Inglourious Basterds...Inglorious indeed...
I love Quentin Tarantino’s movies. I think the badly reviewed “Death Proof” was pure, brilliant entertainment; a perfect homage to B-movies made in the ‘70s. Nonetheless, watching Inglorious Basterds I had the feeling there aren’t many good ideas in it. Actually, the movie appears to be repeating patterns already exploited, and the result is that even the B-movie-like scenes, rather than homage to a genre, become genre themselves, losing their appeal and originality.
Yet, the beginning dialogue is Tarantino’s best. It is well written, absolutely credible and unique in defining Colonel Landa’s disturbing inhumanity. And the rendez-vous in the French tavern is superb, feverishly quiet before the cathartic release of bullets, something always expected in Tarantino’s movies and nonetheless always successful. Here there is also a beautiful homage to Hutton’s Where Eagles Dare (1969), the Gestapo Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) bursting in to the scene the same way Gestapo Major von Hapen (Derren Nesbitt) does in Hutton’s movie.
Moreover, Brad Pitt and his basterds are as unlikely as catchy characters, whose definition inglorious couldn’t be any more appropriate, and actually it appears as though Tarantino could be able to re-define the British dictionary through his own characters.
However, the movie’s story line seems weak, just a pretext, as though plenty of stories had already been told about the WWII and there was no reason for another good one – and indeed, Tarantino feels even the need to change history with his surprising (?) finale. Yet, the story line’s weakness wouldn’t be a big deal, if the basterds were more present during the movie. I definitely would have loved to watch more about them and more inglorious actions.
In the end, I feel somehow disappointed, although I’m eager to watch it again, knowing that Tarantino’s movies give their best on a second date. I am sure I will enjoy the really good things I found in it. A propos, Rod Taylor, unforgettable protagonist of some great classic movies like The Time Machine (1960), The Birds (1963), Chuka (1967) and many more, is the finest Churchill ever seen on the big screen. Thanks to be still there, Rod!
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