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Tarantino�s �Inglourious� Alternate History
August 27, 2009
by Paul Donovan
Quentin Tarantino has always been a sort of cinematic renegade, lovingly mashing up various past film styles into his own undeniable look and feel. From �Reservoir Dogs� to �Kill Bill�, you can count on a Tarantino film to be gritty, vulgar, groovy� and violent.
It should come as no surprise then, that with Hollywood being remake-happy, Tarantino would jump on the bandwagon. But in true renegade fashion, it�s not what you would expect � either as a remake or as a Tarantino movie.
First, a couple of facts, so we�re all on the same page. In 1978, an Italian film was released with the American name �Inglorious Bastards�, about four U.S. soldiers on their way to prison who end up volunteering for a commando mission behind enemy lines. Tarantino took the name and the idea of rough-and-tumble American soldiers on a mission, and that�s where the movie remake stops. His movie is a remake, all right, but not of any old movie. He had the audacity to rewrite history.
Quentin Tarantino remade World War II.
This is an epic film about a group of Jewish American soldiers (led by Brad Pitt) who roam around Germany scalping Nazis. They end up being recruited for the ultimate commando mission: to kill Adolf Hitler. However, unbeknownst to them, a young French movie theater owner has a similar idea when she inadvertently gains access to the highest-ranking members of the Nazi regime.
�Inglourious Basterds� is Tarantino�s most epic and mature film to date -- not only in terms of story, but also in terms of filmmaking. There are some incredibly powerful moments (including the opening scene), and some wonderful performances (Brad Pitt is in rare form).
Tarantino is reaching for a different fan base with this one. This means he will probably lose some audience members who are expecting a new �Reservoir Dogs� or �Pulp Fiction�. Yes, his signature style, soundtrack, and raucous humor are intact. However, the movie is two and a half hours long, about half of which is in French and German � if you don�t like subtitles, you won�t like this. In addition, there are fewer over-the-top violent scenes (although there are still some).
To say much more would risk giving too much away � audiences should experience for themselves Tarantino�s vision of how World War II should have played out.
�Inglourious Basterds� is a breathtaking, beautiful, funny, tragic film that is a far cry from his more self-indulgent, culturally incestuous joyrides. It features amazing performances from most of the large cast, and, honestly, is one of the best films of the year.
Just don�t go expecting to see what you�ve already seen � from either Tarantino or the history books.
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