Inglourious Basterds (2009) [8/10]

Inglourious Basterds (2009)
I do not remember this event happening that way in the history books..., 22 September 2009

In all of Hollywood, there is no other man that enjoys cinema as much as Quentin Tarantino. With much subtle glee he writes and directs films that defy any genre that exists, defy any unwritten rules that are made about film-making, and ultimately gives hopes to your typical film geeks that despite your ability to quote and reference obscure movies that nobody else has watched, you too can become a major success story. He is a film dork's hero, and he is most likely well aware of this. With his latest film, Inglorious Basterds (Title loosely taken from an obscure 1978 flick you most likely have not seen), he takes the warfare/Nazism genre and injects it with a major dose of spaghetti western flavor and a stronger dosage of inaccuracy.

The movie itself has been a pet project of Tarantino's for quite some time. The end result is a crazy flick that mixes war drama with heavy western tension, dark comedy, and the same hyper violence that you've come to expect with Tarantino fare. It's a take it or leave it kind of deal; if you could barely tolerate Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, or Death Proof, then Inglorious Basterds will indeed frustrate and perhaps even confuse you. Otherwise, if you are a fan of his work, then you'll appreciate it much more. While Basterds lacks the pop culture fun of Pulp Fiction, the intense action of Kill Bill, or an eternally memorable character (like Bill, Stuntman Mike, Jules, Pai Mei), the film is full of tension, entertaining drama, rich surprises, and an ability to keep you entertained.

Inglorious Basterds follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers (led by Brad Pitt) hell-bent on annihilating any Nazi they cross paths with, and find themselves with a golden opportunity to end the war once and for all. This opportunity comes with a screening of a German film in a small movie theater led by a Jewish woman (Mélanie Laurent) whom saw her family mercilessly murdered upon the direction of a cruel detective (Christoph Waltz). Several characters and plot twists later, the film ends on a crazy finale that will whether frustrate you or satisfy you to the maximum. Let's just say World War II is not a dramatic event here, it's just a setting.

Tarantino's best strength lies in his writing, not his directing. In his films, he creates many absurd characters that are larger-than-life, and also fills them up with crazy actions, crazier dialogue, and insane conclusions. Almost all his movies have that one epically-written scene (Reservoir: the introduction, Pulp Fiction: final Mexican standoff, Kill Bill: the Superman monologue). In here, the opening sequence sets the mood of the movie right away: tense, crazy, over-the-top, and quite emotionally-driven. The opening scene nearly mirrors that of the first time you see Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Another fun thing about Tarantino's writing is the amount of film references you see sprinkled throughout the 150-plus minutes. Few writers implement more details than this man. Seeing every movie at a video store definitely has its rewards.

Another amazing thing about Quentin is how he can manage to pull off incredible performances from the most random of people. Mike Myers is one grand example, and the underrated Diane Kruger (National Treasure) is another. Then there's the always-reliable Brad Pitt, and the scene-stealing performance of Christoph Waltz as the unpredictably smart Nazi detective. I hope there's at least one Oscar nomination in acting from this movie otherwise the snub card can be used.

The fact of the matter is, Inglorious Baterds is a violent film that breaks all kinds of rules (film-making and historical). Those that are looking for a historical war film should search elsewhere. Those with weak constitutions and those with a little more sensitivity in their blood should avoid this. The morality of this movie was heavily questioned. But it's a film called Inglorious Basterds, what else did you expect? The line between hero and villain is obscure, heroes are seen without mercy, and even the victims get their chance at revenge. Its a dog-eat-dog movie in which karma doesn't hit all the players in the field. The in-your-face attitude of Tarantino is all-to-present here, as we have over-the-top characters in over-the-top situations for two and a half hours. The movie plays like a roller coaster ride with a very intense yet abrupt ending.

Bottom Line: There isn't as much action here as there was in Kill Bill. There wasn't as much comedy as you would find in Pulp Fiction. And the grittiness of Reservoir Dogs isn't here too. This isn't his best movie, but darn it even a mediocre movie from Tarantino is about the same value as a good summer flick. While the movie may warrant a second viewing to truly capture the madness, Inglorious Basterds is a crazy time in an alternate universe where World War II is hosting a different set of rules, events, and conclusions. By the end of it all, you'll prefer this version over the version the history books have. There is nobody that loves film-making and genre-bending more than Tarantino, and this movie is just the latest example in an interesting career.

Its fun, exciting, very tense (In a Leone kind of way), and has plenty of good music, good surprises, good performances, and plenty of well-directed scenes. In the heap of disappointing 2009 summer movies, we finally have one that rise above mediocrity because of the effort, attention, and care given to the production. Good work Tarantino, you've mind warped another group of moviegoers with your forever-bending genres and forever-mad stories.