WWII fantasy

Rating: 7/10 (22 August 2009)

WWII drama is actually a fantasy about a small group of American Jews who land in Nazi-occupied France for the purpose of killing as many Nazis as possible. Brad Pitt leads this ragtag but deadly group. Director Tarantino breaks up the movie in chapters, which makes it comprehensible. Everything comes to a head at a Paris theater debuting the latest Nazi-made movie, "Nation's Pride," which all the top Nazi brass including Hitler will; be attending. Pitt is hilarious as Lt. Aldo Raine, the Tennessee-born head of the assassins. Most of the cast is European and unknown here, but special mention should be made of Chris Waltz who plays the fictitious Col. Landa. He steals every scene he is in as a flamboyant, cruel and opportunistic SS officer on the hunt for Jews. Also, an actor named Til Schweiger makes quite an impression at a former Nazi who loves to kill Nazis. And he does so with a very big knife. Some film fans may recognize Diane Kruger as a double agent, and in a bit of stunt casting, horror director Eli Roth plays one of the the Basterds. True film buffs will be reminded of THE DIRTY DOZEN, although this long film (153 minutes) is not in the same league with that all-time classic. The music choices are uneven, and occasionally disrupt the film. Gorehounds will certainly enjoy the killings, some of which are accomplished with a Louisville Slugger. A couple of closeup scalpings are fun but hard to watch, and there's an absolutely exquisite moment involving one of Pitt's fingers poking around in a fresh leg wound. A good, not great film, perhaps better viewed in segments when it arrives on DVD.