Oh my god they killed history! You Basterds!

Rating: 10/10 (3 September 2009)

So, the wait for "Basterds" is finally over. Was it worth it?
Let's look at the negatives first.
Criticism 1: It was quite "talkie" for a war film.
Yes, this is true. but this is no ordinary war film. whilst it is (very) violent in places, as one would expect from a modern war film, the film is an exercise in characterisation and with this in mind, it is very successful. Landa, Dreyfus and Raine are brilliant lead characters whilst the supporting characters, namely Sgt. Donny Donowitz, Lt. Archie Hicox and Bridget Von Hammersmark, are wonderful characters. So while this is a very dialogue heavy film, the dialogue between the characters both forms the story and strengthens the characters.
Criticism 2: It was too bloody and violent.
OK, let us look at films like Hostel. The violence is so strong and so frequent that we as an audience are numb to it and it becomes boring by the end.
"Basterds" is a war film after all so we can give it some leeway for being violent in places but it was realistic and it served a purpose.
Criticism 3: There was no story.
Like all of Tarantino's films (Jackie Brown aside) there is little story but whatever the story is, it is well executed and all plot holes are tied up by the end. When you go to see a Tarantino film, you should know what to expect by now.
Criticism 4: The music didn't fit.
I agree with this one on only one point. The David Bowie song, although it was used effectively and it suited the scene. The rest of the music was perfect for the film.
Criticism 5: It wasn't even remotely historically accurate.
Yes it was, the soldiers uniforms, set design, weapons, cinema (right down to the type of projector and films) were all accurate. it was only the story that was fiction.
So, was it worth the wait. You had better believe it