Inglourious Basterds

By Melanie Chung

Rare in JXM history that we award anything – album, concert, film – with a perfect score, No Country for Old Men the only other receiving this JXM accolade. But we’re feeling a bit generous this time around and Inglourious Basterds nearly had me break out into applause as the film cut to black after the Apache announces, “I think this might just be my masterpiece.” If it weren’t for my conservative Asian nature, I think I just might have.

And this word, the m word, “masterpiece” has been thrown around in Quentin Tarantino’s direction for quite some time now in regards to Basterds, and rightly so. Some may say its slow, some may say its dialogue heavy, and some will definitely say it’s far from a perfect film, but what makes a perfect film anyway? If you went in looking for an action packed Transformers-like blockbuster, sure Basterds would score low on your scale. But for those with a real love for film, not movies, but film, cinema, auteurs and the art of storytelling, then maybe, just maybe, Basterds is for you.

Admittedly so, I’ve always been a Tarantino skeptic. Yes, yes, I go against the grain, I am that word that Bridget von Hammersmark was looking for – suspicious. He has been hailed as one of the best of our generation, this video store geek who wrote a script that became Reservoir Dogs. A film geek with no formal training that dabbled in acting classes who became one of the smartest and wittiest directors of our time. I have been suspicious, suspicious of anything or anyone that has been “hailed” as anything. Why? I suppose you can call me a pretentious academic that has been taught to question everything and suspect everyone.

So why Basterds? What does it have that caught our attention and still hasn’t let us go? German actor Christophe Waltz as the villainous and ever charming Col. Hans Landa a.k.a. The Jew Hunter, puts on a performance so fiercely engaging that he steals the spotlight from all stars. Yeah I did say all – that includes you too Mr. Pitt. The highly intense opening scene, or Chapter One, introduces us to the infamous Hans Landa as he seeks out Jews in hiding (hence “The Jew Hunter”). The dialogue rich scene is laced with ominous undertones and the French Denis Menochet as the good samaritan dairy farmer Perrier LaPadite, holds his own against Waltz’ perfectly timed charm and evil smile.

Broken down in five Chapters, a favourite narrative tool of Tarantino’s, serves more as vignettes that ultimately tie the film together. Though Brad Pitt has been marketed as the lead in the film, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every storyline carries its weight equally and to favour one over another could even be considered blasphemous to Tarantino’s brilliantly written script. Ironically the majority of the script is in two foreign languages and Tarantino respectfully casted accordingly.

As a result, Tarantino has touched upon a whole pandora’s box of brilliant actors. Right down to the smallest roles, every character drew me in, from the aforementioned Menochet and Waltz, to the Spanish born Daniel Brühl as the German soldier turned actor Fredrick Zoller, to August Diehl as Major Dieter Hellstrom who appears in a single dialogue heavy scene filled with cutting looks, sharp words and successfully puts a dent into Team Basterds. The French native Mélanie Laurent as Shoshana Dreyfus, the lone survivor of her hunted family also puts on a performance of stealthy cool. With a similar Uma look, and acting chops that can kick Miley’s behind, it’s no surprise why Tarantino was drawn to her.

Now, I can’t continue on without mentioning some other notables: Diane Kruger as German starlet Bridget von Hammersmark; Martin Wuttke as the Führer, Adolf Hitler, though a somewhat elusive role, memorable nonetheless; Pitt as the Team Basterds leader Lt. Aldo Raine and of course we can’t forget Mike Myers as British General Ed Fenech. And from the Basterds, Michael Fassbender as Lt. Archie Hilcox and the hilarious Til Schweiger as Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz. Lastly, The Bear Jew. Shock horror writer/director Eli Roth as The Bear Jew. ‘Nuff said. Google it if you have to.

Without spoiling anything more, Tarantino purists can rejoice. Despite the pages of dialogue, the Tarantino signature of bloody violence isn’t far behind. Sure it’s no Pulp Fiction if you were to match up quart for quart, but its still full of hellish and cringe-worthy ass kicking. The climactic Chapter Five is one helluva a good climax, satisfying in comedy, tension, heartbreak, and absolute and utter chaos. Muhahaha.

So is it Tarantino’s best? Well you can be the judge of that as I can barely contain my giddy. Reservoir Dogs has always been my Tarantino favourite and Basterds stands proudly alongside it. For years to come, film profs around the world will be breaking down Basterds and studying it in drama classes, film theory classes and any other excuse of a class to view it. Tarantino’s imaginative mixing of genres, play on clichés, and his ability to topsy-turvy everything you know about storytelling is unmatched. The men are men - albeit some creepy and some hilarious – and the women drip with sex appeal without the TNA and can kick any man in their ballsack from here to high heaven. Quentin, I salute you.

Wunderbar!

Release Date: August 21, 2009