GMM: The Hateful Eight Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2016)

Not falling far from the Tarantino tree, his Hateful Eight film is one of the most raw, gruesome westerns era. This isn't a movie meant for the squeamish, even though there is rich attention to detail within character interactions, some scenes are topped off with some gut splattering visuals. Having a keen eye on how to induce suspense where most other directors fall blind, Quentin Tarantino tells the story of a stagecoach carrying two bounty hunters, a prisoner, and the supposed new sheriff, being stranded in a not so warm cabin occupied by a group of skeptical characters.
Following up from Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino introduces his 8th directorial film, in a similar fashion. Like Django, The Hateful Eight takes place in an era where it is common to carry one or two revolvers around your waist. The film, though the name refers two eight essential characters, focuses more on Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins). From the beginning, the level of personal communication these characters engage in is very captivating to say the least. As they discuss their current business and past experiences, the film portrays a very intimate suspense as each person is suspicious of the true intentions of the others.
This type of theme carries on through the rest of the film. The sort of "I don't think this man is who he says he is", aura that surrounds each character as they are introduced keeps the viewers engaged, despite the films near three hour run time. The communication between the characters and witty banter does at times provide some comic relief as well. There could have been a few scenes, such as the extended time spent focusing on the scenery in the first portion of the film, which could have been shortened. It is clear that Tarantino wants to immerse the audience in the atmosphere of his on screen vision. However, despite the suspenseful drama of the film, sitting in a theater for three hours may be a turn off for many movie goers.
Other members of the eight include Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), General Smithers (Bruce Dern), and Bob The Mexican (Demian Bichir). The members of the eight, which have each won multiple awards for previous performances, play an intricate role in the development of the movie. Each actor not only portrayed their character well, they displayed the appropriate chemistry amongst each other.
A nice little addition is that The Hateful Eight plays out just like a novel. Dividing segments of the movie into chapters, which are displayed on the screen, actually adds to the flow of the film and makes it seem like you are essentially watching a book. Tarantino does an excellent job creating the tone of the movie as well as depicting its setting. You can see why he prefers it being shown on 70mm. Certain scenes encompass so much detail, such as those in the haberdashery, that the film expresses more emotion and element in the moment. He does seem to do this better here than he has in some of his more recent films, and it is clear even if you don't see it in 70mm.
Perhaps one of the deal breakers for some is the films level of vulgarity and violence. As with the Tarantino "genre", very strong language, blood, and gore are essential. It would not be surprising if one or two people left the theater during the showing due to these aspects. However, the language appears true to the time period and nefarious nature of the characters. Some of the gore is a little over the top, but again, this is how Mr. Tarantino uses his artistic directorial nature. For those who can handle the violence, it ultimately makes the movie more entertaining.
Overall, The Hateful Eight was a long, but fun and wild ride. Not being able to predict the character's action and the uncertainty of their true agenda elevates the thrill factor for the movie. Though some parts of the film, such as the run time and intense graphic content may not suit some, The Hateful Eight is a true raw western. I very much enjoyed the film and felt it contained an enthralling story. The Hateful Eight receives a non- hateful 8 out of 10.