I had no reason to be nervous...

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2009)

I was nervous seeing this. Death Proof was a major disappointment, it felt all talk and no fun compared to the joyful Planet Terror; and my first experience with Kill Bill had left me scarred and distrustful of Quentin. I guess I thought I knew who he was after P.Fiction, R.Dogs and J.Brown; and probably all I wanted from him was witty dialogue. I guess I hadn't really paid attention to the other aspects of those films which QT has chosen to indulge long-term 1) they're all genre-exploitation 2) they all feature Surprise Symphony pacing, with long stretches that lull you into a sense of comfort, then sudden climaxes, of which several of his finest to date are contained in Inglourious Basterds.
Even though I love Kill Bill now, and plan to never see Death Proof again, I decided to expect nothing from Inglourious Basterds. I decided that even if I didn't like it, I might grow to like it some day. Basically, all my fears were unnecessary. IB is an immediately satisfying and mature work of art, with incredible pacing and structure, and stories that pay off big time.
More than anything else, IB demonstrates, perhaps just how much restraint QT is capable of. The moments are wrought with such Also, QT has finally given us some real characters, who seem to think and feel things. (Though obviously with a Tarantino-style panache). And damn it we really care what happens to them; which is something I don't think I've ever felt during one of his movies. This is landmark maturity from a director who has usually sacrificed sentiment for style. Not that this is a sentimental movie; God no. But I'll leave all of that up to your experience. Save to say that unless you're a bit squeamish and don't like violence at all, you'll want to see what Quentin Taratino has made for you.
As someone who was a big fan of early Quentin; and hesitant follower of the Kill-Bill saga, IB finally makes Quentin into a fully-rounded and satisfying filmmaker; his most mature work to date, sacrificing none of his flair and style. Should go down in the books as his best film, if not as historically important as Pulp Fiction.