Movie Buff: “Inglourious Basterds”

(Courtesy Universal Pictures)

Tarantino’s latest offers his usual bag of tricks, but with a story to match

I can’t remember the last time I heard genuine applause for a movie in a theater. Even the crown jewel of last summer’s box office, “The Dark Knight,” didn’t generate audible enthusiasm  in the theater where I saw it. As a testament to Quentin Tarantino’s growing prowess, applause broke out in the jam-packed auditorium after I saw ”Inglourious Basterds” for the second time Sunday afternoon.

If nothing else, you have to give Tarantino credit for having the cojones to change the history of World War II (spoilers prevent me from revealing details on how and why this happens). Thankfully, “Inglourious Basterds” offers a good deal more than just revisionist history. Its complex and engaging story, terrific characters and trademark Tarantino quirkiness offer an invigorating break from the special effects slugfests of typical summer releases.

As is to be expected from the director of “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” “Inglourious Basterds” has several interconnected plot lines weaving their way through the (considerable) two-and-a-half-hour running length. The main threads center on the titular Basterds, led by Brad Pitt, and a Jewish woman named Shoshanna, whose family is massacred early on by the SS. They are connected by a vicious bastard of a Nazi colonel responsible for the death of Shoshanna’s family and hunting down the Basterds.

As the growling Lt. Aldo Raine, Brad Pitt gets the best lines and the longest of the requisite Tarantino monologues. While Pitt certainly earns his payday, the standouts of the film are Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna and Christoph Waltz as Landa. As a Jew who has to flee execution and then live under an assumed name in occupied France, Laurent is required to handle a wide range of material and she proves herself extremely capable.

Even Laurent’s formidable talent is overshadowed by Waltz’s dominating performance as Landa, however. If there is any justice in Hollywood come January, Waltz will earn himself an Oscar nomination. Landa is a breed of villain rarely seen in Hollywood these days: brilliant, articulate and at moments funny as well as completely amoral. Waltz may wear a smile during most of his time on screen, but his eyes have a predatory menace lurking behind his genial façade.

Thrown into the mix of all this are Tarantino’s quirks that make his movies uniquely his own. The multilayered dialogue is back, along with the mariachi music that would be more at home in a Spaghetti Western. Tarantino regulars Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel make cameo appearances. The innumerable movie references, both obvious and subtle, come flying fast right from the get-go.

A quick sidebar on the movie references: there are so many of them and they work on so many levels that “Inglourious Basterds” is in many ways more about movies than the Nazis or the Nazi killers. There are actors, directors and projectionists who all have significant roles in the movie, and there’s a definite undercurrent in the film about how movies are made, the people who make them and how they’re used. Case in point: while most of the movie features the slightly-washed out look of many World War II films, the finale takes place in a Parisian cinema, and every scene features vibrant colors shot in stunning detail.

Back to Tarantino trademarks…the brutal violence of his previous endeavors is also present. As opposed to the “Kill Bill” saga, the violence comes in short, intense bursts. That’s not to say that lots of people don’t die (some in an excruciatingly painful fashion), but the scenes where they die are short and relatively few in number.

Tarantino is always fun to watch due to the energy he invests in his movies, but sometimes the story suffers at the expense of style. With “Inglourious Basterds” however, that isn’t the case. Tarantino has made a movie with a story to match his style, and the result should prove a good time for anyone who wants a break from the ordinary at the box office.

Contact CU Independent Entertainment Editor Rob Ryan at rryan@colorado.edu