Inglourious Basterds

[TMBTM]

In france we did not have the PT/DP grindhouse movie on theater. We had the entire DP first, then few months later the entire PT. While I lost the grindhouse experience, I really liked DP. I came free with no spoilers in mind and I really enjoyed the movie. Not much action, but the girls neverending talkings were fun enough to keep my interest intact until the great ending. (not to mention that I live near the Chartreuse mountain, where the Chartreuse alcool is made, and everyone in the theater laughed when Quentin came with that bottle in the bar scene!)
But I agree that PT has more over the top fun in it and that it should be placed in second at a screening of the 2 movies.

Concerning IB, I'll go cause it's Quentin. Even if I'm kind of bored of WW2 movies.

 

[nOmArch]

So, anyone seen this yet?

I saw it on thursday and i gotta say i thought it was a complete load of crap some crappy acting, waaaay too long, far too slow paced and none of the trademark QT dialogue or imagery really.

maybe the problem is i'd been waiting to see this movie for a long time and just over hyped it since IMDb and RT are going nuts and praising it like it was the second coming or something.

but seriously the movie was really awful, there were only two scenes where i thought the acting was actually quite good, the first scene in the french mans house with Landa and the second scene was with Landa and Shosannah in the restaurant and even those two ive seen done better in other movies.

Pitt was pretty good same but didnt really shine at all, in fact he almost looked half asleep through most of the action. Christopher Waltz didnt really fair much better other than the two scenes i mentioned. i just couldnt decided if he ws playing it straight or for laughs. Mélanie Laurent i will concede was very good but i still didnt really feel any emotional connection to her. as for the rest of the basterds, i thought each and everyone of them phoned their performances in. not even remotely believable.

EDIT: Diane Kruger was also very good.

the dialogue which is usually one of QT's strong points was a total letdown, it just goes to show that when you remove the pop culture references and modern day speak he has very little to actually say.

also for a war movie, this had very little war/fighting in it. in fact i was actually bored and was very happy to get out of the cinema once it had finished.


i so wanted to like this movie, but it came across as a not very well done, boring, slow, mishmash of things ive seen done (and much better) in other movies.


someone please prove me wrong or at least point out what i seem to be missing.

 

[joebshmoe]

it was an interesting, excessively violent film. i enjoyed much of it (and i agree with all the pro AND con statements, which is funny...) but i think as a whole it was good.

 

[TMBTM]

Loved this movie!
This a movie about cinema, about languages, more than about WW2 or action men on a mission.
I loved how most of the tension of each scene grows only through the dialogue only to explode sometimes in an incredible violence. (like the intro scene ala "the good, the bad, the ugly"). But there are also a lot of comic relief coming from the situations. A lots of "cat and mouse" play in this movie.
This is in some way a disturbing movie because we see jews people making the exact same horrible things the nazis did... but we actualy enjoy it! Must be the revenge factor or something.

SPOILER: And in the end QT even wants to show us how can cinema can change the world we know.

I was afraid about Brad Pitt in this movie because in every pictures I saw before he has the exact same facial expression, but I must say that it finaly worked to me in the film context.
But I can't finished this (little review) without talking about the jews hunter played by Christoph Waltz. The ultimate and perfect son of a bitch of a nazi combined with the finest sides of Sherlock Holmes and columbo. A great role, a great actor.

The last line of the movie is something like:
"I think it might be my masterpiece..."

This movie will not be a fan favorit I think ("too long, too talkative!"), but I think it is close of what is the essence of Tarantino. He is not just an action movies freak he really likes the old french, italian and german movies (and some ARE very talkative or/and slow). If Kill Bill was his hommage to the kung-fu cinema, I see Inglourious Basterds maybe as an hommage to the Europeen cinema (?)

 

[theslime]

Great post, TMBTM. I agree 100 percent. (But then I also think Death Proof is an amazing movie, so what do I know.)

 

[elbarto1]

I didnt really care for death proof but I do love the old WWII films like dirty dozen, guns of the navarone/force 10, great escape, etc.

I love ultra violence (in films), and stopped enjoying Tarantino-speak after Jackie Brown. I am on the fence about seeing this on the big screen but am still interested.

Thanks for the reviews so far though!

 

[joebshmoe]

the french "thrillers" and action movies ARE really talkative and a bit dragging (le samurai, le circle rouge, bob le flambeur, etc.) and i found the pacing to be similar in style (and structure a bit with le circle rouge), but in a positive way - it was familiar. i liked it.

but there were a bunch of annoying bits. whatever they can't all be reservoir dogs.

 

[TMBTM]

the french "thrillers" and action movies ARE really talkative and a bit dragging (le samurai, le circle rouge, bob le flambeur, etc.) and i found the pacing to be similar in style (and structure a bit with le circle rouge), but in a positive way - it was familiar. i liked it.

but there were a bunch of annoying bits. whatever they can't all be reservoir dogs.

You know what? I did not see Reservoir Dogs, yet... But don't tell everyone! :shock:

 

[nOmArch]

This movie will not be a fan favorit I think ("too long, too talkative!"), but I think it is close of what is the essence of Tarantino. He is not just an action movies freak he really likes the old french, italian and german movies (and some ARE very talkative or/and slow). If Kill Bill was his hommage to the kung-fu cinema, I see Inglourious Basterds maybe as an hommage to the Europeen cinema (?)

ahhh, euro cinema homage. ok that sprobably the reason i didnt get it, since i know next to nothing about about the subject other than the more popular italian horror and the odd french movie.

maybe i'll watch it again and it'll grow on me.

 

[T-HOPE]

You know what? I did not see Reservoir Dogs, yet... But don't tell everyone! :shock:

You know what? When I saw Reservoir Dogs, I didn't even like it all.... But don't tell everyone!!! :shock:



Seriously.

 

[theslime]

You know what? I think Reservoir Dogs is a really overrated movie, and I think Death Proof is vastly superior... But don't tell everyone!!!

Actually, on second thought, you can tell everyone you want to tell it to.

 

[joebshmoe]

you guys are crazy. death proof is good... but come on.

 

[Frantic Canadian]

I just came back from seeing it not too long ago and I have to say it's probably my least favorite Tarantino movie. I'd have to see it again to get a better feel for it but the movie wasn't what I was expecting. The trailer and tv spots make this film look like it's all about the Basterds but most of the time is spent on the nazi's. I love Tarantino because he really knows how to write great dialogue for his characters but the dialogue in this film was rather limp. There were some good scenes though and I enjoyed the performances but in the end I was expecting it to be better.

I thought the Landa character was really good but as much as I was supposed to hate him I couldn't help but hate the Frederick character even more. I also liked how he threw in cameo's for Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel. And while I knew that Mike Myers had a cameo in the film I just couldn't take him seriously. It felt like he was playing Dr. Evil as a British officer or something.

I could have done without the "chapters" once again. It worked well with the Kill Bill movies but it felt out of place here. I also thought the flashbacks to when Shoshanna escaped and when Landa told that guy that everyone was seated and that Hitler would be arriving soon could have been left out. The movie wasn't that long that we would have forgotten about them or who Landa was.

Probably my least favorite thing in the movie was [spoiler:brjx506o]at the end when Frederick forces his way into the projection booth. Shoshanna gets him to lock the door and she shoots him in the back three times, which I loved. I really hated how she checked on him and then he turned around and shot and killed her. I really thought she should have lived, well at least long enough for Marcel to set fire to the nitrate films and kill them all.[/spoiler:brjx506o]

I hope if anyone is planning a fan edit that these are points that are going to be addressed.

 

[joebshmoe]

i agree with your editing observations, FC. the landa/shoshanna flashback is unnecessary and kills the tension. the chapters are unnecessary but are more importantly displayed too long. mike myers' cameo was distracting.

 

[TMBTM]

i agree with your editing observations, FC. the landa/shoshanna flashback is unnecessary and kills the tension. the chapters are unnecessary but are more importantly displayed too long. mike myers' cameo was distracting.

Once again, I loved this movie, but I also agree about the landa/shoshanna flashback.
It was supposed to show us the memory of shoshanna but it looked more like: "Hey, remember? It was the girl at the begining of the movie! Get it? Right? humm?"
Yes we get it Quentin!

And about your least favorite scene, Frantic Canadian: I understand your feeling, but it is exactely how Quentin want you to feel IMO.


PS: Anyone noticed that huge "Star Wars window" when Shoshanna is dressed in red and the Bowie's song is playing?

 

[Frantic Canadian]

PS: Anyone noticed that huge "Star Wars window" when Shoshanna is dressed in red and the Bowie's song is playing?

I didn't notice the "Star Wars window", not even sure what you mean either, but I felt that the choice of song for that scene wasn't right. Don't get me wrong I liked the song but the movie is set during WWII and it felt out of place having a more modern song, not exactly sure when the song is from, being played there. I think it would have worked better with a piece of classical music.

 

[Hymie]

I can't disagree with you more FC.

I though the use of "Putting Out Fire" from Cat Eyes was a great piece of music that really fit the Shoshanna character perfectly. The lyrics were spot on with her character and its always nice to hear a little David Bowie now and again. A lot of the music, especially from Morricone, is from Italian movies which have nothing to do with the film so why is the song out of place. The music from the film comes from several different decades and in my opinion all the music works really well.

The flashbacks were unnecessary but didn't bother me that much, in particular the first one. It was essentially no different than the Bride's flashbacks, only it didn't have any revenge music playing over it. The second one I had no problem with at all. Landa was just retelling it and it was somewhat necessary to see it to believe that he actually did it and planned to kill the Fuhrer rather than simply take him at his word. Yes I know you eventually see he is an honest man, but I think it was important from the beginning to see that he was planning his way out.

I could have done without the chapters being presented in that form, rather I would have liked a different way. It was kind of necessary as there were gaps in the story so they were the best way to transition IMO. The fact that this film is probably his most technically ambitious lets him slide a little on going back to proven contrivances, as the film looks stunning and he is really showing some maturity as a director that I've been waiting a while to do.

After taking a propaganda through film class, I was familiar with a lot of what was going on in the film and a lot of references to films of the time which really helped me to enjoy it. I really like that he was able to adapt his "pop culture" story techniques to the period. The European actors were really the stand outs in the film which is a good thing considering they make up the bulk of the film. I thought the "Basterds" could have used a little more screen time, but its not their story. Its definitely Shoshanna's story and I thought it was great. I understand that people who saw the marketing of the Basterds so prominently might be a negative, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I also really liked a lot of the references/allusions to some of his previous films. To me, the opening scene was reminiscent of Big Kahuna burger from Pulp Fiction but was really well done in the new setting. The most obvious was the Kill Bill scene with Wilhelm pleading about being a father, but it really didn't take me out of the film (at least not too much).

Going into the film, I was a little mixed about how I was going to feel about the film. When I left the theater, I was pleasantly surprised that me and all my friends really enjoyed the film. Is this Tarantino's masterpiece? No, I still think that Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown are superior film but for me Inglourious Basterds is firmly his third best film.

My current Tarantino's ranking.

1. Jackie Brown
Pulp Fiction
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Kill Bill (I consider it one film, either way they're equal to me)
5. Reservoir Dogs
6. Death Proof (a distant six)

 

[Frantic Canadian]

I can't disagree with you more FC.

I though the use of "Putting Out Fire" from Cat Eyes was a great piece of music that really fit the Shoshanna character perfectly. The lyrics were spot on with her character and its always nice to hear a little David Bowie now and again. A lot of the music, especially from Morricone, is from Italian movies which have nothing to do with the film so why is the song out of place. The music from the film comes from several different decades and in my opinion all the music works really well.

I thought the song worked well with the scene but for a film that's set in WWII to have music from the 70's, or whenever that Bowie song is from, just seems out of place. They could easily have used a classical piece that would have worked just as well.

I could have done without the chapters being presented in that form, rather I would have liked a different way. It was kind of necessary as there were gaps in the story so they were the best way to transition IMO. The fact that this film is probably his most technically ambitious lets him slide a little on going back to proven contrivances, as the film looks stunning and he is really showing some maturity as a director that I've been waiting a while to do.

I don't think the chapters are necessary at all. The film could just as easily have had title cards informing the viewers when and where the events were taking place. I think the use of chapters worked well with the Kill Bill movies but not here. I found them kind of distracting.

1. Jackie Brown
Pulp Fiction
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Kill Bill (I consider it one film, either way they're equal to me)
5. Reservoir Dogs
6. Death Proof (a distant six)

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Kill Bill
3. Reservoir Dogs
4. Jackie Brown
5. Death Proof
6. Inglorious Basterds

 

[nOmArch]

totally with you on 1 & 6 FC.

after reading the comments im gonna give the movie another try when it comes out on dvd as i think it warrants a second viewing.

 

[Frantic Canadian]

Yeah, I think IB warrants another viewing but I think I'll wait until it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray as well. What order would you place his other films?