Fellman's Movie Reviews

Inglorious Basterds is a 2009 black comedy directed by Quentin Tarantino. It has an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Cristoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Druger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schwieger, and Melanie Laurent. The movie is an alternate story about the end of World War 2, ending in a movie theater, with the revenge of a Jewish survivor who owns the theater. Brad Pitt and his crew of Jewish soldiers, “The Basterds”, are also wreaking havoc on the Nazis throughout the entire movie as well.  

This is probably Quintin Tarantino’s best film since Pulp Fiction. Each scene is its own little story. You get lost in the dialogue because of what’s happening. It’s enthralling and engaging. It’s a good script. Even something as simple as Mike Myers describing the mission of Operation Kino to Lt. Hicox is a genuinely intriguing scene. You want to hear what they’re saying. It seems important.  

I was reading reviews from some critics who said that this movie was basically Holocaust denial and that it was rewriting history. This is a movie. It’s not a documentary. It’s a work of fiction. Saving Private Ryan was about World War 2 as well, but I don’t think it was historically accurate.  

You can’t deny the acting in this movie is just amazing. I think this is one of Brad Pitt’s best movies. The character of Aldo Raine is one of my favorite characters. And Hanz Landa is now one of the most well-known villains in cinema thanks to the acting talents of Christoph Waltz. It’s just a well put together cast, from top to bottom.  

And the end really finishes with a bang, (no pun intended). It goes from Raine and Utivich negotiating with Landa, back to the theater where all hell breaks loose. And things go south really quickly. Which, I assume they would in a situation like that. You wouldn’t expect people to react casually under those circumstances. That was probably the most realistic scene in the movie when you think about it.  

So, yeah. Go and see Inglorious Basterds. It’s probably one of Quintin Tarantino’s best films. It’s won plenty of awards, for good reason. The only thing bad about this movie are the reviews of some critics who didn’t quite get what this movie was going for. But, hey, there’s no accounting for taste. And as always, keep on watching, with a smile on your face…