Well, Well, Well, How the Turntables!

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2020)

Set in Nazi-occupied France with solid dialogues in four languages, vivid violence, a young Jewish girl, bloodthirsty American soldiers, a grand Nazi night and plans to take down the Third Reich that you wouldn't find in any history books. Quentin Tarantino's attempt to right the wrongs of the past brings to life one of his finest films- a dark, comic fantasy.
Inglourious Basterds unfolds in five chapters and features one of the best opening scenes.The fifteen minutes segment introduces us to the ambitious, ironic and fantastical Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), Nazi Sherlock Holmes, interrogating a farmer for the whereabouts of the Jewish Dreyfus family. Waltz's impeccable performance blends charm with villainy and earned him the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The second chapter introduces the Basterds, led by the cool and comical Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), infamous for their barbearic (pun intended) ways of warfare. The British send in one of their own, Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender), a film critic war hero, with a plan spiced up by the gorgeous German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger).
Coinciding with their plan is that of the vengeful Shosanna Dreyfus' (Mélanie Laurent). Her story is the film's heart and helps connect the dots. Laurent plays the role our traumatised heroine elegantly. She is symbolic of what a persecuted people feel under tyrannical foreign rule which sometimes manifests itself as the constant annoying presence of Pfc. Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), the poster boy for Nazi propaganda.
Not for the fainthearted, Tarantino stylises violence to the point of cathartic sadism doused with comic relief. Some scenes get so nerve-wracking that even four languages are not enough to describe them and rely on emotions. The movie culminates with a cataclysmic ending at Shoshanna's cinema. The outright unpredictability makes it engrossing from beginning to end despite its long runtime, leaving us wondering how the tables turned (pun intended).