Category: Drama, Thriller, War

‘You know something, Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece.’ –Lt. Aldo Raine.

With this closing line of his stylized war epic, borderline-insane film mogul Quentin Tarantino offers an all-too-obvious example of breaking the fourth wall via his character’s words. Brad Pitt was referring to his skill as a ‘human sculptor’ of sorts, but as he looks directly into the lens of the camera, we’re left with no doubt that no-one is as impressed with the final product as QT himself. His masterpiece? Not quite, but there’s no shame in coming second to Pulp Fiction.

There are many factors that denote the excellence of this film. Tarantino has always had an eye for casting, and Basterds shows that he hasn’t lost a step in this field. Christoph Waltz plays the menacing Hans Landa, nicknamed ‘The Jew Hunter’ by his peers ‘precisely because [he has] earned it.’

A figure that couldn’t be more similar to Heath Ledger’s Joker (in terms of motive and characterization) without being more different (with respect to how he satisfies those motives), Landa is one of the most engaging characters ever created by QT, and is played with the determination and pure evil that secured Waltz an incomprehensible number of Supporting Actor awards.

While the superstar German is complemented by pleasing performances from Pitt, Laurent and Kruger, perhaps the only negative of the film is Eli Roth as The Bear Jew. While I can take him or leave him as a filmmaker, I’ve always said his place was in the director’s chair, not in front of the camera. For such a well-written character with so much presence on-screen, Roth’s overacting and general inexperience dampens the intensity of certain scenes, but never to the point where they are no longer engaging.

Best described as a poor film that is ultimately misunderstood, Death Proof allowed many people to raise the claim that Tarantino had lost his way, letting cinematic exploitation become his priority in place of writing the most original screenplays in Hollywood. Those claims are swiftly put to bed courtesy of the dialogue written for Inglourious Basterds. The opening interrogation scene, the game of Celebrity Heads in La Louisine and Shosanna’s impromptu apple strudel meeting with Landa all make for compelling viewing (while composing of little to no English) and showcase QT’s undeniable talent with the pen and paper.

This film made for one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in a cinema, as the indulgent, period-defining cinematography is something best seen on the big screen. But this is to take nothing away from the edge-of-your-seat set pieces, determined character acting and an ending that takes some historical liberties (to make the largest of understatements). As for a rating, Martin Wuttke as Adolf Hitler puts it best:

Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein!/10.

Author Bio: Johnny Hollywood

One day, a good friend started calling me Hollywood because of my never-ending desire to talk about films, and the nickname stuck like glue. There’s only one thing I love more than reviewing movies, and that’s discussing them with everybody and anybody, so never hesitate to tell me what you think about my work.