Tarantino loves these modern twists on the Spaghetti Western genre

Rating: 7/10 (14 November 2019)

The Hateful Eight is the eighth film directed by Quentin Tarantino. A director that has thus far delivered a filmography of fairly graphic violent, dialogue heavy productions that draw comparisons to other genres.
The Hateful Eight obviously draws parallels to the spaghetti western films that become popular in the late 1960s and featured heavily violent scenes in a Western environment and made mainly by Italian/Spanish filmmakers.
The film was notable on release in 2015 for being filmed in a 70mm film format rather than the standard 35mm that most films are made in. 70mm allows for a wider screen, more detailed shots apparently. I don't see the significance with this film. Aside from the first few minutes that show the breathtaking scenery of a snowbound, stormy Wyoming, U.S. location.
The story features some excellent casting choices most notably Samuel L. Jackson in a quite customary role. He plays a bounty hunter that reminded me more of his role in Die Hard: With A Vengeance with his seemed hatred of whites and use of the N word. Kurt Russell plays another bounty hunter, John Ruth who is transporting his captive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the town of Red Rock.
As the weather worsens outside into a stormy blizzard Ruth in his stagecoach takes shelter at a seemed bed and breakfast like location that the rest of the 'long' film is set in, Minnie's Haberdashery. The Haberdashery is the location as a group of highly dangerous, suspicious looking individuals take shelter. Each one armed, ready to kill each other. However where is the film going. It certainly takes a couple of hours for the impasse at the Haberdashery to take place at which I was left asking that very question to myself. It is only in the final act that the plot thickens. A good plot but difficult to maintain concentration for such a long time.
The film is as standard with Tarantino films dialogue heavy and consistent with his films in having memorable set pieces. The violence can be quite graphic and is not for the squeamish viewer. I am certainly glad I viewed the film although I would struggle to do so in a single sitting. An intermission is needed and was provided on its cinema release. In my case the intermission was overnight.