INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Review

To say that this is a Quentin Tarantino masterpiece would be to undermine Pulp Fiction and I don’t think INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is on the same level but it is definitely nothing short of an impressive work by a great filmmaker who still believes in… the power of snappy, strong, infectious dialogue. BASTERDS is both fun and intimidating. Christoph Waltz deserves an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as Hans Landa, The Jew Hunter.

“Inglourious Basterds” (sic) begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.
Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own…

They weren’t kidding when they say it’s WWII seen through the eyes of Tarantino because this is how WWII would end if he had anything to say about it. The only thing unsatisfying is that it leaves too many unanswered questions. If you’ve come to find out about the 8 soldiers recruited or if you’re not familiar with Tarantino style and you’re expecting to see more head-bashing business or graphic bloody violence ala Kill Bill you might get disappointed because even though BASTERDS has those elements, and I kid you not it has those elements, they’re not what it solely depends on to capture the audiences’ attention. It’s got drama, comedy, action, suspense, coolness all around, even Mike Myers is amusing but if you lose track of the important conversations in between, none of that would matter.

Let me make this clear, I enjoy INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS but it’s not perfect. I think it could do more to make itself less confusing and easier to follow. Tarantino likes to dick around with timeline, you never know when or where or which part of the story he’d take you in each scene and that’s cool, I got no problem with that, I’m a big fan of his movies but the thing is this movie comes in chapters, from one to the end chapter, now, if only those chapters didn’t come in chronological order because the storyline sure doesn’t seem to suggest that.

What you need to keep in mind as you’re watching this movie so you won’t get too pissed off about not knowing what’s going on is that Lt. Aldo Raine and his soldiers are just complimentary to the actual lead plot which centers on Melanie Laurent’s character, Shoshanna Dreyfus, and her plan to burn down her own theater along with all the Nazis including The Jew Hunter. Aldo Raine’s men and Shoshanna collide but do not interact. Let’s just say that the Basterds’ plan wouldn’t work if Shoshanna didn’t have hers first.

I think people would think Basterds are only soldiers under Raine’s command when in fact; Tarantino wants us to know that a Basterd is anyone who defies Nazis and kills them in the same violence that they use to kill others. I’m not sure if the supposed love story element is necessary but it does fuel Shoshanna’s intention even more and it goes to show that once a Basterd’s mind is made up, not even a prince charming from the enemy’s side could give her second thoughts.

Every one of us who’ve always wished we could go back in time and kill Hitler and his posse with our bare hands would like INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS because this is no Schindler’s List. It’s about vengeance and who doesn’t like a story of an eye for an eye. But Tarantino doesn’t just let you have quickie fun; he takes his time, building up to that brutal yet awesome moment in the end. I’m mostly fascinated with Tarantino’s idea of branding the foreheads of Nazis who don’t want to be Nazis anymore; this is done so they could live with a reminder of their sins for the rest of their lives. Brilliant idea!

If we want to talk editing, set decoration, cinematography, and all the technical aspects, you’ll be glad to know that Tarantino has brought back his old crew from the Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction days so guys like Sally Menke and Robert Richardson already know how to realize Tarantino’s vision and satisfy his fans who come to theater hoping to watch nothing less than a Tarantino movie.

Just wanna leave some room to emphasize again Christopher Waltz’ excellent performance as Col. Hans Landa. The opening scene is one of the best I’ve seen in the history of cinema, not because of the some extravagant VFX, but because of Waltz’ ability to engage you in this long yet interesting, illustration-filled speech, accompanied with a glass of milk and a huge pipe cigar. Every time his presence appears on screen, you can sense the evil radiating from his character. You just never know what he might do in a split second, you don’t know how mad he can get, and that not-knowing becomes his weapon, he slowly but surely scares you into giving the information he’s looking for, even through a deceiving smile. If the Oscars don’t award Waltz the Best Supporting Role statuette, then there’s something wrong with the system.

I’m not sure if BASTERDS might qualify as a contender for Oscar’s Best Original Screenplay only because it leaves too many unanswered questions especially those about some of the characters’ backgrounds. But after watching BASTERDS, I understand now why Tarantino has been working on a prequel because a prequel would certainly explain a lot and fill in the missing chapters. Come to think about it, the story could even go on indefinitely. How the Basterds got to France, what happened to the rest of the gang who don’t make it to the gala premiere, what’s the deal with the whipping and the list goes on. It’s obvious that Tarantino only chooses a number of characters to focus on for this one and deal with the rest in another possible installment. Oblige them, Tarantino!

* Place the cursor on the image below to check my grade for this film