an Excellent Movie for True Cinema Lovers (spoiler-free review)

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2016)

The following review is 100% spoiler-free for those of you who are considering whether the movie is appropriate or not for yourself.
Quentin Tarantino's the Hateful Eight is truly a piece of art. I have seen all of the films that Tarantino has directed (except for Jackie Brown), and this is definitely his 2nd or 3rd best (after Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs).
This movie was excellent from all aspects. The cast that Tarantino managed to gather for this one is superb. The cinematography is, as in all Tarantino movies, exceptional and some of the best I've seen in a long time. The plot in this film is, story-wise, quite simple, however, the way it plays out and the order in which the events unfold make for an excellent, unique western story.
In the Hateful Eight, Tarantino captures his audience from the first shot shown on screen. Using rich dialogue and beautiful cinematography, somebody that truly appreciates film will find their eyes glued to the screen for the entire three hour runtime. Tarantino nailed the 70mm cinematography in this film. Since the aspect ratio on 70mm is huge (2.76:1), the camera can see much more than a normal 35mm camera can. The cinematography in this film was more than satisfying, with some unbelievable landscape shots, and very interesting shots from inside the main room from which the story is told, and from a horse carriage.
So, why the bad reviews? If this is such a great film, then there should be much less people that disliked the movie. Well, first of all, this movie is extremely violent. In fact, it is probably Tarantino's first or second most violent film (after Kill Bill Vol. 1...and I'm pretty sure the Hateful Eight was actually more violent). In fact, the movie is so violent to the point where I felt that some of the violence was over-the-top, felt out of place, and decreased the quality of the movie (hence the 9/10). I will not go into detail on the violence, due to spoilers, however, if you can not stomach strong violence, then this movie is definitely not for you.
Additionally, I realized that a lot of people in the reviews complained about how "boring" the movie was, and mentioned how they walked out of the movie in the middle. Well, I'd like to point out how absurd that is. The Hateful Eight is not your normal western or action movie, it is a one of a kind film. If you are going to watch this movie purely for the violence, or purely for the "beautiful 70mm landscape shots", then don't bother. And if you're complaining about the amount of over-the-top violence, well...it's Tarantino. And while I do admit that this movie was supremely violent, what do you expect? After all, it IS a Tarantino film. Anyways, a large portion of the film is a build-up, and is, of course, filled with Tarantino's excellent dialogue between the characters. So for those of you that walked out in the middle and complained about how "boring" the movie is...oh, well. I guess you don't have the time and patience to appreciate the skill that Tarantino has of toying around with words in between characters.
To conclude, the Hateful Eight is an excellent movie, and, in my opinion, one of Tarantino's best. However, it is not a film for everyone. It is not an action movie or a classic western. While some beautiful 70mm landscape shots are included, most of the movie is not just beautiful shots of nature and mountains. Nevertheless, the cinematography is still excellent. It is also extremely violent, so if you can't stomach violence, then pass on this one. If you don't appreciate or don't mind for rich dialogue between characters and the unique way that Tarantino builds suspense, then it's probably not worth your time. However, if you are a Tarantino fan, or show a true appreciation for cinema, or even, if this movie just caught your attention and you think you'd like it (and you can handle violence, of course), then give it a try. Approach this movie with an open mind, and I assure you, you'll leave satisfied.
9/10