Viewed in
2009
Premise
In World War II France, a group of American-Jewish soldiers and a closet-Jewish cinema owner both separate plot to kill Hitler, same time, same place.
Who should watch
Quentin Tarantino fans.
Thoughts
I had a lot of fun watching this film, especially for the performances and indulgent scenes.
I can see why certain audiences will hate this film. This was a two and a half hour long story that felt like two and half hours long. Every chapter took its time with every scene, as I soaked in the characters and the tension. The very first scene took 30 minutes just to establish two characters.
Not only was the story interesting with parallel stories heading for a crash course, each scene had great moments of suspense, dark comedy, or simply great characters. Once again, Tarantino delivers more playful, unabashed violence. I found the scalping of Nazi's to be quite creative.
While Brad Pitt got plenty of screen time in the trailers, I would argue that he was not even the lead in this ensemble act. In fact, I consider Mélanie Laurent to be the lead, as the plotting cinema owner. Nevertheless, Brad Pitt was hilarious as the leader of the Basterds. One of my favorite scenes was when his Tennessee-born character is forced into undercover duties and attempts a hilariously horrible Italian accent.
I loved the European casting and the use of numerous European dialogue, as it reminded me of a Sergio Leone movie. The scene stealer in this film was Christoph Waltz. From the very first scene, I had a smirk on my face as I imbibed in his performance as the deliciously evil Nazi officer in charge of finding and killing Jews.
For those who like long, artsy, violent dark comedies, you will have fun. For those who like fast-paced, Brad Pitt-led romps, you will not have fun.
Lastly, a semi-spoiler. History changed in this story. So don't use this to write your World War II school report.
What I would change
Marketing! Once again, the studios tricked me into walking in expecting something different. Thankfully, this was an excellent film, so while I a surprised by the pace and style, I wring my fists at the studios.
