Inglourious Basterds Review (Classic Write-Up)

Inglourious Road

Quentin Tarantinos penchant for depicting violence of a most gruesome sort makes him a natural fit for a war movie, so it's shocking it took him 17 years into his career before he brought a cinematic depiction of combat to life. That kind of wait was more than worth it though, as Basterds is insanely riveting cinema, chock full of smart screenwriting and excellent acting. Those elements serve a tale spanning numerous characters, with the most prominent being Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), the leader of a squadron dubbed the Basterds, and Shosanna (Melanie Laurent), the owner of a movie theater who wants violent vengeance against the Nazis.

Watching these two putting their plans into motion becomes quite thrilling, though Tarantino smartly makes the intentions behind the duo (who are not only unaware of the others plan, but Aldo and Shosanna never share screentime in the film) different. Aldo and his Basterds have been tossing out graphic violence against Nazis for ages now, and this is just another in along series of violence fueled missions for these guys (albeit one that takes on new layers of importance once Aldo and his men realize what important figures factor into their plot).

Shosanna, on the other hand, has a more personal score to settle with the Nazis, since they, under the orders of Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), killed her family. Laurent makes the rage her character endures every day palpable and it's impossible not to get wrapped up in her saga of fire soaked vengeance against the likes of Landa. That man is the movies most focal villain, and it's a role that won Waltz an Oscar back in 2010. It's not hard to see why that sort of recognition came his way, as he play Landas calculating and menacing personality in a most fearsome style.

Really, entire essays could be written about these characters and the dynamics between them. One specific dynamic I'll just bring up here is that I like how Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) and Aldo Raine have to work together in one sequence. Both are heightened depictions of the stereotypes of their countries of origin (the British Hicox acts in a refined manner, while Raine has a twang filled accent lace every one of his words), and not only do their interactions provide one or two laughs, but it's also a nice way to depict how numerous counties of contrasting aesthetics had to come together during the tumultuous era of World War II.

In addition to giving the film an incredible amount of depth in the department of screenwriting, Tarantino handles the films visual aspects in an equally successful manner. There are some shots in here (brought to life by cinematographer Robert Richardson, who has worked with Tarantino on the majority of his 21st century work) that are simple gorgeous to watch, such as one showing Shosannas lover standing behind a critical movie screen. From top to bottom, Inglourious Basterds has an uncanny amount of craftsmanship put into it, making me all the more euphoric that Quentin Tarantino managed to concoct a war movie that only he could create.