Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France…
Inglourious Basterds is a rambunctious, revenge fueled, “what if” rewrite of history that could only have been made by a cinematic savant like Quentin Tarantino. Here is a man who views the world through a camera lens winning World War II with the power of sound and images. It’s a story drunk on the art of movies infused with the vibrant spirit of exploitation cinema and, in a clever bit of irony, the ultimate weapon turns out to be the very stuff of which movies used to be made. Take that, Herr Goebbels!
The past of course can’t really be changed, but our perceptions of it can be. In that spirit, here we have a cathartic reclaiming of history from the Nazis who are reduced to a footnote by bullet, by bat, by knife and by fire. That’s not to say this is a message movie, however. Tarantino’s main aim is to entertain and to that end he’s delivered a funny, suspenseful, thrilling and violent rethinking of the classic men-on-a-mission war picture. Take it on a surface level or root around in some of the film’s more thoughtful thematic layers, either way Inglourious Basterds flat out works.
Instead of the martial strains of a typical war picture, Basterds kicks off with Dimitri Tiomkin’s more melancholy theme from the John Wayne western The Alamo while the opening credits are presented in a distinctly western-styled font. These are the first clues of many that Tarantino has no intention of crafting an ordinary war movie. Indeed he takes these initial western cues and runs with them in a simmeringly suspenseful opening sequence that is visually and tonally pure Sergio Leone. Instead of a homesteader scratching out his existence on a dusty piece of ground however, the first image is of a French dairy farmer and the enemy, rather than appearing on the horizon in a duster and armed with a six-shooter, rides up slowly and inevitably in a staff car wearing an SS uniform. It’s 1941 in Nazi occupied France and the man in the car is Col. Hans Landa, “The Jew Hunter.” Even before you know his nickname, you know he is trouble and so does the Frenchman.
As Landa is introduced and fleshed out, the scene builds slowly and Tarantino deftly winds up the suspense while delaying the inevitable. The bullets that fly in this duel between farmer and Nazi are verbal at first – words always have been Tarantino’s favorite weapons – but you can feel the scene building to an explosive and bloody climax. When it finally comes, it’s almost a relief, but it’s also just the beginning of the film.
From the farm in France, the narrative switches tracks and we’re introduced to Lt. Aldo Raine and the Jewish band of Nazi hunting Basterds for whom the film is named. They’ve dropped in behind enemy lines well before D-Day and there they’ve made a bloody name for themselves collecting Nazi scalps in the style of American movie Indians. Not coincidentally, the scalping echoes a resistance to that earlier genocide of which we were the perpetrators. It’s a subtle touch that doesn’t mean much by itself, but Inglourious Basterds is filled with such grace notes and they help elevate the film from a throwaway entertainment into something a little more nourishing.
Finally we’re introduced to the beautiful but haunted Shosanna Dreyfus, a Jewish movie theater owner in Paris whose family was murdered by the order of Col. Landa. When a German movie premiere comes to town, she fends off advances from the film’s German war hero star while plotting a revenge that will bring her, Landa, the Basterds and the whole upper echelon of the Nazi command together in a final brutal confrontation.
The whole thing plays out in deliberate chapter form that ought to feel episodic and disjointed, but somehow Tarantino makes it work. To that end, he has put together an eclectic and almost perfect cast who help bring his abundant words and ideas to life.
Brad Pitt is the most obvious star and he does a cartoonishly amusing job chewing into his Tennessee accent as the mysteriously scarred team leader Aldo Raine. Movie stars can sometimes come across stilted as they try too hard to be movie stars, but Pitt never takes himself that seriously. He brings the marquee wattage and he knows it, but he’s relaxed and having fun and the movie is given a little jolt whenever he’s around.
As Shosanna Dreyfus, Melanie Laurent brings the perfect combination of softness and strength. Pretty yet dangerous, she’s almost in over her head but she manages to keep herself together with an almost Zen like calm as her plan comes closer and closer to fruition. She owns one of the best scenes where Shosanna encounters the dangerous Landa. She knows who he is and exactly what he’s capable of if he discovers her Jewish heritage, but she keeps her emotions just barely in check only to later melt down at the first safe opportunity. It’s a perfectly played scene that reminds the audience of the real undercurrent of horror lingering just below the film’s at times glib surface.
Best of all finally is Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. He’s an energetic mixture of comic evil and he keeps them in perfect balance. He’s amusing, but the humor never makes him non-threatening. It’s a showy, scene-stealing performance but in the best way. Landa is the only character who interacts with almost all the other characters and he holds the picture together. It’s a tall order for an actor most Americans have never heard of, but he fills it completely.
In smaller roles, Michael Fassbender and Diane Kruger are terrific as a British soldier on a covert mission and a famous German actress working as a spy for the Allies. There are also a couple of fun voice cameos that Tarantino fans will enjoy.
Less successful are the rest of the Basterds themselves. The film’s main weakness is that the individual members of the team are underwritten and populated by actors who don’t leave much of a mark. All the classic men-on-a-mission films have strongly defined characters played by memorable actors. From The Seven Samurai to The Dirty Dozen, each member of these teams makes a distinct impression given only a limited amount of screen time. Not so with these boys. The weakest link in this case is director Eli Roth (Hostel) as Lt. Donnie Donowitz, “the Bear Jew” who is particularly talented with a baseball bat. It’s a vacuous performance and the result is that a key moment later on in the film doesn’t pay off as forcefully as it could have. Til Schweiger on the other hand is the best of the bunch, but he just makes you wish he’d been given a little more to do.
It should be noted that though the violence in Basterds is not relentless, it is both brutal and personal. There’s something more stomach churning about beatings and scalpings than quick, easy and hands-off shootings. At the same time, Tarantino willfully subverts the audience’s desire for bloodlust by portraying the Basterds as thuggish and unscrupled while imbuing the enemy with dignity and principles. It’s a subtle shift, but it replaces the junk food instant gratification of a typical action movie with something richer, layered and more resonant. The violence is ugly and it’s not guilt free. While the tactic will disappoint action junkies looking to slake their bloody thirst, it’s another small touch and it finds a payoff later in the film as a theater full of Nazis slaver over scenes of one of their heroes mowing down endless numbers of Allied soldiers. We the voyeurs are suddenly the victims and the moral landscape is no longer so certain.
That’s not to say Tarantino is moralizing here. He’s not a filmmaker known for overt message making and it would be foolish to read too much into his motives. At the same time, it’s another layer of unexpected depth. Those who have mistaken the playfulness in Tarantino’s post Jackie Brown output for emptiness might be surprised at how thoughtful this film is. The action and the violence and the humor are what immediately grab your attention, but it’s the abundant quiet moments in between where this film’s true heart beats.
Though the deliberate pace and lack of Rambo-like visceral payoffs will probably alienate a certain portion of the audience, Inglourious Basterds plays out in the same Sergio Leone western vein in which it begins. Rather than one action set piece after another, it is a long, slow-burning, morally ambiguous fuse punctuated by spasms of extreme and harsh violence. The sustained, deliberately paced tension is reminiscent of the Italian master at his best and it all leads to a fiery, hallucinatory climax that wonderfully evokes the classic hellish finale of Leone’s Duck, You Sucker.
Already proving to be Quentin Tarantino’s most controversial and critically divisive film, I believe Inglourious Basterds will one day be regarded among his best as expectations are married to reality and the film is given a little room to breathe outside of opening weekend expectations. For now, it’s still a wonderful boost of energy in an otherwise dismal summer at the movies.
Inglourious Basterds. USA 2009. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Cinematography by Robert Richardson. Edited by Sally Menke. Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Gedon Burkhard, Jacky Ido, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, August Diehl, Deni Monochet, Slyvester Groth, Martin Wuttke, Mike Meyers, Julie Dreyfus and Rod Taylor. 2 hours 32 minutes. MPAA rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality. 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Filed under: Review
Tags: August Diehl, B.J. Novak, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, Deni Monochet, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Gedon Burkhard, Jacky Ido, Julie Dreyfus, Martin Wuttke, Melanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender, Mike Meyers, Omar Doom, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Richardson, Rod Taylor, Sally Menke, Slyvester Groth, Til Schweiger
I need to see it again to really get into a lengthy discussion about the moral ambiguity throughout the film, but it’s definitely the aspect of “Inglourious Basterds” that has lingered with me after the first viewing, especially in the climactic, hellish theater massacre where the film becomes an odd mix of emotion and catharsis. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what exactly Tarantino feels with his violence, or what he’d like us, the audience, to feel, but the (SPOILER) revenge of one of the film’s heroes does play-out with a devilish, sadistic rage, her image engulfed by flames as she laughs maniacally at all the death around her.
I’m not sure how I felt exactly, at that moment. There’s something disturbingly thrilling about the finale, and also something plain disturbing about it (the already much-discussed shot of Eli Roth as he sprays bullets everywhere; his eyes focused with a genuine intensity that doesn’t feel comical or over-the-top, but like he really believes in what’s happening).
I actually think, despite the elements of dark comedy, hyper-stylized characters and disregard for historical accuracy, that this is still Tarantino’s most serious film. Perhaps this is what some people find so conflicting about it. I do feel like certain pieces are tasteless, and I’m not sure Tarantino is the person we really need to be discussing or presenting the concept of “Jewish vengeance”, but at the same time I do feel like the movie has depth to it, and real emotion that IS recognizable. I believed Shoshanna as an actual person. I even believed Landa, a credit to the remarkable performance by Christoph Waltz. The film is an odd combo, that’s for sure. But it’s this combination that makes “Basterds” such a powerful, unforgettable work overall. I really do think this might be his best film.
Also, was that David Bowie on the soundtrack as Shoshanna prepares for the premiere? Have to say….that moment was pretty damn epic, and in an odd way, surprisingly romantic.
Love your opening paragraph.
I like your thoughts about how what came before changed the viewers perspective on the Nazi’s cheering their hero’s sharpshooting. It didn’t work that way for me but I can see where you’re coming from. Also, after reading your review I wonder whether the film worked a little less well for me because I wasn’t particularly engaged by Laurent’s character and performance. I experienced pleasing suspense in the film but never cared about the characters (outside of the prologue) because I couldn’t lose sight of Tarantino’s artifice. That makes it harder for me to experience emotion in it. I’m in complete agreement that the basterds themselves and Eli Roth in particular were the film’s least successful aspect. But although it didn’t satisfy me as fully as you I enjoyed the presence of dazzling cinematic moments and value the precocious enfant terrible provocation that stirs debate. I’m glad he’s making films and this was his best for some time.
Ari, it was Bowie indeed. The song is “Putting out the Fire” if I remember correctly. Being a huge fan of the man and being completely immersed in the film at that point, that sequence was sheer perfection.
ETA: Fantastic review, Craig. You truly outdid yourself.
that Bowie track is from Paul Schrader’s Cat People.
drive-by factoid.
I’ll be back to chat after brunch.
Great post, Craig! Though I half wish I hadn’t read it: I’m stuck on my own post about it*, and I’m afraid I don’t have much to add. I loved IB too, and I really love your analysis of the moral ambiguity. It struck me most in the first scene where we see the Basterds in action: the German commander is almost noble, and while the Basterds are obviously presented as “cool”, that doesn’t mean they’re not cruel, too.
*I WILL post it tomorrow. Just saying it out loud to force myself to finish it. Shame me if I don’t.
Hedwig. I totally feel your pain. I skimmed a couple of reviews between Cannes and writing my own, but who needs the pressure of knowing what other people are writing?
Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to reading what you write. I’ve always enjoyed your particularly take on Tarantino.
Ari, my feeling is that not knowing what to make of Tarantino’s violence is exactly his intention. He’s not a guy I would ever hold up as a model of pacifism, he’s not denying that violence is fun, but I can’t think of a single violent moment in any of his films where the violence was easy. It’s always rough and unpleasant. There are always consequences.
Even the scene in Kill Bill where Uma dispatches Vivica A. Fox and you kind of laugh because it’s so sudden and kind of unexpected after this long drawn out fight scene and you’re relieved, but then Uma turns around and the little girl is standing there.
And when you think about it, most of the violent people in his movies are scumbags, it’s just that in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, they dazzle you with words and you like them. Dazzling or not, Jules and Vincent are losers. Maybe if the Basterds had been given more snappy patter, they’d have been more palatable, but I think it shows a lot of maturity on Tarantino’s part.
As I said in the review, I don’t want to make Tarantino out to be a moralist. That would be foolish, but I don’t think you can deny there are layer’s of thought and intention to what he’s doing and to me that elevates his films from just being fun.
I have to say too, I loved Hans Landa’s opening speech about rats and squirrels. Sometimes with Tarantino, those big character speeches just seem like him showing off for effect…but this one played into the themes of the film and it made Landa a more interesting character. It was as if he was ashamed of his ability to think like a rat and therefore wanted to prove himself by extra vigorously stamping them out.
I’m off to see it again this evening. I hope it holds up.
“…who needs the pressure of knowing what other people are writing?”
Wanna really get discouraged and intimidated? Read the Basterds analysis in the current issue of Film Comment featuring Christoph Waltz on the cover.
That said, Craig and Hedwig having anxiety about the originality and insight of their writing is a little like the Chinese Olympic gymnastics team losing sleep worrying if their triple twisting double back flips are up to snuff.
“that Bowie track is from Paul Schrader’s Cat People.”
I remember the track being uber-cool in Cat People as well.
A Bowie track would turn Gran Torino into an uber-cool movie.
“Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car, Get Offa My Lawn”
Nice review, Craig. I like this most of all: “The sustained, deliberately paced tension is reminiscent of the Italian master at his best and it all leads to a fiery, hallucinatory climax that wonderfully evokes the classic hellish finale of Leone’s Duck, You Sucker.”
Reminds me I need to see that movie again. Soon.
“Duck, You Sucka” was released over here as “A Fistful of Dynamite”.
Actually that’s how it was originally released here too.
Yes Sartre, that film has had two or three different titles and they’re all different versions. The only version I’ve seen is the recent re-release that is supposedly as close as we can get to Leone’s original.
Ryan. Thanks, you know how it is though. Performance anxiety and all that. And no, I won’t be reading Film Comment just yet. I don’t need the humilation. :)
Don’t be silly, Craig.
Performance anxiety? Please…
You’re an absolutely awesome writer – and I’m certainly not the only one that’s told you that.
REPEATEDLY.
This is what I always tell men: CONFIDENCE. You have to have confidence, dudes. That’s almost the entire thing right there.
Good lord, my little crabcake. You should know this by now…
*raises eyebrow*
Ryan, that’s an awesome compliment. Hope I deserve it as much as Craig does! In any case, the post is here. I probably wouldn’t have finished it if I hadn’t committed to it here – and gotten such nice encouragement.
Nice review, Craig. I love that “slow burning” reference.
Hell yeah. That’s just what it was. Figuratively and literally.
I talked about this with you a few days ago. But I absolutely LOVED IB. I think it’s Quentin’s most mature work to date. Regardless of what he does in the furture, he will remembered (at least PARTLY) for this.
I’ll take issue with the last scene in the theatre, which I felt was a bit over the top. But it translates to such a small thing I never even mentioned it in my review.
Other than that, I thought everything was unbelievably awesome: Quentin’s direction and dialogue, all of the performances (particularly Brad, Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger and Christoph Waltz), the music, the cinematography, the costumes…
SHEER PERFECTION.
And, as I said at the time…
How could I NOT love a movie where the female hero is a blonde green eyed French girl (opulently dressed in a rich, brilliant ruby red) and plots her ultimate battle to the fabulous PUTTING OUT FIRE by DAVID BOWIE???
It’s a cinematic miracle, my precious crabcake.
Looking forward to seeing it again within the next few days.
So glad you’re among the IB fans Miranda. I know you went in looking forward to it and I like to see a person satisfied rather than disappointed. I look forward to reading your review later today.
I agree the ending was over the top…maybe too much so…but that’s exactly what I liked about it. It was the perfect insane release for me for all the tension that had been building up over two hours.
To add to some of the other comments I LOVED the Bowie segment. Tarantino always does a great job using music in his films.
Great review. I just got back from seeing this movie and loved it. The beginning is so suspenseful – it’s the most masterfully done part of the film. It’s true that the basterds themselves weren’t well developed but that didn’t bother me. There was so much that was great I kind of skimmed over that. Christopher Waltz was fantastic. I enjoyed Melanie Laurent’s performance a lot, and Kruger also did a terrific job. And Brad Pitt was a riot. I like him in roles like this.
I’ll probably see it again at some point, not sure when.
Alison, I think I was trying to hang on to at least one thing that didn’t quite work for me so I didn’t look like a total fanboy.
The truth is, this isn’t really the Dirty Dozenesque Men-on-a-mission movie that the ads portrayed. If it HAD been, I would’ve demanded a more engaging team, but in reality these guys were just one leg of a bigger whole.
I’ll bet there are little backstories for each one laying around on the cutting room floor somewhere, just like the one for Stiglitz (which I loved).
:D
I agree with you about the backstories, and I do think that you’re right about it not being Dirty Dozenesque. Each of those guys have their histories, we find out a bit about them in a very humorous and movie-ish way and then the story moves on. I thought Stiglitz was awesome.
Also, the opening credits with the “guest starring…” had me laughing immediately.
Donowitz gets more Boston backstory in the screenplay. I can recap if you like, unless that would detract from your experience of the film somehow.
Well, I saw IB again last night.
Not that I’m really surprised. But I’ve fallen even deeper in love with it on the second go round.
It’s a work of astounding genius and it moves like a gleaming Porsche on the open road. Such masterful direction, awesome dialogue, great performances…
Basically I was even more enraptured by the things that I liked the first time, which left me free to concentrate on the myriad details I’d forgotten.
The audience laughed like hell (at the appropriate spots, of course) and really seemed to enjoy themselves. We were back at the same suburban theatre.
But the reactions of the two crowds were rather different. I suspect that a lot of people last night had all ready seen it. So they were able to approach the experience totally relaxed.
It was fabulous. All ready itching to see it again…
It played differently for me the second time, but it made me appreciate it all the more.
Yeah, I was mildly disappointed that knowing the resolution of each scene nullified some of the suspense on a second go-round (not surprising really) but I was amazed at how fast the film still plays, considering most of it is exposition. Obviously Tarantino’s grasp of suspense and tension is factoring into it even if my knowledge of the outcome tempers the more visceral aspects of those sequences.
I was also surprised to see the mall multiplex still has this playing one of their two big screens. It’s rare for a non-blockbuster to stay on the larger screens for more than a week, even more rare for a movie to still bring in 40-50 people for the noon matinee on a Sat after three weeks. It is still playing over 25 screens here in Portland, which is also impressive. Word of mouth has to be good on this one, which is great for Tarantino and the studio.
I’m not sure how much of the “original” screenplay was filmed and then cut, versus how much QT cut before filming. Anyone have any idea if there’s a much longer version percolating out there? I know the screenplay originally had far more back story for the various characters. As much as I would have appreciated a bit more development there, I’m guessing I’ll ultimately be partial to this shorter version. It has a sparseness that highlights the film’s strengths.
And I second your comment, Craig. The second time through made me appreciate what Tarantino is doing even more. I’m still not thrilled with the various Basterds sequences and Eli Roth is still nails-on-a-chalkboard bad virtually every time he’s on screen, but I was more comfortable with Pitt’s performance as the Apache and liked the more overt “this is a movie” stuff Tarantino was doing with the voice-overs and whatnot.
Safe to say, this one is definitely owning a position on my Ten Best list for 2009.
I was also surprised to see the mall multiplex still has this playing one of their two big screens. It’s rare for a non-blockbuster to stay on the larger screens for more than a week, even more rare for a movie to still bring in 40-50 people for the noon matinee on a Sat after three weeks. It is still playing over 25 screens here in Portland, which is also impressive. Word of mouth has to be good on this one, which is great for Tarantino and the studio.
For what it’s worth, and instructions in Craig’s masthead up there notwithstanding, Inglourious Basterds is less than $5 million shy of the $100 million mark domestically and has made about $180 million total. I can see why it’s still getting some multiplex love. And yes, I agree. Word of mouth combined with repeat viewings. Everyone I know who has liked it has expressed at least some interest in seeing it again in the theaters.
I’m reading a line here and line there of your review, Craig, while just now sitting down to write my own thoughts about the film.
I’ll be back in the near future to devour the whole piece–which looks spectacular–as well as look at the comments, but for now I’ll simply say I heart this film. Now, to write!
Hey Alexander! Welcome back!
Alexander, you might want to look at the Watercooler and Weekend Forecast threads around that weekend too. If I recall, there were extensive comments in both that aren’t necessarily replicated here. And good to see you back.
Thank you, Alison and Joel! :)
Thanks for the head’s up, Joel.
Glad to see you back Alexander and especially glad you found the love for IB!
Magnificent review, Craig. I was awed by your appreciation of the film, and like you I found the connection to Leone to be indisputable.
I’m worn out from writing my own piece (just click on my name if ya wanna see it) but I’ll return here and to other threads to discuss this amazing and bizarre film.
Will do as soon as work dies down. Can’t wait.
Just read through this thread again, and it got me all excited to watch Basterds again soon. I never did see it again in the theater the way I’d intended. When does it come out on DVD?
Scheduled to hit DVD and Blu-ray on Dec 15 last time I checked.
I admit that although there were things I didn’t like about this film, my memory of it is fond and I’m more than willing to see it again.
Me too, Pierre. It fared much better on a second viewing for me (I got over some of my frustrations and ran with it) and right now it’s vying for a significant spot on my year-end list.
Definitely buying this one on disk.
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