Inglorious Basterds (2009)

**** out of ****

For a long time Tarantino has run hot and cold with me. I really liked “Reservoir Dogs” and then LOVED LOVED LOVED “Pulp Fiction”. His next effort was “Jackie Brown”, which was okay, and then the “Kill Bill” movies which I can watch but are not in the same league as his earlier efforts. “Death Proof” was the same – not awful, but what happened to the great dialogue, the “HOLY SHIT” moments and the dark comedy that could leave you in tears?

So when “Inglorious Basterds” was announced I wasn't sure what to expect. A historical WWII movie where he ignores actual history to make real characters part of his fictional story? Sounded weird.

But as the Mavericks sang, “Oh, what a thrill”.....

From the opening scene, which goes on for nearly 20 minutes, this is a truly wonderful, gripping, glorious film. Everything that Tarantino got right in “Pulp Fiction” he gets right again. Near-perfect performances, mind-blowingly wonderful dialogue, sharp and witty, dark and gritty, absolutely fantastic filmmaking. Even when things get a bit unrealistic it just doesn't matter.  Realism isn't required when everything is perfect.

Christoph Waltz is “The Jew Hunter”, an SS officer tasked by Hitler with finding the last of the Jews hiding in France. He is affable and personable, but utterly cold and ruthless in carrying out his orders. Basically the very definition of a psychopath.   Truly a heart-stopping performance from Waltz, who rightly won the Oscar for his role. His turn alone would make this a great film – he is that good in it.

But that's not all this film has going for it. Brad Pitt is fabulous as Lt. Aldo Raine, the leader of an all Jewish hit squad, the Inglorious Basterds, dropped by the allies behind enemy lines in France. Their orders are simple - as Aldo describes it, “one thing and one thing only: killin' Nazis”. He tells his squad prior to the start of the mission that each and every one of them owes him 100 Nazi scalps – and he wants them literally.

As Aldo and his crew are busy bushwhacking enemy troops, Joseph Goebbels is looking for a site to premier his new propaganda film, “Nations' Pride”. With the help of his movie's star, who is smitten with the theatre owner, they select a small theatre in Paris. But they don't know that the owner, Shoshanna, is secretly a Jew that has previously escaped The Jew Hunter (in the opening sequence of the film), and she wants to use the opportunity to strike back at the Nazis.

Fate brings everything together the night of the premier. The Basterds are there to kill as many Germans as possible, but when they find out that Hitler (as well as Goebbels, Goering and Borrman) will be attending it becomes an opportunity to end the war. Shoshanna meanwhile is making plans of her own to kill everyone in attendance. But unknown to all is that The Jew Hunter himself is hanging around and has a pretty good idea of all the plots that are being hatched behind the scenes. The crescendo that the movie hits is a bit unrealistic, but more fun than you'll have watching a thousand John Wayne war movies. It is utterly fantastic.

There is also a moment, between Pitt and Waltz, in the theatre lobby that is so funny that I literally fell out of my seat in the movie theatre laughing. Oh Quentin, your brain works in such bizarrely hilarious ways....

“Inglorious Basterds” was Tarantino's return to being Tarantino. His subsequent film “Django Unchained” was every bit as good as this one, if not better. It is a joy to see one of America's great filmmakers at the peak of his powers, and this film is worth every last second you spend watching it. An absolute joy, not to be missed by anyone who loves film. Fabulous.