War movies have been a staple of Hollywood for many years, we have had movies about The Revolutionary War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea and many many such movies about Desert Storm. Now one of Hollywood's most gifted directors brings his view to this classic genre, Quentin Tarantino's seventh film, "Inglourious Basterds" is sort of a "Dirty Dozen" remake that deals with WWII but this time shows the effects of a small band of men willing to go behind enemy lines and just wreck havoc on the moral of an entire country. The movie has its flaws, small though they may be, the Chapter Headings at the start of each scene does get old rather quickly. Although the use of the French and German languages adds to the movies authenticity overall.
The film opens in 1941 to a placid countryside and soon turns to a suspense filled scene full of horror. Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) of the Waffen-SS, proudly known as the "Jew Hunter", interrogates Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet), a French dairy farmer, about rumours that he has been harboring a Jewish family. It's clear that Landa knows the truth long before it is revealed, but Landa keeps the pressure on LaPadite. For twenty minutes we watch as LaPadite squirms until Landa manages to break down LaPadite and locates the hiding place of the Jews underneath the floorboards. He orders his soldiers to fire into the floorboards, killing the entire family save one. The horror and violence erupts quick and brutal. This climatic opening introduces one key character and also lends a revenge motive to another, the teenage daughter of the family slaughtered in the beginning, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) had escaped the carnage and has run into the woods, we hear the music crescendo and know she will be back.
The movie has several cameos by some of Hollywood's major stars, the bad thing is that some of these cameos seem as long as the films major star's on screen time. U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), doesn't make an on screen appearance until the second scene to give his newly created squad their orders. They are to drop into enemy territory and collect one hundred Nazi scalps. Than Pitt doesn't get much more onscreen time. Than its 1944 and we have skipped several years ahead, D Day has already happened but the liberation of France has yet to begin. We do get a sort of history lesson about how bad the Basterd squad is, and a now blond Shosanna who has assumed the identity of one Emmanuelle Mimieux the proprietress of a cinema, this cinema is chosen by Frederick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), after he meets Emmanuelle one night. Zoller is a sniper-turned-actor whose exploits are celebrated in the Nazi propaganda film, Stolz der Nation "A Nation's Pride". Smitten with Emmanuelle, Zoller convinces Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) to hold the premiere in her cinema, Emmanuelle realizes that the presence of so many high ranking Nazi officials and officers provides an excellent opportunity for revenge, she intends to burn down the cinema the night of the show.
The Basterds are Jewish American soldiers who operate behind enemy lines killing and scalping Nazi soldiers, they are each trying to collect one hundred Nazi scalps, they allow one German soldier to survive each incident so he can spread the news of the terror of their attacks. However, the Basterds carve a swastika into the forehead of that German. The Basterds consist of several men, most notable are Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth), Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger) who is German himself, but decided he didn't like the High Command and killed over a dozen of them himself. Rescued by the Basterds he has become an infamous part of the squad.
The movie has a lack of action, but when it comes, it is epic. One such scene is a bar shoot out that is sudden and rapid, bloody as well as violent and ends in what we are told is a "Mexican Standoff" the carnage comes on the heels of what is a marathon session of back and forth dialogue between German actress and spy Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), two members of the Basterd squad and a Major Dieter Hellstrom (August Diehl). The historical liberties taken by Tarantino may outrage or offend many people. The movie is unpredictable and has the power to illuminate an audience. Basterds builds suspense, shakes up the genre and plays by no ones rules save it's own. Inglourious Basterd isn't going to be your fathers favorite WWII movie, but it will be yours.
As Landa, Waltz steals every scene he is in. In fact he comes close to being the movies sole saving grace, from the opening interrogation to his other displays of cruelty, charm and at the very end his shameless self preservation, in several languages no less Landa's character screams evil. Another such saving grace is the scene where Shosanna Laurent, is awaiting the hated German dignitaries who will arrive for a film preview, is framed on a balcony, reflected in the glass mirrors of the gorgeous theater, her red lips and low cut dress reflecting the intensity of her pain and desire for revenge is a single shot that showcases power and grace.
I give Inglourious Basterds a 4 and on my avoidance scale a 0, although the running time of this movie is over two hours it does seem to just flow by. The movie is taut and suspenseful and lives up to no ones expectations, it is a cinematic beast that will destroy your beliefs in Hollywood's cliche machine. Tarantino is back and I for one think he has created his one true masterpiece.
Inglourious Basterds is rated R for Strong Graphic Violence, Language and Brief Sexuality
Running time is 2 hrs. 32 mins.
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