Inglorious Basterds is one of Quentin Tarantino's most successful film to date. Many of his distinct elements are in his film. Dark comedies, absurd situations when everything that can go wrong goes horribly wrong. There are clever dialogs, gun fight, violence and cruelty. Even the scene with three people point gun at each other, a tribute to Ringo Lam's City of Fire and a scene that appeared in his first film Reservoir Dogs, is used in the tavern scene. But there is one difference that makes Inglorious Basterds better than his previous films, it transcends.

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"You can end the war tonight", that was the question posed in the movie. In Inglorious Basterds, the history of World War II has been fictionalized. The familiar story is instead rewritten into something entirely different. Why? In that scene in the interrogation room a few people has the power to decide the course of history. Isn't it wonderful if there can be a button to push? A single act that will relieve us from suffering, liberate us from our worst nightmare, and turn things around for the better? I am quite taken by the idea. By constructing an alternative reality, Tarantino bring a fresh possibility into our mind. For this I find this film transcend us to a new level.

Of course the movie is superb throughout. There are memorable scenes one after another. Col. Hans Landa is one of the most fearsome character who's smile send chill down to your spine. There is the tense tavern scene and its unimaginable aftermath. There is Shoshanna in her red gown, standing in front of large circular window in the projection room. There is the botched Italian impersonation. And then there is the accidental hero Marcel, or rather the accidental martyr. History has called upon him and he accomplished his duty in one of the coolest cinematic scene by ejecting his cigarette butt.

There is a scene I only catch in the second viewing. In the projection room when Zoller turned up in an inconvenient moment, Shoshanna shoot him. She then turn away from his inanimate body to take a glance to the auditorium. There he was, Zoller's face is on the silver screen. His pensive expression speaks to Shoshanna after he was shot. The projection room drama is a great tragedy I will remember.

2011.11.24 [movie] - comments