Inglorious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds is another film from the imagination of Quentin Tarantino. The combination of humour, blood and storyline (all trademark Tarantino) combine to produce what I consider to be a classic Tarantino film which is unmissable for any film fan.

The film follows a group of Jewish soldiers who kill Nazis, who meet up with a German film star in a plot to kill a number of high ranking Nazis at the premier of a German propaganda film. The owner of the cinema has the same idea, and driven by the murder of her family by the Nazis, plots to burn down her cinema. What none of them know though is that Hitler himself will be at the premier.

The Basterds, as the group of Jewish soldiers are known, often ambush Nazi soldiers, and deliver their scalps to their leader in ‘payment’. This provides the majority of the signature blood in the film, and by Tarantino’s standards it’s quite a tame film. Compared to the recent Django Unchained, or the Kill Bill films, there is a lot less blood. The story is told masterfully, and as usual, it all comes together to produce a fantastic finale. With some hilarious characters, some serious and some sinister ones, Inglorious Basterds is very enjoyable.

Brad Pitt stars as the leader of the Basterds, and his trademark of cutting a swastika into the heads of the Nazis that survive his ambushes provides the last laugh at the end of the film. His acting is fantastic, and the accent that he puts on throughout the movie absolutely completes the character he plays. The scene where he is masquerading as an Italian had me in stitches.

Throughout the film Brad Pitt is a source of humour, but he does have a serious side to his character, and this is refreshing to see. Also, the characters of Donny Donowitz (the Bear Jew) and Hugo Stiglitz add a level of violence to the group which perfectly reflects their ferocity, as well as producing that little bit of humour that Tarantino seems to revel in.

The most sinister character in the film is undoubtedly Colonel Hans Landa. Christoph Waltz magnificently pulls off the changeable nature of the character he is portraying. I found myself a little bit apprehensive about what Landa’s reaction was going to be in many different situations, and this is a reflection on how good Waltz is. Landa is the kind of man who just looks out for himself, and is also a source of amusement at times. However, he is at his most sinister in the beginning. When the young Jewish girl escapes the mass murder and runs across the field, Landa draws and aims his gun. I found myself thinking he was genuinely going to shoot her from such range, and this is both brilliant acting and fantastic direction. Having since seen Django Unchained, I began to realise how incredible Waltz is as an actor, and upon a tip from a friend, I’m going to endeavour to see more of his films.

There are a number of other big names in Inglorious Basterds, such as Michael Fassbender, who plays the British lieutenant initially charged with meeting the German film star for the attack on the premier. For me he does very well in this role, and the scene where he is conversing with the German soldier in the bar is very tense. His stereotypical British character is also quite amusing and I was disappointed that his character was killed off when he did because I was enjoying seeing him in the film. Similarly, Diane Kruger was a joy to watch as the German film star Bridget von Hammersmark, and in my opinion she was flawless in this role. Another surprise appearance was Mike Myers, who popped up as the British General and added a little more classic Tarantino humour to the movie.

As a quick note to previous Tarantino viewers looking out for the roles of Samuel L. Jackson and Tarantino himself in this film, they both make an appearance of sorts. Samuel L Jackson provides the voice narrating the film, and although there is very little narration, it is unmistakably him. We see Tarantino's hands in Inglorious Basterds, around the throat of Diane Kruger, because apparently, he wanted to make the strangulation as realistic as possible. A little bit weird if you ask me...

If you like the movies of Quentin Tarantino then Inglorious Basterds is definitely a film that you should be watching. If you’re interested in the Second World War then you should watch it, but don’t be expecting a ‘true story’ film. It’s a funny, bloody and brilliant film which isn't as complex as his other movies, but is every little bit as enjoyable.