Inglourious Basterds is the new film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Its running length is 2 hours and 32 minutes and is rated R by the MPAA. This film has reportedly been re-edited from the version shown to critics at Cannes earlier this year. That information comes from Eli Roth, who plays one of the "basterds" in the film, and who was present at a preview screening in San Diego on July 25, 2009.
Inglourious Basterds is the story of Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), leader of a group of Jewish American soldiers fighting a guerilla war behind enemy lines in France circa 1944. The basterds' mandate is to kill as many Nazis as humanly possible and collect the dead Nazis' scalps for their leader, Lieutenant Raine, aka Aldo the Apache, who insists that every soldier in his command collect 100 scalps. Diane Kruger plays German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, an undercover agent who assists the basterds by using her role in German high society to help infiltrate the German High Command.
Tarantino has stated in interviews that one of his literary heroes is Elmore Leonard. Tarantino has previously adapted the Leonard novel Rum Punch into the film Jackie Brown in 1997. That influence is apparent in this film as the competing agendas of the various characters connect by serendipity and by planning into a final showdown, just as in the best of Leonard's novels. This film is inspired by Enzo G. Castellari's 1978 film, Inglorious Bastards, although this version has an original story and is not a true remake. Bo Svenson, star of the Castellari film, has a small cameo in Tarantino's film. Castellari himself also has a small role as a Nazi in this film, just as he did in his own film.
Inglourious Basterds makes no attempt to hew to historical accuracy, yet the film is so well executed and it gives such an impressive illusion of historical accuracy that you can be forgiven if you fail to realize its deliberate historical inaccuracies until very late in the film. This illusion is enhanced by the dialogue being spoken in the appropriate language in the appropriate place, be it English, French, or German, with subtitles provided in English where appropriate. (Tarantino actually toys with this storytelling convention early in the movie to make an amusing joke of it.) Inglourious Basterds uses the history of World War II as a starting point to tell its own rollicking fun adventure story and historical accuracy be damned! In this instance, that is a good thing as this film rarely fails to entertain. Of course, anyone with a knowledge of history knows that the basterds and German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark are fictional creations, but without giving spoilers, the deliberate historical inaccuracies do not end there.
Inglourious Basterds is broken down into chapters with each chapter having a different style of music score. The score in the first chapter has a Spaghetti western flavor, and there is a later chapter with a contemporary music score. It is a testament to Tarantino's skills that the different styles of the chapters are not discordant; rather, the chapters flow together into a compelling narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. It is a Dirty Dozen for the 21st Century. Rumor has it that Tarantino has developed a treatment for a prequel that would show the backstory of how the basterds came together. I hope the rumor is true and we will see more of the basterds in the future. Inglourious Basterds opens nationwide on August 21.
Edited by Timothy E - 7/31/2009 at 07:27 pm GMT
Inglourious Basterds is the story of Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), leader of a group of Jewish American soldiers fighting a guerilla war behind enemy lines in France circa 1944. The basterds' mandate is to kill as many Nazis as humanly possible and collect the dead Nazis' scalps for their leader, Lieutenant Raine, aka Aldo the Apache, who insists that every soldier in his command collect 100 scalps. Diane Kruger plays German actress Bridget von Hammersmark, an undercover agent who assists the basterds by using her role in German high society to help infiltrate the German High Command.
Tarantino has stated in interviews that one of his literary heroes is Elmore Leonard. Tarantino has previously adapted the Leonard novel Rum Punch into the film Jackie Brown in 1997. That influence is apparent in this film as the competing agendas of the various characters connect by serendipity and by planning into a final showdown, just as in the best of Leonard's novels. This film is inspired by Enzo G. Castellari's 1978 film, Inglorious Bastards, although this version has an original story and is not a true remake. Bo Svenson, star of the Castellari film, has a small cameo in Tarantino's film. Castellari himself also has a small role as a Nazi in this film, just as he did in his own film.
Inglourious Basterds makes no attempt to hew to historical accuracy, yet the film is so well executed and it gives such an impressive illusion of historical accuracy that you can be forgiven if you fail to realize its deliberate historical inaccuracies until very late in the film. This illusion is enhanced by the dialogue being spoken in the appropriate language in the appropriate place, be it English, French, or German, with subtitles provided in English where appropriate. (Tarantino actually toys with this storytelling convention early in the movie to make an amusing joke of it.) Inglourious Basterds uses the history of World War II as a starting point to tell its own rollicking fun adventure story and historical accuracy be damned! In this instance, that is a good thing as this film rarely fails to entertain. Of course, anyone with a knowledge of history knows that the basterds and German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark are fictional creations, but without giving spoilers, the deliberate historical inaccuracies do not end there.
Inglourious Basterds is broken down into chapters with each chapter having a different style of music score. The score in the first chapter has a Spaghetti western flavor, and there is a later chapter with a contemporary music score. It is a testament to Tarantino's skills that the different styles of the chapters are not discordant; rather, the chapters flow together into a compelling narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. It is a Dirty Dozen for the 21st Century. Rumor has it that Tarantino has developed a treatment for a prequel that would show the backstory of how the basterds came together. I hope the rumor is true and we will see more of the basterds in the future. Inglourious Basterds opens nationwide on August 21.
Edited by Timothy E - 7/31/2009 at 07:27 pm GMT
