Brutal and Delicious

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2009)

Anyone who has read many of my previous reviews will know i have something of a gripe with Quentin Tarantino. Despite his unrivalled genius when it comes to cinematography and dialogue i always find his films to be a strudel without cream; a most unsatisfying prospect as Colonel Hans Landa will attest to. The lack in his previous work of any real tone of emotion and overload of dialogue (no matter how well written) lead me to find his creations far less immersive than the work of many other directors. However, Inglourious Basterds is a completely different batch of strudel. Never before has Tarantino's work been so transcendental, and never before has he made a film that i have found so complete.
If you haven't yet seen the film, you have good reason to be confused by my mention of Hans Landa. He is a little advertised character in IB, but no doubt steals the show. Christopher Waltz plays the "Jew Hunter" in such a convincing way, that i have felt genuine hatred for his character. His grotesquely charming creation is not only defined by his actions, but also by his ability to manipulate everyone from a lowly milk farmer to the British high command. i felt a pull in scenes involving Landa that i have never before felt during a previous Tarantino film, and it seems a perfect example of the director and actor working together and making something truly memorable. He really does steal the screen from far more well known actors.
Despite this, there is a real intrigue behind all characters in the movie. Pitt, making his debut in a Tarantino movie is brilliant as Lt Aldo Raine. He is as funny and smart as he is deep. Everything from his crooked smile to the unexplained scar along his neck adds to his presence on screen, and this is a blanket feeling. Each of the Basterds has their own distinctly different traits and Tarantino explores these in their actions, names and nicknames given by the German forces making a richer tapestry of characters than i am used to seeing. All cast members do a great job at creating an atmosphere as immersive as that of any film, a testament to the casting team, who somehow managed to cast effectively in 4 languages.
While all this is going on, the classic Tarantino cinematography and dialogue is still present, and never before have i seen a film incorporate humor alongside so many deeper issues as seamlessly. There is a witty quality to the script that leads to even long periods of dialogue with little or no camera movement to still be immersive and humorous. The blend of laughter and tension in many scenes is a rare and original concept captured perfectly.
Now from this review it sounds like a complex film and this couldn't be more true. In true QT style there are numerous story lines interwoven and this leads me to my only major gripe with the movie. Towards the end, it all comes together in something of a mishmash. You lose track of the differing motives of the different parties involved and you aren't aware of how much the different characters know of the others involvements. However, it is some climax. Unexpected, emotional and as always, brutal.
I loved this movie. At nearly 3 hours it would have been easy to make a confused mess of different plot lines buried under a mountain of dialogue pouring out of every bodily orifice, but nothing could be further from what we have here. No dialogue feels wasted and all scenes are aimed towards making the finale even more delicious. There is a simple way to describe how much i enjoyed this film. To paraphrase Lt Aldo Raine, "I think this might just be his masterpiece".