Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009): US / Germany

Reviewed by Brendan Fleming. Viewed on DVD.

Before I get to the review, I would like to introduce myself. I’m Brendan Fleming, How ya doing? Good. I was first made aware of reviewing for SBCC after I took a film study class. For whatever reason I haven’t been reviewing anything. I have been reading the reviews and waiting to get my hands dirty. I think my hold out was because I don’t get out to see films as much as I want to. Having three kids and just as many jobs does that to a guy. I do however watch a great deal of movies at home. Be it my impressive dvd collection, or via netflix (Netflix has got to be one of the best things of the decade right?) So I decided I’d review films available to you from the comfort of your own home, and once in a while when I get out of the house for a movie, I’ll review that as well. On to the review! I got Inglorious Basterds today!

I’ll get this out of the way first. I’m a huge Quentin Tarantino fan. I wrote my final paper on him for the film studies class. ( I got 100%!) My thought on QT is that he is THE independent movie director. Not because he makes small films with no money, because he doesn’t. It’s because he makes films the way he wants to. He gives us information when and how he wants, and he shows us things in a way that’s unique to him. I read the script for Inglorious Basterds (spelled wrong on purpose. This film is based loosely on another film called Inglorious Bastards.) the summer before it came out. It was close to 200 pages and I couldn’t put it down.

The story is simple enough. Well simple enough for a Quentin Tarantino film. Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, leader of a band of Jewish/American soldiers sent behind enemy lines to do one thing and one thing only. “Killin Nazis”. Not only kill them, but because he has some Indian blood in him Aldo also scalps them and requires his men to do the same. The second piece of the puzzle is Shosanna Dreyfus, played by Mélanie Laurent. Four months after her family is killed she resurfaces in France running a movie theater. A German soldier and budding film star, Pvt Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) becomes smitten with Shosanna whom he thinks is French and because she loves movies and he’s an actor, it seems like a no brainer that they should be together. What could go wrong? The last part of the puzzle is Col. Hans Landa, AKA “The Jew Hunter” played by soon to be nominated for an Oscar and visiting Santa Barbara for the film festival, Christoph Waltz who is more concerned with just doing his job well, killing Jews, rather then being concerned with how morally wrong his job is, killing Jews.

The film opens up with a visit from Landa to the farmhouse of Perrier LaPadite, played by the amazing Denis Menochet. This guy is truly a gifted actor, and I think he deserves attention for his performance. He might only be in the film for fifteen minutes, but it’s one of the most memorable fifteen minutes in any film I’ve seen. I digress. Perrier lives on his diary farm with his wife and two daughters. Most of this film is spoken in either French or German, and once in a while English. It doesn’t matter, because what’s happening on screen is mesmerizing and crazy as hell. The conversation starts off in French in consideration of the farmer, but soon Landa tells the farmer he’s exhausted his French and asks if they can speak English. This is just a ploy. He assumes that the good farmer is hiding Jews underneath his home and that they don’t speak English. He’s right on both counts. Landa gives Perrier something to think about as he compares rats to squirrels and then informs him that he knows what’s under his house and if he wants his family to remain well and left alone he needs to give them up. He points out where they are and Landa goes back to speaking French and acting as if all is well. The Germans come in and shoot up the floorboard, assassinating the Dreyfus family. All except Shosanna, who gets away. The whole scene is some of the most intense acting I’ve seen. At the end you’re so upset and shocked, you want payback.

Don’t worry because here comes Brad Pitt and his Basterds. He gives a speech about killing Nazis that is pitch perfect and gets the audience roused due to the scene right before. Lets talk about the Basterds for a second. Brad Pitt in a Quentin Tarantino film is a dream come true and he doesn’t disappoint. As Aldo, Pitt takes control of the Basterds and the film. The character has one mission and one mission only, and he never pretends different. The other Basterds are lesser known character actors who do a great job, but this review will be even longer if I go into all of them. However, I feel compelled to talk about one. On the page, Sgt. Donny Donwitz was a very impressive character. A big man that uses a bat as a weapon. The Nazis call him The Bear Jew due to his size. The bat was a character onto itself. In the script Donny was a ball player who was getting shipped off to Europe to fight the war. Before he leaves he goes around his New York, Jewish neighborhood to hear the stories from the people who had relatives killed by the Nazis. He then has them sign the bat that will eventually be used up side the head of Nazi scum. When I read this I was so exited to see what actor would get this part to put this classic character on the big screen. Who does QT cast? Eli Roth! Who? Exactly. I wish I could go back in time and stop QT and ER from ever meeting. Eli Roth is the guy who is responsible who bringing the phrase “torture porn” into our lexicon. He’s the writer and director of the Hostel films. The first one, Quentin Tarantino “presents”. What ever that means. So the two of them became friends, and then Eli was cast in QT last film, Death Proof. The guy is just a bad actor with zero screen presence. When he talks I cringe. This character could have been so much better. Anyway…..

Four months after her family is killed we find Shosanna running a movie theater and the German soldier trying get a date. How did Shosanna get to own a movie theater? Who knows. Why does Aldo have deep rope burns around his neck? We’re never told and can only speculate. These are the things that QT does that add magic to his films. Normally I’d say, “Hey where did she come up with a theatre?” But I know that QT has a whole back story, so I assume is makes sénse. The young German soldier is persistent and doesn’t take no for an answer. During one of his attempts with Shosanna, the soldiers is mobbed by fans for an autograph. She finds out that Fredrick is a war hero and now a movie star. Not to long ago he was in a bell tower and killed over five hundred American soliers. The German film director Joseph Goebbels decides that this will be his next great film and makes the story of the bell tower and casts Fredrick to play himself. The film is called Nation’s Pride and Fredrick would like nothing more than the film to play at Shosanna’s cinema. All parties agree, but the plan has to go through head of security, whom Shosanna has to meet. She comes face to face with Landa, the man that ordered the assassination of her family.. He doesn’t recognize her, and Shosanna keeps her cool. The scene plays out as you hold your breath, and the intensity level goes up over apple strudle. “Wait for the cream”. Wow. The venue is given the green light and Shosanna plans her revenge. Over in England another plan is put into motion. General Ed Fenech, played by a spot on Mike Myers, enlists Lt. Archie Hicox because of his film knowledge to meet up with the Basterds and double agents Bridget von Hammersmark, played by the beautiful and charismatic Diane Kruger. Hicox, Von Hammersmark, and two of the Basterds meet in a basement saloon where things go from fun, intense to deadly in a scene that goes on for at least twenty-five minutes. Besides the opening scene, this is the best scene in the film. Shortly after we find out that Hitler himself will be at the premiere. Aldo knows that his Basterds have to keep with the plan, no matter how ridiculous it is. They may never have this chance again, and the prospect of ending the war it too important. The end of the film takes place in the cinema with an assault on the senses. Characters you care about don’t survive, but justice you want to see happens. Oh and old Adolph gets his as well. This isn’t the history book story of Hitler, but you wish it was the way he went out. The scene with Aldo and Lands towards the end of the film is priceless.

Inglorious Basterds is a roller coaster of a ride, taking it’s time climbing up the hill before hauling ass through areas of Europe. And once you catch your breath, QT does it to you again. It’s a satisfying film loaded with Tarantino dialogue and camera angles. Sally Menke, Tarantino’s long time editor, is queen of her domain once again, and Robert Richardson works magic with the camera. If you are a Tarantino fan, this dvd needs to be in your collection.

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