Review of Inglourious Basterds (2009) by Vamsi M — 06 Sep 2015

Inglourious Basterds is a brisk film filled with fine performances and strong graphic violence, however, it suffers from pacing inconsistency and its anti-climatic ending. (this was written sometime in 2013).

Now that I've seen this film for multiple times, I must say this is one of Tarantino's most self-indulgent, tonally inconsistent, and hugely overrated films of his career. I have tremendous respect for Tarantiono; and he is certainly one of the best and most talented filmmakers working in the business today. I'm not saying Inglourious Basterds is a bad movie. I think it's a really good movie. In terms of technicality, everything is near-perfection: The performances, the narrative structure, the dialogue, cinematography, editing, costumes, musical timing, all this is so meticulously done and just shows that he really really loves movies, and I have absolutely nothing to complain about that. The film also features an Oscar-winning performance by Christoph Waltz, and an exceptional performance by Brad Pitt (it's one of his best of his career). It's so violent and yet very entertaining and outrageously funny, however, this is not a flawless masterpiece like many people claim it to be. It has problems, particularly the chit-chat scene at the bar (this scene breaks the rhythm of the film), and there are some questionable decisions made by some of the main characters. The ending is terribly anti-climactic, and doesn't quite give you the kind of emotional catharsis that Django Unchained gives at the end of that film. But I admire Tarantino's vision, his directing style, and the efforts he put on this film. He makes the kind of movies that I can never make in million years. He is a true artist and I respect that. Inglousrious Basterds is flawed and not entirely engaging, but overall a bold, energetic, and wonderful genre-mixing thrill ride.