A glorious comic book for grown-ups

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2010)

Quentin Tarantino continues to assert his unique niche among filmmakers with "Inglourious Basterds."
What makes Tarantino's films work is that he's able to take elements from his favorite genres--some of which are not well respected in film circles--and turn them into something entirely his own. So it is with his WWII saga, "Inglourious Basterds." The tale of good ol' boy Brad Pitt and his all-Jewish Army unit whose sole goal is to "kill Nazis" draws obvious comparisons to films like "The Dirty Dozen," but Tarantino's inspiration comes more from spaghetti Westerns--from the music down to the camera angles (an early shot of Christoph Waltz with his gun pointed at the camera echoes Henry Fonda in "Once Upon a Time in the West").
The clever dialog that made "Pulp Fiction" and the "Kill Bill" saga so enjoyable is well on display here. So is the blood 'n gore for which Tarantino's name is almost a synonym (although the film is less bloody than "Kill Bill Volume 1"). At the same time, Tarantino shows the ability to thrill and chill without any blood. The banging of a baseball bat in the distance comes across as more chilling that an on-camera beating with the same bat. Contrary to what his critics may say, Tarantino is far more than a one-note goremeister.
As I write this, Waltz is the favorite to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and I can see why. His "Jew Hunter" is not the stereotypical Nazi officer who shouts things like "Schweinhund!" He comes across as a gentleman as he subtly makes his evil intentions known, as in Chapter One of the tale. As the story develops, he becomes even more complex--the movie's most interesting character.
My only issue with this film is that the Basterds themselves could have been fleshed out more. I would have liked a bit more about their backgrounds and motives. Even though the film is named for the Basterds, the most developed characters are outside that group.
With "Inglourious Basterds," Tarantino has created yet another big, bad, bloody, and, yes, glorious comic book for grown-ups.