Tarantino's epic black comedy. Inglourious Basterds is a sprawling, rhapsodic, triumphant, ridiculously original cinematic experience

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2009)

Tarantino is possibly the greatest cult director to ever live -

Originality and Passion is something that is relatively scarce in the contemporary film industry, many directors now simply produce films for the whopping pay check after release (Michael Bay, Jason Friedberg...). Yet, Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is a gleaming example that there is still raw passion and bundles of originality nestled in the undercurrents of cinema. Tarantino's films most definitely have an acquired taste, his style is marred with obscure film references, heavy dialogue, dark comedy and you'd usually expect his characters to go into a burst of pointless chit-chat about pop culture. This is what his cinema is and he sticks to his guns, he's not tempted by the majority audience to cash in on. The beauty of Inglourious Basterds is that he sticks to his style, but he puts it into a totally different use to produce a wacky piece of cinema of the like that I've never seen before or never will!
Inglourious Basterds is split into five chapters that all have a distinct tone and direction. It involves two bloody stories of revenge and redemption coming together in a simply outrageous fashion. Melanie Laurent plays Shoshana Dreyfus, a vengeful cinema owner who witnessed her family get massacred by Nazi Colonel, Hans 'Jew Hunter' Landa (Christophe Waltz). Whilst, Brad Pitt plays Lt Aldo Raine as he leads a battalion of hate-filled American Jews on a rampage to kill Nazis. Both stories unite in a simply epic conclusion.
Once again, Tarantino gathers an admirable cast that fit the script. Waltz pulled off a great performance that should expect Academy recognition, Pitt was very good as the simple American lieutenant and Laurent was perfect as Shoshana. I could only complain about Eli Roth, but I don't want to waste my time explaining why as the reasons should be obvious!
Like a typical Tarantino film, there are flourishes of Morricone music, brilliant yet perhaps superfluous dialogue and plenty of violence. The film doesn't take itself seriously, it's just great fun and miles away from your normal war film. Tarantino treats sensitive issues like Nazism like anything else, producing a multitude of violence never seen before in his films.
Inglourious Basterds is a black comedy, we find ourselves laughing when in fact we should be shocked and disgusted. Yet, this doesn't suggest the story is lousy, it's actually brilliant. It's ironic and surprisingly gripping, all thanks to a script that I would describe as spectacular. The writing is subtle and at times, hilarious.
Tarantino's films have always been quite comical, yet this is his first all-out black comedy. The farcical story structure encapsulates a great atmosphere of stupidity, so much so that you can't help but laugh out loud at the end.
The film is most certainly an acquired taste, some may find the heavy scenes of dialogue as excessive or some may see Tarantino's attempts at black humour as immature and juvenile. Opinions were always going to be polarised as they were at Cannes. But I can tell you one thing, Inglourious Basterds sees Tarantino back on blistering form and I can't wait for his next project.
"Tarantino's hilarious film is an epic celebration of cinema"
"Laurent and Waltz shine in the best film of the summer"
"Wildly Original. A crazy, twisted, bloody war film that certainly has its dramatic moments exemplified by Tarantino's exhilarating music choice"
"Awesome, Dazzling, Beautiful. Inglourious Basterds fails to disappoint"
"Entertainment of the highest calibre"
"Has everything you'd expect from a Tarantino film. An experience for both film buffs and the ordinary film goer"
"I can guarantee, no-one has seen anything like this before..."
I've never had so much fun in the cinema.
9/10