A movie depicting the events of the Second World War seemed somewhat out of character for Quentin Tarintino when I first heard of it. Up to the opening of the movie I still wasn’t convinced that I would like it or that I even wanted to see it. After Tarintino’s last work-Grindhouse-which I felt was so incredibly bad I wasn’t sure seeing another one of his movies was a good use of my time. After seeing and hearing an interview of him by Tavis Smiley on PBS shortly after the film opened last month I quickly changed my mind.
Tarintino explained that yes this film was in fact set during the Second World War, but that while it doesn’t change who won the war it did in fact chance the way the war ended. He went on to explain that he had written several strong characters in the film-Lt Aldo Raine and Sgt Stiglitz-and he let the film follow where these characters would have gone. He believed that if this US Army Soldier-Lt. Aldo Raine-had been in German occupied France in 1943-1944 then what we saw in the film would have transpired and the war itself would have ended sooner. Lt.Raine’s team took risks and those risks let to the end of the war sooner than in reality.
The premise is an interesting one pursued by Tarintino and the film itself is presented much in the style we have seen in the past-with a bit of the Chapters thrown in like in Kill Bill vol 1 and vol 2 as well as the multiple scenes shot simultaneously, but then watched by the viewer successively like in Jackie Brown. The film also is just as violent as any war film that you may have seen in the past, and it does not spare anyone’s delicate sensibilities. IF you faint at blood then you’re best not to view this film.
The film also has several very good scenes in it. One scene near the beginning of the film is when Brad Pitt is introduced as Lt Raine. He is introducing himself to his new squad of eight American-Jewish soldiers. When he states that they all have a debt owed him when signing on to this unit and assignment and that debt is 100 scalps each, no one backs down! They all have a resounding, “Yes, SIR!” to convey their acceptance of this contract. Later in the film two of Pitt’s remaining soldiers are undercover in the theater is to be the Third Reich’s Demise and they burst in to a private box that has Hitler viewing a film. First they both shot Hitler and Goebbels with a machine gun, but moments later one of the soldiers turns and sees Hitler’s body laying on the floor and shoots him several more times. Even though his character says nothing he conveys his hatred and disgust so well with his body language it’s as if he was adding his own, “Screw You F@#$( Nazi!”
The movie itself ends in a way I had not expected, but if I could say that I could predict Tarintino’s movie plots then I’d be the one writing them instead of him!
Over all this is a good film and those who have enjoyed Tarintino’s other films should enjoy this one as well!
Inglorious Basterds-imdb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/
Jackie Brown [1997]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119396/
Pulp Fiction [1994]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
