Flashes of brilliance, but no Pulp Fiction

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2009)

Quentin Tarantino remains a compelling, if slightly unfulfilled film maker, and I was very interested in this latest offering. The premise sounded like typical Tarantino comic book escapism. Set a film in Nazi-occupied France and have Brad Pitt lead a group of Jewish-American soldiers intent on collecting - literally - the prized scalps of the enemy and it seemed to provide the perfect platform for another trademark Tarantino blood and gore fest. But the film never quite delivers on its initial promise, and although there are flashes of brilliance, this is no Pulp Fiction. But it is essential viewing and whatever one thinks of Tarantino's subsequent career moves since the highs of the 1990s, there is little doubt that the man still possesses an abundance of talent and knows how to deliver popcorn cinema out of the mainstream. Christoph Waltz is excellent, none more so than in the opening scene where QT teases us with a scene choking with tension. And Brad Pitt is wonderful as the colourful Aldo Raine. Pitt hams it up with effortless skill, and despite his obvious play acting in the role, we still engage with his character. One wonders if his portrayal was almost an in-joke from Tarantino as a metaphorical take on the American military view towards conflict and wars in general. And with no pop culture discussions to engulf the characters given the time and place of the story, QT instead uses this film as a platform to show off his huge knowledge of world cinema, and barely a scene goes by without the director trying to dazzle us with his encyclopedic references. There is even a snippet of Ennio Morricone on the soundtrack. In some ways, this is less comic book than, say, Kill Bill, and Tarantino as usual sets up long scenes that double up as set pieces - not necessarily in action but dialogue. The film does veer off in unnecessary directions at times, and does not entirely convince - it sags badly in places in the second half - but this is still required viewing and Tarantino's unique view of the world remains watchable with interest.