It is here that Tarantino reaches perhaps the peak of his craft, with evocative cinematography and the introduction of Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, a.k.a. The Jew Hunter: Easily the most cunning, intelligent, and sophisticated character in the entire film, Waltz disarms the viewer with his charm while maintaining a terrifying facade, as the way he psychologically breaks the farmer down to tell him the truth about hiding Jews is something to see. How this little-known German actor (in his first Hollywood production) stands to possibly walk onto the stage next year to accept the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor may be the biggest story of the upcoming awards season. With instincts so succinct that nothing fools this guy whatsoever, it is actually a decision made by Landa (which is the filmās major twist) that helps provide the outcome. As the girl who escapes the opening massacre, Melanie Laurent also is beautifully developed by Tarantinoās writing, and Quentin even manages to make a decorated Nazi soldierās attempt to romance her seem bittersweet, all the while she plans her revenge when the film of the soldierās life story is set to premiere at the theater she owns and runs. The music score, at times evocative of Ennio Morricone (who was supposed to take part, but backed out), sets the mood of several scenes perfectly, even when a modern-sounding pop song is inserted into the soundtrack. And then there is that final 30-40 minutes: As the unwitting Nazi high command falls into the heroesā trap, Tarantino keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat as he builds towards the end, showing the skills of a true master of the dramatic arts. Weary viewers should be forewarned that over half of the movieās dialogue is in either French or German with English subtitles, and with the exception of Pitt and Mike Myers in a cameo, the cast entirely consists of little known European actors taking it to the next level. Regardless, proof positive of my theory that if anyone should be steadily making movies for the next 50 years, itās Tarantinoā¦
10/10