Rated: R | Review date: 21-Nov-2009

Quentin Tarantino returns at full force with Inglourious Basterds, the epic war drama follow-up to Death Proof. Although this film takes a different direction than we’re used to seeing with Mr. Tarantino, everything in Inglourious Bastards is pure Q.T. From the subtle homages and generous graphic violence to the strong dialogue, this film takes all of Quentin’s best features and sets them in a different and historic time-period.

Before we dive into this work of art, let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat: this is a fantasy film. Please read my rant on the topic of so-called “historically accurate” films. If you’re looking for a more accurate portrayal of WWII, I might suggest a good documentary or even Downfall (2004). I shouldn’t even have to mention this tidbit as any film fan knows what’s in store when they walk into a Quentin Tarantino film, but undoubtedly there are still many viewers in uproar about inaccurate portrayals of historical events.

With that out of the way, let’s get down to business. Not unlike Pulp Fiction, the film follows a set of intertwined stories that begin to come together as the film progresses. The story follows a motley group of Jewish-American soldiers, the Basterds, set out to have their revenge and put fear into the Nazi regime. On the other hand, Col. Hans Landa is out to find any Jews or opponents of the Nazis. Meanwhile, a young French woman is out for her own revenge against the regime. The story provides many likable characters and dramatic moments combined with plenty of comic relief.

What absolutely needs to be praised with this film is the brilliant cast. Christoph Waltz is the standout as Col. Hans Landa, aka the Jew Hunter. Waltz’s portrayal of the intimidating and evilly hilarious villain has already earned him the Best Actor award at Cannes, and I’m guessing a few more awards will be in order. Aside from Waltz, megastar Brad Pitt steps in as Lt. Aldo Raine, aka Aldo the Apache. Pitt’s southern-fried Nazi scalp-seeking Raine attacks the screen with comedic ferocity. Giving the veteran gents a run for their money, the young and lovely Mélanie Laurent steals the show as Shosanna Dreyfus, a young Jewish theater owner who’s family was murdered by the Nazis. Diane Kruger also graces the screen as double-agent Bridget von Hammermark. All of the rest of the cast, especially the Basterds, delivered exceptionally well.

Aside from the cast, the film displays plenty of artistic goodness. Blending styles from spaghetti westerns and war epics, the picture is a pleasant testament to breaking genre boundaries. It would also not be a Tarantino film without a brilliantly selected musical score to accompany the illustrious scenery. The camera angles and editing are as inventive as ever. The glorified violence that conservative individuals love to hate is beautifully and graphically stylized. To make things more authentic, the spoken languages are in German, French, and Italian as well as English. To top things off, we’re left with an incredible scene within the movie theater at the end of the film, with my personal favorite part being Shosanna’s “Giant Face” on the movie screen.

Inglourious Basterds is one of those films that people are either going to love or hate (as is the case with many of Q.T.’s films). Opponents of excess violence and historical inaccuracies are sure to have their panties in a bunch. But for us movie fans, this film is a whole lot of fun and just a purely well made film. For fans that may have drifted away after Death Proof (myself not included), they will most certainly be reassured with this latest installment. Top-notch writing and directing combined with a diverse cast where absolutely everyone was on-target makes Inglourious Basterds the standout film of 2009 and one to set the bar for Quentin Tarantino himself and other filmmakers alike.

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