Few American directors are as revered as Quentin Tarantino. He has directed some of the most critically acclaimed films in the last 20 years, such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. This summer saw the highly anticipated release of his World War II epic, Inglourious Basterds.
Before I go any further, I feel it necessary to say that this film does not try to portray history accurately. Rather, Inglourious Basterds is what Tarantino's films excel in: escapist fun and ridiculous violence.
Inglourious Basterds revolves around two major storylines. One centers on a Jewish woman hiding in Paris who gets the chance of a lifetime at revenge against the Nazis. The other concerns a military unit consisting entirely of Jewish-Americans known as the Inglourious Basterds, led by Aldo "The Apache" Raine, played by Brad Pitt. The Basterds' mission is to go behind enemy lines and kill as many Nazis and cause as much panic in the Third Reich as possible.
Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's brainchild. He wrote it, directed it and even has a cameo in the film. He began writing the script eight years ago, and Tarantino considers it the best thing he has ever written. To his credit, he might be right. The story is engaging, fun and entertaining.
Brad Pitt convincingly plays the role of Aldo "The Apache" Raine, proving once again - as he did in Snatch - that he is a master of accents. His hilarious portrayal of Raine shows his gift for delivery and timing as an actor.
While Pitt plays his role well, the real star of the film is Christoph Waltz, who plays the primary antagonist, Hans Landa, "the Jew Hunter" in the film. Waltz delivers a highly impressive performance of the Nazi equivalent of a white collar criminal. While Landa comes off as polite and courteous, he is also a ruthless killer who loves nothing more than hunting and killing Jews. Every time he appeared on the screen, there was a quiet but audible shudder in the theater. Landa is this summer's Joker. Some people might see that as sacrilege, but Waltz's performance is without question Oscar worthy.
I would imagine that some people will take offense to the movie's portrayal of the Nazi regime. The film shows Hitler and Joseph Goebbels as bumbling idiots who happen to be in power and hate Jews. Many folks out there do not see Adolf Hitler as a laughing matter, one of them being me.
But that's not the point. Tarantino did not make this film so he could make light of Hitler. He made this film so that he could paint an alternate, more bad ass, history of World War II. There's more scalping, more street justice and a lot more excitement. Oh, and for all you history majors, watch out for the ending. You'll never see it coming.
Simply put, Inglourious Basterds is the best movie of the summer. Look for Waltz to snag more awards for his brilliant performance. Inglourious Basterds will not disappoint.
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