Inglorious Basterds

So… I’ve been to the movie theatre for the first time in 2 years(!). Me and Markus saw the new Tarantino movie Inglorious Basterds:

“In Nazi occupied France, and a young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller quickly takes an interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the “Basterds”, a group of Jewish-American guerilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl’s plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.”

As a whole the movie was crazy and incredibly funny, at least if you like black humour. The characters were exaggerated just enough to make it comical, but not too much to make it stupid. Like Brad Pitt’s constantly wrinkled forehead and broad Tennessee dialect. His constipated facial expression alone was enough to make me giggle sometimes :P
And in true Tarantino style it was violent. In fact it was very violent, in a creepy non-graphic way. But it was very raw and… strangely real sometimes. Like one scene when Eli Roth’s character beats a German officer to death with a baseball bat. It’s not bloody or gory at all, but very… in your face. It looked so real, I actually shuddered when I saw it.
Historically it fails though, it’s not correct by a long shot, but it’s not supposed to either. It’s just entertaining. It’s a comical play with ideas, nothing more and nothing less. They actually twisted the history to the better if you ask me.

The thing that impressed me the most had to be Christoph Waltz, the actor playing Hans Landa. He was nothing but amazing! He made the character so disgustingly creepy and insane and just… He outshone Brad Pitt completely, that might give you an idea. Heck, he outshone everyone! And during the movie he spoke all in all 4 languages. How is it possible that he has been allowed to lurk around fairly unnoticed in Germany all these years!? My guess is that we will see a LOT more from him in the future. At least I hope so.

Speaking of the languages, it also impressed me that Tarantino dared to use the original languages. The French speak French, the Germans speak German and the Americans/Englishmen speak English just the way it should be.
In most Amercian movies they only speak English, even if the story is supposed to take place in Italy or something, and that always bothers me. If the story takes place in a non-english country then why is everybody speaking English!? Kind of a turn-off. I rather watch a movie with subtitles that is authentic than having everybody speaking English when they really shouldn’t.
But even if Inglorious Basterds is totally unreal in other aspects, at least the languages are in order. I’m impressed.

It was a great movie all together, probably one of the best Tarantino has ever made in my opinion. Both me and Markus have been dropping quotes from the movie ever since we saw it.

Comments

  1. Darnielle
    2 September 2009

    We’re twins! Inglourious Basterds was the first movie I’d seen at the movie theatre in 2+ years as well! After hearing all the good reviews, I figured it was worth splurging on.

    I was impressed with Christoph Waltz too, especially in the restaurant scene where he’d address Goebbels in German and then seamlessly switch to French to address Shosanna. And then again when he was speaking English at the end of the film. It was kind of obvious that he wasn’t as fluent in Italian as the other three languages though.

  2. 2 September 2009

    My man and I love Nazi-themed movies, but this one just didn’t call our attention enough. Something about it just makes us feel like we wouldn’t enjoy it, so we’re waiting until it comes out on DVD so we can get it through Netflix. LOL.

  3. Alyssa
    2 September 2009

    Hi! I found your site through the Pop forums at Bubble.nu. I’m Lyssness over there. :)

    I couldn’t help but comment on this because I want to see that movie sooooo badly! I love Quentin Tarantino’s movies and I read a review that said Inglourious Basterds is his masterpiece. It looks amazing. I’ve heard so many good things about Christoph Waltz too.

    Fun fact: Quentin Tarantino is from my hometown. :P

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