The thing I love about Quentin Tarantino is his ability to give the audience what they expect, but, in grandly obtuse fashion, turning it into something that the audience didn’t expect. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS is no exception to the Tarantino whim. In fact, I saw it twice — not because I didn’t get it. I mean, I knew I loved it, but it was just so much to take in on a visceral level, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what I loved about it. After seeing it again, I realized that there was nothing I didn’t like about this movie. From the opening Universal logo (which is the logo used in the 40’s and 50’s) to Brad Pitt’s last line (which was Tarantino’s tongue-in-cheek self high-five moment), I had this weird kid-like wonder on my face. It was like I was reading a rated-R pop-up book.
The movie is centered on two stories in Nazi-occupied France: one being the American-Jewish vengeance group called the Basterds (as dubbed by the Nazi party), the other focuses on a woman trying to escape from the brutal slaying of her family. The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), are to do one thing: kill some Nazis. And they do that without remorse, all throughout France, until they get word of a Nazi gathering that Hitler will be attending. Shoshanna (played hauntingly by Melanie Laurent), who has been successful at hiding under a French alias, now owns a movie theater, where the Nazis want to hold the premiere of a new Joseph Goebbels movie. Frederick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl) is the star of the movie, has become smitten with Shoshanna, and wants his movie to be at her theater, which becomes the catalyst for both storylines. The Basterds devise a plan to kill the heads of the Nazi party, and Shoshanna devises a plan to kill everyone, especially the man who killed her family, Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz).
The film focuses mainly on three performances. And while Pitt’s Raine was good (that Sgt. Slaughter-like chin kills me) and Laurent was great as the classy, yet vengeful hate-filled Shoshanna, it’s the role of Hans Landa that stands out. I mean, immensely stands out. Waltz played this to a tee. He was sinister and calm about his motives, and it makes you uneasy — uneasy because you kind of like him. He could have easily gone into Col. Klink territory, but Tarantino makes sure that, even though he’s kind and cool, that something sinister and menacing lies beneath it. Waltz’s face when he’s interrogating anyone is like a time bomb. My favorite scene is between Landa and Shoshanna (remember she’s under French alias), and Landa is trying to feel her out to know her theater is safe. You just keep waiting for him to explode, but he’s cool and collected, which makes the tension greater. It’s one of those performances that you know you’re watching something memorable, something Oscar-worthy. I don’t like saying the “O” word until the year is up, but I can’t help it. It’s out there now.
Tarantino’s direction is fantastic. When Shoshanna is getting ready for the premiere, Tarantino gives close-ups in an almost fetishist way, but keeps it seductive. It reminds of me of dramas from the 30’s and 40’s, where the eyes of a woman were everything to a scene. The lighting is key in certain moments, especially in building tension. There are a couple of round table discussions in the movie, where the only light is in the center of the table, making it look like an interrogation room. In case you were wondering, the violence isn’t that often, but when it’s there, it’s stylish and big. A couple of “Tarantino moments” happen that I won’t give away, but it had cameos and made me laugh in an “Oh Quentin, you kidder” kind of way. I don’t know if INGLORIOUS BASTERDS is his best movie, but I’m definitely going to watch it again and again, just like I do with every Quentin Tarantino movie.
