There are two things that one can expect when they walk into a Tarantino film: great dialogue and a peppering of stylistic violence throughout. Well, in the case of "Inglourious Basterds", expectations are met. Yet, where "Basterds" was marketed as a revenge film with the emphasis on gratuitous violence, an audience member should know that there is a lot more dialogue then there is heads being bashed in. This is of course not a bad thing, as Tarantino proves once again that he is a master of dialogue as he makes long and drawn out scenes run with an undercurrent of anxiety and hilarity. From the opening 15 minutes to a rendezvous in a German basement, Tarantino constructs scenes with banter that rivals the scenes of violence when it comes to capturing the audience's attention. In all honesty, I feel the dialogue in this film is on par with that of what many deem to be Tarantino's masterpiece "Pulp Fiction." With that being said, it is important for me to not only credit Tarantino for creating wonderful dialogue, but also the actors, who deliver it with child-like glee. None does so better than Christoph Waltz, who plays Colonel Hans Landa (aptly nicknamed "The Jew Hunter") with maniacal charm. In every scene he's in, Waltz steals the show as he is able to generate a range of emotions from the viewer. In one scene we repulse him, in another we fear him, and in another we can not help but respect his perspective in regards to his place in the Third Reich. Sure, Brad Pitt's charismatic performance as country bumpkin 'Lt. Aldo Raines' is worth noting, but Waltz's makes the film.
Aside from Waltz's towering performance, another pleasant surprise that pops up in Tarantino's "Basterds" is its unpredictability. Most World War II films (or any war film in general) play to similar themes and arcs, as well as gives a healthy helping of morality, but this is not what we get in "Basterds." Instead, we get an unapologetic spaghetti western spin on one of history's grandest stages, where historical context is in place, but the outcomes that we come to know and expect are erased and replaced. Many people will fault the film for sending history in a different direction, but I applaud Tarantino for defying convention. After all, the "new" history created in "Basterds" is based on what could have happened had his characters actually existed during WW II. Although this review appears to be gushing over "Basterds", there were two gripes I just can't shake. The first gripe revolves around a segment involving Mike Myers. Although at times this segment can be funny, it ultimately felt like a filler scene just to get a British character involved. My last gripe revolves around the ending. I enjoyed Tarantino's closing moments to a degree, but I could not help but feel it was a little over the top and ultimately rushed. But, when I look at "Inglourious Basterds" on the whole, I can not help but see a fantastic film that ambitiously redefines your basic war film. From the extremely well crafted dialogue to the sparse stylistic violence, "Basterds" provides a great movie going experience. Even though I'm going to get a lot of jeers for saying this, I honestly feel that "Basterds" is Tarantino's best film.
