Entertaining, balls-out fun, and oh, so Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds is one of those movies that you can’t help but enjoy. Brad Pitt fans flocked to see the movie because of star power, but at the end of the day this film was less about Brad and more about Quentin Tarantino re-writing history. The standout performance goes to Christoph Waltz, who played the Nazi intelligence agent Col. Hans Landa. While Inglourious Basterds doesn’t compare with legendary Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 or Reservoir Dogs the film quickly reinforces Tarantino’s title as one of the top filmmakers of our time.
If you expected historical fiction in Inglourious Basterds, you’d better think again. This film is more like the historical fantasy of what could have been. Surprisingly, until the end, the film isn’t as over-the-top or stylized as you’d expect from Tarantino. It doesn’t have the abundance of extreme gratuitous killing found in Kill Bill, nor does it have the mock-doc extreme-news-spoof style you’ll find in Natural Born Killers. Instead, Tarantino delivers a well-paced story that, albeit 15 to 30 minutes too long, sucks you into an alternate reality World War II.
Inglourious Basterds features Brad Pitt as a Lt. Aldo Raine, the headstrong leader of a lethal team of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds.” The group is notorious for killing Nazis, while always leaving one man alive to tell the story. Oh, and that man must where the brand of the Nazi swastika on his head, like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter.” On the Nazi front, Christoph Waltz delivers a stellar performance as the captivating Col. Hans Landa. From the moment Basterds begins, you will be won over by the slow-paced interrogation scene led by Col. Landa. Tarantino has long been a master of writing well-thought-out dialogue exchanges that end in death; the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds is one of his best.
The Blu-ray release is filled with bonus features. There are a few extended scenes, which is almost surprising. Given the length of Basterds, it feels like this is the director’s cut, but watching the extended scenes you’ll realize that there are large moments of dialogue left out. Basterds is one of those movies that have a film within a film. As the movie plays out, you will repeatedly hear about the premiere of “Nation’s Pride,” a Nazi propaganda film that features Pvt Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), a Nazi sniper legend who plays himself in the film. The premiere of the “Nation’s Pride” actually ends Inglourious Basterds. Many moviegoers always ask, “I wonder if there is a complete version of the film?” Sure enough, there is and Tarantino shot the film in the war-propaganda style that befits the era. There is also a special featurette on the making of “Nation’s Pride.”
There are also several fun featurettes included in this release. I enjoyed the Hi Sallys gag reel. Sally Menke has been Tarantino’s editor of choice since Reservoir Dogs. The gag reel shows just about everyone from cast to crew saying Hi Sally before or after a take. Two other notable bonus features are The Original “Inglorious Bastards,” which is a tribute to the original 1978 film, and the Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and film historian/critic Elvis Mitchell.
Inglourious Basterds is one of the most entertaining films of 2009 and another example of Tarantino’s inimitable style. The Blu-ray release is packed with bonus features as well as a digital copy, making it well worth the price.
Bonus Features
- Extended & Alternate Scenes
- Nation’s Pride – The film within the film Inglourious Basterds
- Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and film historian Elvis Mitchell
- The Making of Nation’s Pride
- The Original “Inglorious Bastards” – a salute to the original 1978 film
- A conversation with veteran actor Rod Taylor
- Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitters, the Australian beer
- Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel
- Hi Sallys – Gag Reel
- Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell
- Inglourious Basterds Poster Gallery
- Digital Copy of Inglourious Basterds
Title: Inglourious Basterds (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, Mike Myers, Eli Roth
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: Dec 15, 2009
Rating: 8.5 / 10
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