Quentin Tarantino's audacious revenge fantasy deliver a sucker punch of darkly funny entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2015)

Quentin Tarantino brings his snappy filmmaking methodology and signature dark humor in the European front of World War II in this black comedy. The story on board here is a revenge fantasy against the sadistic dictator Adolf Hitler, leader of the Third Reich who threatened to dominate the eastern hemisphere during the early years of World War II. As opposed to be the typical Hollywood formula which often offers a more somber take on the grim subject matter, Tarantino defies against the usual standards, placing his tongue in his cheek with snappy, yet darkly funny dialogue and wildly colorful characters that suitably match up with his bold artistic style. The film is very talky with sudden bursts of graphic violence punctuating each sequence, but one thing that is for sure is that Tarantino is always consistent with keeping things bold and satirically funny while staying true its subversive nature. Set in the early 1940s, this film follows Lieutenant Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt), a bold-spirited American soldier who rallies up a team of young Jewish soldiers on a mission to murder Nazis in attempt to pursue after Third Reich leader Adolf Hitler. And he has a baseball- wielding Donny Donowitz (played by Eli Roth) at his assistance. This plan unexpectedly coincides with a similar plot hosted by German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark (played by Diane Kruger) and Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Melanie Laurent), an owner of a French movie theater, who has plans hosting a Nazi propaganda movie for the Nazi Party; which will allow her to burn down the theater to kill the party in revenge for the murder of her family at the hands of one of Hitler's sinister accomplices SS Colonel Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz)
Quentin Tarantino is not a director who typically exercises realism, as demonstrated in his previous works. In the case of this audacious black comedy, realism is not something you should come to expect as Tarantino pursues for a more satirical rendition on a war story that is never found in the history books but instead takes liberties from World War II's long and unsettling history. It is bold, yet engaging method that allows the director to establish an anarchic spirit into the plot while injecting a slew of devilishly striking dialogue and humor that pushes the boundaries of comedic edginess. From the opening scene introducing Christoph's Waltz's Hans Landa in a long conversation followed by a jarring massacre that sets one of the story lines in motion, this film journeys through a steady pace of interconnecting characters coming together to face down against the tyrannical ruler Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich, and is all exhibited a series of long stretches of conversations constructed with snappy Tarantino-style dialogue (most of which is spoken in German and French with English subtitles) punctuated with an unexpected burst o violence that leads to plenty of bloodletting and death. And it is all done with satisfying results, which is significantly impressive consider the prolonged 153-minute runtime. While those unfamiliar with Tarantino's style are likely to find themselves bored to death and disgusted the gruesome acts of violence committed sporadically throughout the proceeding, others will be wildly engaged in the director's outstanding method of writing and sketching out the characters. With each scene effectively building up to the ultra-violent, yet sucker punch of a climax, there is almost never a moment that feels squandered.
Brad Pitt, making his inauguration into the Tarantino universe, plays Lieutenant Aldo Raine, delivering each line of dialogue of bold spirit and enthusiasm to make his character stand out a pot of gold. Eli Roth also gets his time to shine in one scene where he delivers his revenge on an unapologetic Nazi. It is an aggressively brutal, but without a touch of humor, and Roth plays it out with great versatility. Melanie Laurent is great as Shosanna, nothing that will blow anyone else of the cast out of the water however. Daniel Bruhl, playing a small role as a French sniper with a fascination for Shosanna, is good. But again, nothing special. Without the doubt the big star in the crowd is Christoph Waltz who plays Colonel Hans Landa, the dubious German accomplice of the Third Reich with a sinister agenda. Portraying the character with unexpected charisma and humanity, Waltz goes against the grimness of a mindless Jew Hunter in favor of a more satirical portrayal of a morally despicable, and his performance shines like gold. Then there are few widely recognizable actors like Mike Myers and Michael Fassbender popping in small roles with sweet performances, but not enough to make them too memorable. And in like most of his works, Tarantino also leaves plenty of room for some less-known actors playing in minor roles. Too many to name, but the best I can say it that they are all mostly solid.
Inglourious Basterds is an audacious, yet devilishly entertaining take on World War II, and a solid demonstration on why Quentin Tarantino is such a respected Hollywood tycoon. It is violent, it is talky, but not without the clever methodology of Tarantino to keep things engaging and shockingly funny. This film is a shark that demands that is hungry for your attention, if you handle the ballsy nature of Tarantino's direction.