Cinema That Sends a Message

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2019)

Inglourious Basterds exists on three levels:
1. The literal level, wherein a group of soldiers and a Jewish woman in hiding try to kill Hitler in order to end the Second World War. The events of this movie alone warrant a high rating, it's a vibrant and exciting film full of expertly written dialogue and great action.
2. The first metaphorical level- commentary on WWII. Tarantino relays his thoughts on Nazis through this film, a revenge story. The Basterds' actions often mirror those of the Nazis themselves (marking their victims, killing without remorse, etc.) In the end we get to see Hitler and Nazi Germany come to the end they deserved, the end we all wish they'd have come to in reality: They get, shot, blown up, and burnt to a crisp. It's cathartic, and it makes the point that figures like Hitler belong in the bowels of Hell, and they deserved a taste of their own medicine.
3. The second metaphorical level- commentary on the role of cinema. This is the most important message Mr. Tarantino has to deliver, and it is not one that is easy to decipher. Nation's Pride, the film-within-a-film, is a Nazi propaganda film wherein countless American soldiers die at the hands of a German soldier. This film is received with applause by its Nazi audience, Hitler included. The movie itself, Inglourious Basterds, involves countless Germans dying at the hands of American soldiers, and was met with universal audience acclaim. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Is Tarantino criticizing his audience? I do not know, but this film's true meaning lies here.
Basterds is a treasure trove of symbolism, and it just might be the greatest movie ever.