World War II Satire
'Inglorious Basterds' Turns History on its Head
Brad Pitt is the
film's big name but he is eclipsed by German-born Christoph Waltz who
plays a Nazi Colonel Hans Landa - already generating Oscar buzz
By Penelope Poulou,
Washington, Voice of America
Aug.
31, 2009 - Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is offering his own version of
history in his World War II dark satire The Inglourious Basterds. Set in
German-occupied France, the film follows a squad of eight Jewish
American soldiers on a Nazi killing rampage. They are relentless,
creative too. They scalp their enemies, spreading terror in Nazi ranks.
As in his previous films, Tarantino weaves a fictional tale, violent yet
intriguing and disturbingly funny.
Tarantino's
clever dialogues and witty characters are mixed with unexpected, violent
scenes. The combination is chilling. As in his previous films, the
director pays homage to classics including Robert Aldrich's 1967 war
film The Dirty Dozen.
The plot
thickens when the Basterds hatch a plan to blow up a French movie
theater during a Nazi film premiere. Bridget Von Hammersmart, a famous
German actress and a double agent, has informed Lt. Raine that the
senior leadership of the Third Reich will be attending.
Lt. Raine is
confident he'll succeed in his mission. But he soon finds his match in
Nazi Colonel Hans Landa, who oversees the gala. A brilliant investigator
and cold executioner, Landa has aquired the nickname "The Jew Hunter."
He has been
hand-picked by Hitler to find Jews in hiding and kill them on the spot.
His air of refinement and boyish charm hide his brutality. As
Tarantino's embodiment of evil, Landa likens Jews to rats.
Tarantino wrote
a young Jewish woman to avenge Jewish victims of the Third Reich.
Shoshanna Dreyfus, played by French actress Melanie Laurent, is the sole
survivor of a Landa raid. She flees to Paris, changes her name and
becomes the owner of a small movie theater. The very one where, as fate
would have it, the Nazi premiere is to take place.
Shoshanna plans
to burn down the theater during the screening. Meanwhile, the brigade is
planning its own attack.
The characters
add intensity and intrigue to an unpredictable ending. Tarantino turns
history on its head. The cinematography and attention to detail are as
impressive as the cast.
Brad Pitt plays
Lt. Raine and is the film's big name. But he is eclipsed by German-born
Christoph Waltz who plays Hans Landa. Waltz won the Best Actor award in
Cannes for this role and is already generating Oscar buzz.
Inglourious
Basterds is one of Tarantino's best. If you're a fan, go see it. If you
cannot stomach violence, there is no way around it. That's the
director's trademark. No life is sacrosanct in Tarantino's film world
and nothing is taken for granted.
Aug.
31, 2009 - Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is offering his own version of
history in his World War II dark satire The Inglourious Basterds. Set in
German-occupied France, the film follows a squad of eight Jewish
American soldiers on a Nazi killing rampage. They are relentless,
creative too. They scalp their enemies, spreading terror in Nazi ranks.
As in his previous films, Tarantino weaves a fictional tale, violent yet
intriguing and disturbingly funny.