Review of Inglourious Basterds (2009) by Joshua W — 11 Jun 2013

This is one of the all time great Tarantino films, and I loved every minute of it. What I loved about this film is how Tarantino was able to apply some of the characteristics of his style from films like Pulp Fiction to a completely different type of film for him. He was able to apply things like really long but interesting talking scenes to this, which were all in several different languages. Most of his films are long but they don't have many scenes. They just have scenes that go on for a long time He also made it seem like there were several different stories, and there were, but they were in order. The film had different chapters like his films like Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill has. That is how they make it seem like there are multiple story lines. It was a classic Tarantino film for that reason.

Also like all of Quentin Tarantino films the acting is really good. His screenplays are so well written that it allows actors like Brad Pitt, and Christoph Waltz to show their skills as actors. I think that if you are an actor with talent it is hard not to be really good in his films, because of how good his directing, and screenwriting is. Something about the way he works just allows actors to be awesome in his movies. It is part of the reason why Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director. In interviews for his films I find it obvious that actors in his films just love working with him, and love what he does. I feel like true film buffs, and actors will love his films especially. The more and more I have gotten into films the more and more I have grown to love Quentin Tarantino. This is a film that also got better and better for me. First time I saw it I gave it an 8.5/10 and now it is a 10/10. Just an amazing and classic Tarantino film.

However it was a very different one for him, because of the topic. This is the first time that he touched a topic that had importance on the world. All of his films before were just really interesting and well done stylized films. In this film he did a very historically inaccurate version of the holocaust. We all know what happened in the holocaust, but this film in my opinion is the way that a lot of people wish that the holocaust really happened. The idea of a group known as "The Basterds" going around killing Nazi's, and getting revenge on them for starting the holocaust sounds better then a bunch of Nazi's killing millions of Jews in a few years in my opinion. I feel like this is how Tarantino really wished the holocaust happened. I felt like he probably felt like the holocaust could have ended so much quicker if what happened in this film really did happen. They ended the war in a way that seemed so much simpler then the way it really happened. When you think about it was way simpler, and it ended way better in the movie in my opinion. I think certain people may like this movie because of that. I liked it because of that. It kind of gave me a perspective on how the holocaust could have happened, and I liked that perspective that Quentin Tarantino gave me a lot.

I find that he takes everything to the next level with his films. He takes violence, brutality, acting, and dialogue to the next level, but he also takes awesomeness to the next level. He really did that for me with this film. Really the only Tarantino film that didn't blow me away was "Death Proof." That is a really bad Tarantino film, and I felt like he was going through some severe writers block when he did that, but he got his genius back to write "Inglourious Basterds." This was one of his ingenious films for sure. This film really took all aspects of cinema that make movies awesome, and he took it to the next level, and then some. That is the reason why I gave this film a 10/10.

Now what actually happened in this film is that there is a group of Jewish men known as "The Basterds" going around killing Nazi's. It is lead by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) an American from Tennessee. He gives his men a goal of killing one hundred Nazi's, and to bring back one hundred Nazi scalps. They become known and hated by Nazi's around Germany, and Adolf Hitler (Martin Wuttke). In one scene they kill a bunch of Nazi's but they let one go. They let the one go who told them the information they wanted. However when they let a Nazi live Aldo gives them "Something that they won't be able to take off." What that thing that they won't be able to take off is specifically is a Swastika carved into their forehead. Aldo did that to the guy he let go in that scene, and he told him, that you need to tell them that we let you go so you can spread fear about us, and not because you gave us information so you won't get shot. Also when somebody dies for their country and refuses to help them Sgt. Donnie Donowitz (Eli Roth) also know as "The Bear Jew" kills that person by beating them to death with a bat. That is the introduction to The Basterds, and what the concept of what they do is. That part of the story is the violent side that sets up the suspense for how later on they will get their revenge on the Nazi's and end the war.

In the opening scene Col. Hans (Christoph waltz) also known as "The Jew Hunter" massacres a Jewish family hiding below Perrier LaPadite's (Denis Menochet) house, but one girl named Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) gets away. She later goes on to own a movie theater, and that is the 2nd part of the story. That part also helps set up the suspense, and it really helps add a different background to the story. This film brings these two different story lines, and tells them in chronological order, and as the film goes on they are brought together beautifully.

The film gave an amazing perspective on slavery, and I loved every minute. It was just another film that made me grateful to be a movie buff, and to be a Tarantino fan. He is my favorite director, and I will always look to his work for inspiration when I try to pursue my dream of being a film director. The only thing with this film is that all the different languages, and the fact that you have to read it makes it hard to follow after a while. That is why I liked it so much more the 2nd time. Other then that part of the film it was so epic, and it was beautifully done. It gave a different perspective on a really controversial topic, and it gave that perspective beautifully.

However that perspective may upset people, because some people may be mad that he didn't tell the holocaust they way it was. He told it the way he wish it really happened instead of how it really happened. Some may think that he should not have done that, but I agree with what he did, because it was an interesting idea that he did. A film where Jews are killing Nazi's during the holocaust and getting their revenge on them has not been done before, and I feel like it was a good thing to do. I could never criticize Quentin Tarantino for what he does, because it takes courage to tackle topics like this, weather you are giving a new perspective on it, or of you are telling it the way it really was. This is an amazing movie, and I really hope that most people agree with the way I feel about what I think that Tarantino was trying to do with it.