“Inglourious Basterds,” Quentin Tarantino’s WWII Nazi bash fest has so far taken in $37.6 million in box office proceeds since Friday.
“Inglourious Basterds” is an American action/western film disguised as a World War II movie. It is a violent 153-minute story of resistance and hope told from the perspectives of courageous Americans, Brits, French and Germans.
The movie opens in 1941 France in an intense interrogation scene between a Nazi colonel (played by Christopher Waltz) and French countryman Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet). One Jewish girl named Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) survives this countryside bullet fest, allowing “Basterds” to fast-forward to 1944, where she devises her ‘mission of justice.’
“Inglourious Basterds” uses subtitles to translate French into English in the first scene for dramatic effect. Not to worry, however. The usage of subtitles does not last long.
As per usual, a soundtrack of moving popular songs accompanies Tarantino’s film. In particular, David Bowie’s powerful goth-rock ballad, ‘Cat People (Putting out Fire)’ ignites “Inglourious Basterds.” Tarantino masterfully uses ‘Cat People’ to frame Jewish farm girl Shosanna’s (Melanie Laurent) transformation from cheerless cinema owner to a homicidal resistance fighter.
The 1982 film “Cat People,” starring Malcolm McDowell and Natassia Kinski, similarly uses the song to usher in Irena’s (Natassia Kinski) explosive transformation from an inexperienced young lady to a passionate and dangerous sexual being.
Most of the hype surrounding “Inglourious Basterds” centers around Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his band of vengeful Jews, including the legendary ‘Bear Jew’ (Eli Roth), who clubs Nazis to death with a baseball bat. Their mission is to drop into Europe, kill as many Nazis as possible and collect 100 scalps per ‘Basterd’ as keepsakes. This story is interesting in a comic-book sort of way, but lacks the depth one would expect following the insightful and engaging opening sequence.
“Inglourious Basterds” has been crediting with being overly violent and self-indulgent. Compared to “Kill Bill,” that criticism is an overstatement. Those expecting an orgy of blood and violence will be disappointed. Still, the film does provide a level of gore sufficient to keep one’s pulse up. Tarantino even rewrites history to indulge our bloodlust, by killing much of the Nazi high command, including Hitler and Joseph Goebbels (Minister of Propaganda), in a hailstorm of bullets and raging fire.
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, and staring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fastbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, and Jacky Ido, “Inglourious Basterds” is a bloody good time.
Take a look at the trailer for “Inglourious Basterds”:
It was awesome! I just wish the Bastards had gone all the way and made a blood bath out of that nazi scum. I read in gawker that some people think this movie trivializes what the nazis did to the jews. http://gawker.com/5342866/is-inglourious-basterds-bad-for-jews I dont think so. If anything, this makes us all feel better knowing we are alive and able to freely see and talk about a film that calls the nazis out.
True, this film wasnt written by a jew. But arent the weinstein bros. jewish? Anyway, Bastards kicks ass.
here’s a good interview with tarantino that talks about shosanna. tarantino was initially going to make her character like the “bride” in Kill Bill.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1109486.html