Inglorious Basterds (2009) Review

Cast:
Brad Pitt
Christoph Waltz
Eli Roth
Diane Kruger

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino

"They will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, disfigured bodies their brothers we leave behind us and the Germans will not be able to help themselves from imagining the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, at our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the Germans will be sicken by us, the Germans will talk about us and the Germans will fear us."

Review:
Finally, a movie that exceed my expectations, which were generally high to begin with. And I'll count out the fact that Quentin Tarantino is one of my all-time favorite directors. Ok, so the plot revolves in the year 1944, in Nazi-Occupied France. Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt) and his notorious squadron of ruthless Jewish soldiers (most interesting of the bunch are Til Schweiger as the Rambo-esque Nazi killer, Omar Doom as Pftc. Omar Ulmer, and my favorite, "The Jear Jew", played by Hostel writer/director Eli Roth) are dedicated to killing Nazi in the most brutal and violent of ways. Known otherwise as the Basterds, they must help the Allies try to wipe out the German High Command at a film premiere. The cinema, however, is owned by a vengeful Jewish survivor (Laurent) with plans of her own. The plot may seem a bit simple, but there's plenty of solid story telling packed in this 2 & 1/2 hr thrill ride. It may seem like a long run time, but goes by like a breeze due to Tarantino's expert screenplay and direction.

"The German will be sickened by us, the German will talk about us, and the German will fear us."

Like in all his films, Tarantino masterfully transfers control from character to character, using only his dialogue, filled with unspoken implications and threatening subtext. The results are almost unbearably tense and as suspenseful as anything he's done in his career. The cast, from Pitt on, are down right amazing, whether they're handling the one-liners or speeches in English, French, German or even Italian. There are performances that stand out above the rest, of course. Pitt, in a role that again defies expectations, is often hilarious, attacking some wonderful dialogue in a redneck Kentucky accent that is quite hilarious at times, yet well executed. Fassbender, stepping into the role of Hicox after Simon Pegg dropped out, seizes the opportunity gladly, injecting Hicox with the perfect blend of old-style movie-star charm (the character was based in part on George Sanders) and a tougher, rugged edge that deserves to make him the bigger star he deserves. But the film belongs to Christopher Waltz, who won the Best Actor award in Cannes, and who should be a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nod at next year's Oscars.

The movie begins with opening title card, which simply states, 'Once Upon A Time, in Nazi-Occupied France." From the start off, with that one phrase, Tarantino makes it clear that Inglourious Basterds will not be taking the realistic, reverent approach of a film such as Schindler's List. It somewhat sets the tone of the film, stating that it's more of a "what if" story that takes place in a typically Tarantino 'movie-movie' universe. After all, let's not forget that Tarantino had Uma Thurman draw a box on the screen in Pulp Fiction, and Basterds is replete with those touches, from on-screen graphics to a wonderfully eclectic soundtrack that revels in anachronisms like Bowie?s Cat People (Putting Out Fire). Of course that song, along with practically every other song used in the film, can be heard in numerous other films. This is not unusual, since Tarantino is a movie expertise himself, and his movies have always been based in part by the tropes and styles of other movies - be it trashy exploitive films to kung-fu style cinema. Basterds, for example, is full of references to Italian cinema, particularly Spaghetti Westerns. This is a trait that constantly draws me to filmmakers such as Tarantino and the likes of fellow director Robert Rodrigez, implying that sometimes the best films are not always the most polished and well made (although the films in particular are well shot, being homages to lesser films' cinematography and direction).


Ultimately, Basterds inner meaning is the appeal and power of cinema to do good, perhaps even to shape history, to change things for the better as Tarantino pits the forces of good - in this case a film critic, a cinema owner, and movie star - against the vile Nazi propagandist, Joseph Goebbels, and his new protégé, Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl). And as events play themselves out, amidst scenes of fire, chaos, carnage and a haunting image of a laughing face projected onto roiling clouds of smoke, it's hard not to imagine Tarantino sighing contentedly as he introduces his final, most romantic notion, a director playing God...

"You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, Business is a-boomin'."