Inglourious Basterds

In einem zweieinhalbstündigen Tarantino-Film nur zwei delikat ausgefeilte und durch die Geschichte umgebene Figuren zu haben (Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent), wobei keine von beiden zu den "Basterds" gehört, das ist unverzeihlich. Die "Basterds" selbst bilden nur einen schwachen Rahmen des Filmes – ihr Potenzial fängt im Trailer an und endet im Schneideraum. Alle anderen Elemente *Cinema Paradiso*. (30.08.2009)

Tarantino has the craft down pat. He's great at leading actors, he's got a sense of timing, and his dialogue scenes have more punch than all of Bay's action scenes with screaming robots put together, but I can't digest the story he presents with the best of wills. The first chapter is phenomenal. It has everything: a great build-up, a sultry atmosphere, the suspense of what will inevitably come at any second, and the perfect entry of an extremely charismatic asshole. But the rest of the film, in my eyes, teeters on a thin line between sparse admiration and feelings of awkwardness, between what I am still logically willing to accept and what I am no longer. Narrative excess is fine, but everything has its limits, Quentin. (30.08.2009)

Surprisingly, Tarantino has fulfilled his promise and made a film that in his post-2000 filmography will have the same privileged status as Pulp Fiction had in the 1990s. You could praise pretty much everything about it, from the performances, through the script and the sharp dialogues, to some perfectly directed scenes (the beginning, the climax in the cinema, Shoshanna’s getting ready…). Inglourious Basterds is the best film I’ve seen in the cinema so far this year and I think District 9, Antichrist and Avatar are the only ones with chances to be better. PS: The last line of the film could have been said by Quentin himself. (28.08.2009)

A film by a filmmaker who loves films. Tarantino's synthesis of B-movie aesthetics has (for now) reached its ultimate stage in the form of a war opus. There’s room for references, his own ego, and a final chapter of historical revisionism that, if it hadn't been making fun of the previous ones all along, would hardly have been understood. A pleasant surprise to my own expectations. (07.10.2009)

In früheren Filmen verehrte Tarantino alles Mögliche, doch mit diesem Werk verbeugt er sich so vor sich selbst. Und tut das auch noch überhaupt nicht schlecht! Der umstrittene Filmemacher vermag zwar seine Markenzeichen nicht leugnen, jedoch die Inglourious Basterds klingen irgendwie sesshafter, vernünftiger und gemäßigter als seine nervige Genre-Onanien in der Vergangenheit. Wenn ich einen Charakter wählen sollte, mit welcher die größte Ähnlichkeit besteht, wäre dies zweifelsohne Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Die Inglourious Basterds haben Charme, Zynismus, Geradlinigkeit und erzählen uns eine Geschichte im langgezogenen Südstaatenakzent. Die Dialoge und individuellen Situationen erstrecken sich unglaublich in die Länge, jedoch zeitgleich erzeugen sie perfekt eine Spannung zwischen den Charakteren, die jede andere Replik in einen scharfen und kurzen Schusswechsel verwandeln kann. Überraschenderweise sind die Inglorious Basterds kein Actionfilm, sondern ein Konversationsfilm. Was gibt es dem Ganzen vorzuwerfen? Dass hier auf einer unheimlich großen Fläche nichts gemacht wird, außer eine banale Partisanen-Story vorzutragen, Comicfiguren darzulegen und sich den subversiven Kräften des Films zu beugen. Wenn ich es das nun mit Tarantinos vorherigen Filmen vergleiche, ist dies ein fertiges Epos ... Meiner Ansicht nach ist dies wohl der beste Film des Königs des Filmpulps. (17.08.2009)

If it weren’t for the initial Leone-style chapter, I would have no objections. But that chapter is there. And its matchless genius sheds a big shadow over the rest of the movie that it doesn’t manage to escape (with the exception of the exquisite tension build-up in the bar). But even so... To satisfy everybody’s great expectations with a few guys in uniforms blabbing away about bullshit for two and a half hours in about seven different interiors deserves applause alone. Simply wunderbar! P.S.: And I want Tarantino to make a regular spaghetti western at last. He’s been heading toward that all his career, so why avoid the unavoidable? P.P.S.: Having watched the Basterds for a third time in just a couple of weeks, really enjoying myself each time, I realized that full stars is more suitable, and so I changed it. ♫ OST score: 5/5 (20.08.2009)

Perfectly attractive environment, tension in every dialogue without any hint of the punchline, and an end to endless self-indulgent digressions. Tarantino has matured. (22.11.2009)

I wasn't looking forward to the film, so I kind of secretly thought that if I wasn't looking forward to it, I might enjoy it. Wrong, I didn't. Well, a couple of scenes were really good, but the rest of the movie, the rest of the 140 minutes? “Why am I yawning? Why am I looking around at everyone else? Why am I thinking about what I have to study for school tomorrow? Wait a minute, what am I doing here? Aha! Watching a movie... What's the movie about?" I'm not saying the actors didn't act well, on the contrary, some of them played first class psychos, but that's not enough for me. This movie left me completely sleepy, unsatisfied, and even more, a little disgusted. And it's not the scenes where he beats someone up – I was even saying that if he didn't smash his head in with that baseball bat, I'd give it one less star... Please explain to me what's so good about this movie! I really don't see anything there, apart from a few scenes and the fact that they really used several different languages. If I hadn't seen the film I wouldn't have missed anything, I wouldn't have been deprived of anything in my life; on the other hand, I feel like the film robbed me of a good 140 minutes, and that's not a negligible amount of time. So I just won't give it more, even if they begged me on my knees!! X-D (27.01.2010)

If Quentin's sex life resembles his films, then one sexual act equals two hours of loaded nonsense and macho poses, only for his member to helplessly deflate after a few seconds. I have already mentioned in Tarantino's case that his first three films impressed me, but then he and I stopped understanding each other. However, I do like war films, so Quentin could have hit the mark with me here. His strong points are creativity and knowledge of cinema, which few can boast of on a global scale. Unfortunately, I don't enjoy deciphering all the references to films that Tarantino has watched in his garage, and on the contrary, I often feel like kicking him for how shamelessly he treats his ideas. There are many potentially interesting characters, but they remain as flat as a sheet of paper and only serve as a starting point for a quip or a joke. The only well-developed character and at the same time the only (anti)hero deserving the label of a despicable scoundrel is Colonel Landa, played charmingly by Christoph Waltz. The war hero adorably portrayed by Daniel Brühl is also worth mentioning, where Tarantino's sense of irony is palpable. All the members of the Allied unit are mere pawns without potential. What hurts the most is that Tarantino fails as a storyteller. The film does not work as a cohesive genre piece; it is an unabashed pulp film with a series of functional and humorous individual scenes, where Tarantino's sense of working with genre clichés, which he systematically turns on their heads, shines through. However, as a whole, it is rough, also because the degree of exaggeration fluctuates, just like the film's placement among genres. I least mind the fact that Quentin mocks history. The first ten minutes are fantastic; the scene of the execution of refugees is chilling and stylish. If Tarantino had maintained that level, he would have earned a solid 5 stars from me. However, he immediately slips into excesses, and the style vanishes. Tarantino caters to many viewers who want to "switch off," but they are too educated and knowledgeable about the world of film to be satisfied with a B-movie action flick. Quentin accommodates them by serving a postmodern mishmash with a variety of effects and tricks. He has always been a supporter of the idea that films are here for entertainment. Those who seek a message can confidently turn to the postman. Overall impression considering Landa and the charms of both femme fatales: 60%. Unfortunately, I must state that considering the exclusive international brand that Tarantino represents in the world of film, he is very conformist and could have gotten more out of himself. Outside of Hollywood's rules, he only goes so far by cleverly and justifiably using four languages in situations where the American audience strictly expects entertainment in English. (24.04.2013)

After seeing Death Proof, I said to myself that Quentin should have a crack at the Basterds, but I really didn’t expect him to react to my words. But it was a good decision and I can just say: “I’m happy. Good old Quentin is back." The dialogs deserve a chapter to themselves. Tarantino really enjoys himself and the Germans turn into a band of blabbering catchphrase mongers. The same applies to Pitt’s Apache Aldo and to all of them, in fact (yes, Diane Kruger too). Til Schweiger plays the role of his life (I bet his character was originally written for Schwarzenegger). But it’s mainly Christoph Waltz who gives an acting recital, and he literally shines throughout the movie and I think an Oscar nomination is essential. Melanie Laurent absolutely buries Uma Thurman and Kill Bill. Her revenge is far more punch and emotions can be wrung out by the gallon. The climax of the movie is the first chapter which is a western set in World War Two. The atmosphere can be cut with a knife and the unknown actors are completely at one with their characters. And the music by Ennio Morricone sends chills down the spine and the story takes you off into movieland. Beautiful. P.S.: The trailer gives a false impression. It’s more or less only about chapter two. But the main story takes place in the other chapters. Unexpected. P.P.S.: And who didn’t notice that S. L. J. talks about how flammable celluloid is. (31.08.2009)

Dr Film war nicht schlecht, hat mich aber auch nicht gefreut. Ein paar nette Sprüche, vielleicht ein paar aufschlussreiche Verweise auf Reichsfilme und Streifen aus der Weimarer Republik, aber... Vor allem das Trio Pitt-Schweiger-Brühl war fade. Und die Frauen? Völlig nicht-fatal Laurent und Kruger. Sicher, es gab ein paar nette Ideen, jüdische Rache, ein Hakenkreuz auf der Stirn und ein paar gute Details aus der Zeit, aber sie gingen im totalen Versagen der Zeit unter. (10.03.2010)

Tarantino's direction is again phenomenal, full of fabulous scenes and great directorial ideas. Unfortunately, the setting of World War II somehow does not suit some of his typically over-the-top elements and the overall feeling. Above-average filmmaking, especially thanks to the performances, but the plot is quite hard to digest. (13.12.2009)

Maybe not the best, but for me certainly the most entertaining Tarantino film, it doesn’t have a quiet moment. The chapters work great, both on their own and as part of a coherent whole (unlike, for example, the first Kill Bill), the wisecracks are lethal, the long dialogue foreplays are amazing, and the actors are perfect – Pitt has never been more fun and his Italian-American always kills me, Til Schweiger is awesome, Mélanie Laurent is an amazing discovery and Christoph Waltz is the discovery of the century. The work with the pace of the narration is excellent both at the scene level (driven by flashbacks and the narrators) and as a whole (a smart alternation of lines that systematically intersect until the climax, where every party has a strong interest). And even though it has bothered some people, I really loved the way it rewrites history to strengthen the moment of surprise and to highlight the unique character of the villain, Landa, who thanks to Waltz's flawless performance, transforms the most important and potentially questionable twist into a fun and understandable one. One of those gems that I can watch again and again and I always find something new. "Say 'Auf Wiedersehen' to your Nazi balls!" is the wisecrack of the decade. 95% (09.04.2019)

Wenn ich beschließe, einen Film von Quentin Tarantino zu sehen, muss ich mir vorher darüber im Klaren sein, dass ich mich in einer verrückten Welt wiederfinde und auf ihre Bedingungen eingehe. Würde ich das nicht tun, wäre ich vielleicht verärgert, enttäuscht, pikiert, verstimmt aus. Ich bin weder ein enthusiastischer Anhänger, noch ein eifriger Kritiker des "Verrückten aus der Videothek“, aber ich kann ebenso nicht sagen, dass er und sein Schaffen mir gleichgültig sind. Seine Filme beurteile ich einzeln, ohne Zusammenhänge und Anknüpfungspunkte. Death Proof – Todsicher hat mich nicht besonders angesprochen, die Inglourious Basterds dafür aber umso mehr. Vor allem als Germano- und Frankophiler, dass in zwei Dritteln des Films meine zwei Lieblingssprachen zu hören sind, in dem meine zwei Lieblingsschauspielerinnen (wie anders - eine Deutsche und eine Französisch) mitspielen und die absolut überragende Leistung von Christoph Waltz, der in diesem Jahr wirklich konkurrenzlos ist. Sein schleimiger, hochintelligenter und sadistischer "Judenjäger“ kann niemanden kalt lassen. Der ganze Film ist kurz gesagt hervorragend gedreht, wie immer voll mit toller Musik und serviert eine Plejade bedeutender europäischer Schauspieler. (31.08.2009)

I am crazy about Tarantino's films and "Inglourious Basterds" didn't change that at all. And if anything, only in the most positive sense of the word. Tarantino has an incredibly certain direction, serving the viewer exactly what he intended, not afraid to further experiment with the camera, with the structure of the story, with the length of scenes, with the casting of interesting actors, with violence, or even distorting historical events. This is the purest A-grade B-movie that simply no one else can make. (19.04.2014)

Your reputation precedes you, Master Tarantino :))) A somewhat unusual WWII odyssey (that it wasn't exactly going to be an exemplary university course on the Third Reich was well known in advance) that is compact and masterful in every way. But that it would be an exemplary and proper piece of excellent filmmaking, I knew from the first minutes. Even the "mere" first chapter, which, apart from the conclusion, rests "only" on excellent, but really excellent, dialogue, gives a hint that Basterds is going to be, above all, a royal helping of entertainment where there is no danger of being disappointed by an undeveloped script or underdeveloped characters. Tarantino gives each character in the script adequate space relative to their importance in the plot and, naturally, the potential of the actors. I didn't consider any of the characters underdeveloped. Careful choice of music, once again fresh and imaginative directing (the flying cigarette butt, whiplash, the tense conversation in the spinning circle of the camera), a script with Oscar ambitions and the absolutely, but really absolutely perfect Christoph Waltz (also at least that nomination, please:) a.k.a. Hans Landa – brilliant, really brilliant. --- I WANT MY SCALPS. --- (22.01.2010)