Tarantino Adapts "The Thing" Into a Western

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2016)

In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter (Kurt Russell) and his prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.
Part of the fun of watching a Quentin Tarantino film is trying to determine all the references he makes to other films. Whether you consider them homages or theft, he is known for an endless amount of small tips of the hat. In "Hateful Eight", we get nods to "Stagecoach", "3:10 to Yuma" and "The White Hell of Pitz Palu", among many others.
The most obvious reference (and the film that Tarantino acknowledges was his "primary" inspiration) is John Carpenter's "The Thing". We have Kurt Russell, and we have an Ennio Morricone score (including some unused tracks taken directly from "The Thing"). When you boil down the plot, you have even the same story: a group of people trapped in a blizzard, with at least one of them being not who they say they are, but something much more dangerous.
In that respect, this is a fun movie and it is nice to see Tarantino convert Carpenter's work into a western. This is especially appropriate given Carpenter's love for Howard Hawks, and such westerns as Hawks' "Rio Bravo" (which Carpenter remade as "Assault on Precinct 13"). But it is not without its shortcomings.
Tarantino has given in to his excesses. With his bigger budgets and A-list name, he is allowed to do more or less whatever he pleases. This has a bit of a backfire effect. The script is not as tight as it should be, with the dialogue going into the cheesy or campy terrain a bit more than it should. And when a movie runs to almost three hours in length, this time ought to be justified. For "Hateful Eight", it is hard to justify it... there is no doubt a few minutes could have been trimmed here or there to keep the pace up.
Counting this as his eighth film (which really depends on how you count, but we will go with Tarantino's own method), it is one that fans will enjoy, but ends up being on the lesser end of his work. I daresay this is his second-worst film, with only "Jackie Brown" beneath it. In fairness, even a bad Tarantino movie is often better than the average film. But this is nowhere near the genius of "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" or "Inglourious Basterds".
As far as the Academy Awards go, the nominations for "Hateful Eight" ended up being spot on. Tarantino is typically praised for his writing, but as noted above, this is not a tight script, and it does not surprise me that it was passed over for a writing nomination. People may also be getting a bit fed up with how many times the n-word peppers the dialogue. While it does not offend me as much as it might others (I understand why it is used as it is), there does seem to be an over-saturation in this script, even more than "Django".
The Best Cinematography nomination for Robert Richardson is well-deserved. Very few films have ever been shot in 65 or 70mm, and the lengths the studio had to go through just for theaters to screen such a film deserve recognition. But the award may not be given to Richardson just the same. Why? Because of two things. One, not everyone is able to see the film in this way. Voters are probably watching the movie at home on inadequate screens. Also, the widescreen is best suited for the Colorado landscape, but the vast majority of the film is indoors. This makes the idea something of a waste, or maybe a gimmick.
The Best Original Score nomination for Ennio Morricone seems more likely. He was already given an honorary award, but could use a "real" Oscar to put on his shelf. Morricone is, without a doubt, one of the all-time greatest composers. And his work here is just as good as anything he has ever done. Is it as iconic as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"? No way. But how many scores are? He would have my vote.
Which leaves Best Supporting Actress, and the nomination of Jennifer Jason Leigh. Of all the categories for 2015, this may be the most challenging. Leigh is the presumptive front-runner, but I think Alicia Vikander was outstanding in "Danish Girl" and Rooney Mara has plenty of support for "Carol". Any of them could and should be honored. Although my instinct was to award Vikander, I am now leaning towards Leigh. Not only is she incredible in this role (remaining in the background of almost every scene), but it is high time she is awarded for past achievements. (Sure, that is not how the Oscars are supposed to work, but it is no secret that many awards are seen as "career awards"... and Leigh has been an unsung heroine for decades in such great roles as in "The Machinist" and "Existenz".)