Column:

'Basterds' retains quintessential Tarantino characteristics

The characters, witty dialogue and gore show off the director's quirks.

By Katy Wagner

Published Sept. 1, 2009

"Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France..." is easily one of the most peculiar opening title cards audiences will ever see, but that does not keep it from being incredibly badass. The same can be said for "Inglourious Basterds" itself and for its loud, bizarre and categorical director, Quentin Tarantino. If you let it, "Basterds” will be the most entertaining movie this year.

With "Inglourious Basterds," Tarantino provides us with an outlandish, alternate history. The movie, set in France in 1944, gives us the WWII we can only wish were real.

To be honest, "Basterds" was completely wrongly marketed as a Brad Pitt vehicle, but the movie actually focuses half of its time on a French-born Jewish woman who lives in Paris. That's not to say the film suffers from double-story lines. "Basterds" is a masterpiece, and every aspect of the movie comes together in a satisfyingly dizzy climax.

All cylinders are firing in "Inglourious Basterds," but without the stellar cast, the movie would be going nowhere. Christoph Waltz is already gaining a considerable amount of critical acclaim from his pitch perfect turn as the slimy, terrifyingly pleasant Colonel Hans "The Jew Hunter" Landa.

Obviously, Brad Pitt's performance will be talked about for generations. This also serves as a brash reminder that even though he spends most of his time playing himself in "Ocean's" movies, Brad Pitt is easily one of the best character actors of our day. And as odd as this sentence is to write: Adolf Hitler is a total scene-stealer. Sure, Hitler might not have been like that in real life, but Martin Wuttke's Hitler is how I've always imagined the Führer.

Even the background players are wonderfully intricate. From the German-born Jewish superhero Sergent Hugo Stiglitz to B.J. Novak's Smithson Utivich, every role practically begs for a background. Gossip is already churning up rumors that the actors are begging Tarantino for a prequel, which the "Basterds" completely deserve.

As we all have heard, "Basterds" stands as a true return to form for Tarantino. After a string of remarkably long, messy and self-indulgent films, we finally find the Tarantino who gave us "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs." Although "Basterds" definitely carries all the earmarks of a traditional Tarantino film — lengthy dialogue, dark humor, outrageous characters and multiple plot lines — it is easily Tarantino's most concise film since "Reservoir Dogs."

"Basterds" is a textbook Tarantino film, so audience members need to be prepared for what that entails. Yes, there is more dialogue than action, but pay close attention, and you will realize the dialogue retains its snap through three different languages. Naturally, the gore factor is ridiculously cranked up, but they outline scenes bound to become legendary. Not to mention, Tarantino's vendetta against CGI provides the action with a thoroughly visceral look.

Judging by the last lines of the film, Quentin Tarantino believes "Inglourious Basterds" is his masterpiece, and I'm inclined to agree with him. "Basterds" clearly takes all of Tarantino's directorial characteristics and heightens them. The result is a masterful collage of colorful characters, wit and blood spatter. If you walk into "Basterds" with the full knowledge that it is a brazenly Tarantino film, you will fall in love.