Under the direction of Adolf Hitler, an estimated six million Jews were murdered, methodically. However, what if the Holocaust never happened? What if Hitler was assassinated before he could carry out his Final Solution? What if, instead of a charismatic and commanding orator, Hitler was a cape-brandishing mouse-of-a-man, constantly outwitted by a gang of Jewish mercenaries under the command of a Tennessee hillbilly?
Those questions, among others, are toyed with in “Inglourious Basterds” (yes, the spelling is correct), the latest film by Quentin Tarantino.
With allusions to Spaghetti Westerns (the opening chapter, “Once upon a time in Nazi-Occupied France…,” is classic Sergio Leone) and old-time World War II flicks, “Inglourious Basterds” is Tarantino’s attempt to recreate history. Yet, if a viewer only wants to witness classic Tarantino shock-and-awe, he or she will not be disappointed: the scene where a Nazi officer is shot repeatedly in the testicles is quiet gruesome. However, what makes “Inglourious Basterds” work is the cast, which becomes the main force that keeps viewers sitting in their seats throughout the film (running-time is a sold 2 hours and 32 minutes).
First, we have Lt. Aldo “Apache” Raines (Brad Pitt), a burlesque caricature of a Southern-American male leading his gang of Jewish renegades, the Basterds, in quest of 100 Nazi scalps. Raines is brash and matter-of-fact, as evident from his constant quips. Take his response, for example, to Basterd Lt. Hicox (Michael Fassbender) over Bridget von Hammersmark’s (Diane Kruger), a Basterd supporter, error in choice of a rendezvous point: “You don’t got to be Stonewall Jackson to know you don’t want to fight in a basement.”
And speaking of the Basterds, we have Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), who has earned infamy for being a sadistic Nazi-killer. How sadistic? He’s the aforementioned testicle-shooter. Then, we have the baseball-bat-wielding Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth), who is so feared amongst the Nazis that they have nicknamed him the “Bear Jew.” Donowitz and Stiglitz, along with the rest of the Basterds, prove to be the perfect support for the over-the-top antics of Raines.
However, despite the fantastic work of Pitt and the rest of the Basterds, it is Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, Raine’s main antagonist, who steals the limelight. Waltz uses his skill (in addition to his acting, Waltz speaks in substantial lengths in English, German, French, and Italian throughout the film) to establish Landa as a mordant, witty, vicious, intelligent-for lack of a better word-bastard who always seems to be three steps ahead of the Basterds and even Hitler and the rest of the Nazi high command. It might be too early, but Waltz’s portrayal of Landa should definitely put him in the running for a Best Actor nod at next year’s Academy Awards.
The above should not surprise those familiar with Tarantino’s work. From his breakthrough film “Pulp Fiction” to the samurai-themed “Kill Bill” volumes, and now, “Inglourious Basterds,” Tarantino has proven he still has a knack for establishing memorable characters that at times transcend their respective movies.
Released August 21, 2009 in the United States by The Weinstein Company, “Inglourious Basterds” is rated R and can currently be seen locally at Hollywood Theaters and Cinemark Mall del Norte.