Inglorious Basterds (2009) Review and Reflection

Review: 

Inglorious Basterds is a beautiful-looking film with Quentin Tarantino's name written all over it. The acting is superb, and it needs to be, due to the nature of the movie. He creates tension and suspense perfectly and doesn't fail to deliver the grand climax it deserves. It focuses during the time of the second world war however it is not your typical war movie, far from it in fact. This story is fundamentally about the unique, original characters which Tarantino is famous for creating and this is where the high-quality acting becomes important.

Brad Pitt brilliantly portrays a purposely over-the-top, ruthless but likable American Lieutenant leading the Nazi-killing group, 'the Basterds' with an ironic air of innocence about him, while Christoph Waltz pulls off a flawless performance as his opposite: a cold, menacing Nazi with a 'talent' for hunting down Jews. Waltz's Hans Landa is as equally ruthless as Pitt's Lt Aldo Raine but while the Lieutenant is boyish and somewhat unintelligent, Landa has a certain witty and charming quality. Waltz certainly deserved his Oscar for the role and his character is widely regarded as one of Tarantino's greatest creations, and, in my opinion, rightly so.

Tarantino is not scared to step out of the classic movie template and to play with the audience's emotions as there is a sense that anything can happen at any moment. He also toys with famous events in history in a typical Tarantino-esque style which always keeps you guessing and is never predictable. The dialogue is quick-paced and always keeps you locked in as well as having subtle sarcasm and humor. Sometimes you almost forget you’re watching a movie.

However, despite the cinematic atmosphere, the strong unique characters and the unpredictability, Tarantino's 6th film leaves the audience feeling a little lost (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). While certainly entertaining, fresh, and original, you leave the cinema not really knowing exactly what the movie wanted to do or say. The message is never really clear, which is a result of different character arcs ambitiously but perhaps ineffectively squeezed together in a 2-and-a-half-hour film. Because of these weaknesses, I give this movie a 4.2/5 but it is still a must-watch for any Tarantino fan as well as comfortably being the first film placed on the top shelf of my Kabinet.

Rating: 4/5

Reflection: (Includes SPOILERS!)

WARNING - Also includes major spoilers of the film ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’.

What can I say about this work of art? The movie-theater-on-fire scene is original and clever, and the way Tarantino meddles with historic characters and events is ingenious. When you think that everything is all over for the Basterds because Hans Landa finds out about their plan at the last minute, his unexpected U-turn really takes the audience by surprise, especially when you realize Hitler is actually going to die. This idea of changing the events of history in a film reminded me of the ending of his most recent one 'Once upon a Time in Hollywood' which is remarkably similar in this aspect.

Hitler being burned down in 1944 and Sharon Tate escaping death due to the mistake of her attackers are two very different but both hopeful scenarios which make you step back and think about the little mistakes and tiny details that can drastically alter how history plays out. The slick camera work and the strong sense of atmosphere make these scenarios come to life. It also creates an almost dream-like effect which results in the ending of both films feeling sort of like a fairy-tale, in an idiosyncratic way.

Tarantino excels when the witty dialogue creates a tense build up which leads to an inevitable gruesome bloodbath. This is demonstrated perfectly in the tavern scene where the Basterds meet with the German actress Bridget von Hammersmark and are forced to play charades among German soldiers. This is one of the best scenes Tarantino has crafted and is also a perfect example of unexpectedly killing off a major character when Michael Fassbender's Archie Hicox is brutally murdered. In Tarantino’s films, no character is immune to being cut off at any minute no matter how famous the actor is or how important he/she seems to the story. There are no rules.

In my review, I mentioned that the message of the film is never really clear. Maybe that is the point of the film, maybe there is no message. Not every film needs to have one. What Tarantino films have is witty dialogue and a unique, intriguing story and maybe that’s enough. Even if you are familiar with Tarantino’s work, each film will always keep you guessing and he will surprise you every time, and this movie is no exception. And if you weren’t familiar with Tarantino before Inglorious Basterds, welcome to the club!

By Edgar Viola.