Cast: Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brhl, Mlanie Laurent, Eli Roth, B.J. Novak
Genre: Drama | War
Country: US | Germany
Plot
During World War II a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout Germany by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish woman, Shosanna, who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
Review
Tarantino wouldn’t be Tarantino if the events didn’t unfold in elaborate set pieces that go on and on before exploding into vicious bursts of exquisitely-edited violence. Extended scenes in farm houses, cafes, and beer cellars luxuriate in peculiar detail, finely choreographed camera movements, and Quentin’s patented hard-boiled dialogue.
Jürgen Fauth, About.com
Brad Pitt has a terrific opening scene in which he plays, deliciously, with the rhythm of the language Tarantino has given him. He informs his men that he wants “100 Nazi scalps!” After a pause, he adds, “And I want my scalps!” After one last beat comes the capper: “Or you will die tryin’!” Tarantino writes wonderful dialogue, but he also gets lost in his own forest of language: he creates elongated scenes filled with words to build an aura of menace. That’s a lot of building, and the movie groans with the effort of sustaining all that tension.
