A must see for Quentin Tarantino fans

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2016)

Quentin Tarantino's 8th film, The Hateful Eight, is an expose on hatred, in its various guises, cleverly crafted in the form of a cinematic allegory. Why we hate, both individually and collectively, is rendered on the big screen for our consideration. For the sake of brevity, I'll explain by assigning each of the film's protagonists to one of the infamous Seven Deadly Sins, with one notable exception, to follow. My justifications should be sufficiently simple enough to warrant no further discussion. Our first protagonist, The Hangman, brilliantly portrayed by Kurt Russell, represents Greed. We are soon introduced to Wrath, personified in brutal detail by Samuel L. Jackson, as The Bounty Hunter. Pride, The Sheriff is well represented by Walton Goggins. Sloth, The Confederate, played by Bruce Dern, is perhaps the easiest deadly sin to recognize. We also have Envy; The Little Man (Tim Roth), Gluttony; The Cowpuncher (Michael Madsen), and lastly, Lust; The Mexican (Demian Bichir). But wait a minute, one might say, what about the eighth protagonist, The Prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh)? The Prisoner represents how we allow ourselves to become prisoner to our own fears and prejudices, leading us down the path towards hatred. There are also supporting characters, which could be said to represent the collateral damage the practice of hating surely incurs. The Hateful Eight is not for everyone, but it is a must see for Quentin Tarantino fans. It is aptly cast and the performances are very solid. The Cinematography is breathtaking, and the soundtrack is epic. Perhaps most importantly, it doesn't take itself too seriously; those who do not enjoy this movie surely will.