Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender
‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’
Few filmmakers which achieved fame several years ago are as iconic as Quentin Tarantino. Ever since his rise to fame during the 1990’s, Tarantino has become a legendary director in the film industry. Whether it’s colourful gangsters, slave owners or Nazi commanders, Tarantino has created several unforgettable characters. Arguably, Tarantino’s strength as a filmmaker is his ability to write compelling dialogue. He has always had a gift for using larger-than-life words to create characters which are fascinating. Despite his huge fan following, Tarantino’s movies are not without their drawbacks. Simply put, his films aren’t intended for everyone. Due towards their gruesome violence, Tarantino’s movies don’t commonly appeal towards mainstream audiences. That being said, this hasn’t stopped the commemorated filmmaker from making unforgettable movies that have achieved global success. Throughout his long-lasting career, Tarantino has created many unforgettable films which are definitely without a single doubt at all worth watching
I’m a huge fan of Tarantino and adore all the movies he has made throughout his illustrious career. However, “Inglorious Basterds” may be his most glorious career achievement. Ever since its release in 2009, Tarantino’s Oscar-winning movie has stood the test of time as a classic. With his first historical film, Tarantino crafted a strong satire about the Holocaust. Packed with strong production-design, shar storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s a magnificent historical masterpiece. At the centre of it all is a phenomenal performance by Christoph Waltz, who embodies a villainous Nazi officer. Ultimately, the film succeeds because of its meaningful message. The film delivers a powerful message about trauma which would resonate with everyone. A glorious masterpiece about a genocide in history, there are many reasons why it’s a film worth watching.
Set amid Nazi Germany, “Inglorious Basterds” tells the story of Jewish soldiers which seek to murder Nazis. Brad Pit depicts Lt. Aldo Raine, a courageous leader that develops a team of Basterds to defeat Nazis. Raine a vengeful soldier which is driven to seek revenge against Nazis for harming his family. Accompanied by his team of Basterds, Raine embarks upon a journey to find and kill Nazis. However, Raine’s dreams are destroyed when he stumbles into an evil Nazi commander. Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) is an evil Nazi commander that’s dedicated to wiping out the Jewish race. Facing a dilemma, Raine questions whether it’s possible for him to accomplish missions. Trapped in a genocide, he qonders whether it’s possible for save Jews cast aside.
Quentin Tarantino is a newcomer to genocides. Before he made “Inglorious Basterds”, Tarantino had never made a satire before. Tarantino had never made a movie about the Holocaust in his career before. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture mass genocides in history, but he succeeded tremendously. Using breathtaking cinematography, Tarantino captures a journey of a Jewish team to defeat Nazis. Visually, the film is a stunning feast for the eyes. Tarantino successfully uses camera angles to capture characters in positions of power. Throughout the movie, Tarantino uses low-angle shots to capture the Basterds’ positions of power. For instance, low-angle shots elevate the ending scene. During this unforgettable scene, Aldo Raine and his team of Basterds seek to scalp the head of a Nazi commander. One admires low-angle shots capturing the Basterds’ positions of power. Low-angle shots are tricky techniques to use in movies. That being said, it worked immensely in this movie. Through stunning visuals, Tarantino captures the lives of Jews experiencing mass genocide atrocities in history.
Antother compelling aspect of “Inglorious Basterds” worth discussing is the production-design. From a technical perspective, teh film is extremely well-made. Tarantino has always had a great eye for choosing the sets in his movies, and “Inglorious Basterds” is no exception. The movie is beautifully made using gorgeous sets Throughout the movie, the French Cinema is a crucial location which showcases hardships of Jews that enduring a mass genocide in history. For instance, the movie theater locations elevate the burning scene. During this unforgettable scene, Shoshana burns down her theatre during a movie-screening to seek revenge against Nazis for murdering her family. One admires the real-life locations of a theatre showcasing hardships that Jews went through. Moreover, the muscial score is magnificent. Tarantino excels at choosing musical for his movies, and “Inglorious Basterds” is no exception. The music captures heartbreaking struggles experienced by Jews enduring mass genocides in history. Through gorgeous production-design, Tarantino captures a gruesome masss genocide that came with a painful price to pay.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Inglorious Basterds” is a classic that’s compelling. The film is beautifully written, and successfully uses chapters to capture lives of Nazis committing atrocities. Tarantino’s finest screenwriting strength is capturing the tensions faced by Jews struggling to survive Nazi Germany through clever chapter cards. Taking inspiration from “Pulp Fiction”, Tarantino successfully uses chapter cards to capture a mass genocide in history. The film is divided into several chapters to capture the lives of Jews haunted by painful atrocities. For instance, the title cards enhance the opening scene. During this unforgettable scene, Hans Landa invades the house of a French farming family suspected of hiding Jews in basements. One admires chapter cards indicating times in history. Through these ingenious use of title cards, Tarantino creates compelling characters audiences can easily relate to. Title cards are tricky techniques to use in movies. However, they work immensely in this movie. Through an engrossing screenplay, Tarantino captures a grim mass genocide in German history with a price to pay.
One admires astonishing performances.
Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances as Lt. Aldo Raine. Pitt attained appreciation for playing commemorated psychotic men forming fight club organizations. With “Inglorious Basterds”, however, he took on his first historical role. It isn’t easy to embody a soldier that defeated Nazis in history but he succeeded tremendously. Its a role that gave the actor the rare opportunity to showcase his comic timing. Pitt showcased a comical side to himself that audiences hadn’t seen before. With commemorated expressions, he captures the angst, desperation and vengeance of a leader seeking to murder Nazis in history. It’s a remarkable performance from one of the greatest actors working in the modern-day film industry today.
Christoph Waltz is captivating as a menacing Nazi commander which commits atrocities of Jews that are terrifying. In the role for which he won a well-deserved Oscar, Waltz embodied a Nazi commander evoking terror. Waltz is one of those actors that has often had a way of using words to build tension, and his strengths as an actor are evident in “Inglorious Basterds”. Whether he’s intimidating a dairy farmer through his speeches or interrogating Jewish prisoners in ways which are terrifying, Waltz effectively uses his voice to create a Nazi commander that’s frightening. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood today.
Finally, “Inglorious Basterds” will earn appreciation of everyone for capturing a mass genocide in history that’s dangerous. Unlike most movies made by Tarantino, the film tackles powerful themes everyone would relate to. It discusses universal themes including ambition, genocide and history which will definitely resonate with everyone. Viewers aren’t required to be familiar with German history to appreciate the movie. It delivers a universal message about childhood trauma which would resonate with everyone. Therefore, “Inglorious Basterds” is one of those rare Tarantino movies that everyone would adore.
Fans of Quentin Tarantino will definitely enjoy “Inglorious Basterds” and so will movie-goers seeking exhilarating entertainment. A glorious masterpiece, it captures a dangerous mass genocide in history using humour that’s hilarious.
Nearly 20 years following the release of a groundbreaking film about inglorious Jews seeking vengeance committing murders of Nazi commanders which are frightening, it’s a breathtaking reminder of a filmmaker building a lasting legacy that hasn’t lost his abilities to make engaging pulp movies that thrives tackling sensitive subjects from a sense of humour whose timeless movies are definitely without a doubt worth celebrating.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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