Inglorius Basterds

Genres : Action, Thriller, Drama 

Writer : Surya Turaga 

Date : 19th April, 2023 

Thought I should step away from sci-fi and go to a different genre entirely. Inglourious Basterds is an action thriller, directed by Quentin Tarantino. It’s an alternate history movie set in Nazi occupied Germany, and is an absolute classic movie. As any Tarantino film goes, this one resists categorization. 

About 20 minutes in, and you’ll be able to tell that this is definitely a Quentin Tarantino movie. His unique style of directing really showed in this film. He takes a lot of inspiration from the Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa. This movie is a bold and dramatic action filled film, one that shows its style with stunning cinematography and music. 

It’s hard to describe the plot. As most Tarantino films go, this one follows multiple plot lines. One features a Jew hiding in France, seeking to exact revenge. Another shows a psychotic team of Americans hiding in Germany, terrorizing Nazi squadrons. 

The plot lines stay separate, showing interesting stories, and it all comes together later in a blaze of chaos. Of course, I would love to discuss how well each line was developed, and how the plot slowly came together while still keeping the story a mystery. But that would be spoiling the fun. I’ll let you guys check it out. 

The storytelling is perhaps the BEST part of this film. Single shots of characters are just as amazing as the well written conversations are tense. Really, there’s no other way to put it. Every character has the unique striking element of drama you would see in a Kurosawa film. Heightened emotions, dramatic dialogue, everything. 

Christoph Waltz played his part to PERFECTION. Some didn’t like Brad Pitt, but I found him to be quite natural and charismatic in the film, playing the part of a semi stable American leader, fueled by an internal hatred. I’m not going to talk about Christoph Waltz. His character is truly one to admire with no previous knowledge or spoilers. 

There’s a lot of overdramatic violence, gun shooting, and semi realistic ‘blood spraying’. It’s nothing compared to Kill Bill, but still noteworthy. The music always fits the scenes, the characters play their parts well, and nobody ever knows where the story goes. Seriously, it’s just a crazy plot. 

Overall, not the typical movie at all. Some will love the drama. Some will be startled by the boldness of the film. And some may not like it for its violence and chaos. Inglorious Basterds is a big and bold film centered around WW2. It’s not very realistic, but it sure is a fun watch. Every minute of the film is satisfying. That’s for sure. 

Surya-o-meter : 91%