Inglourious Basterds

I liked this movie - some say the beginning scene and the bar scene are boring and drawn out - but like others, for me these were really great scenes. I particularily enjoyed the dialogue and the patience in the scenes that created some real tension - very well done. If I had to say a negative, it would be Pitts character didn't do it for me - his acting/accent was a bit non-convincing...wasn't real for me. All in all a good movie. I can only guess that the Jewish community would take some delight in the fantasy of these events being carried out as they were.

 

I saw it last friday in the cinema. It was really entertaining but not brilliant by any means in my opinion. It was just good directed fun, but it came across as nothing special to me. Yeah, the combination of Tarantino's directing with this setting was special, but that's it. And there's nothing wrong with that, because that's what Tarantino's good at: recycling and pointing out the good stuff in cinema, combining it with sometimes seemingly irrelevant but very entertaining dialogues and excellent pacing.
There could have been more action but it didn't bother me at all. The beginning and the bar scene were both not boring at all to me either.

I don't understand, the style in this movie had Tarantino all over it. How can you say this is not a typical Tarantino movie?

 

Ha, they did that here on the other side of the world as well! I actually got a bit annoyed that at least a half of the theater felt like expressing their appreciation by excessive laughing at every little thing. They even clapped during the movie at times... Reminded me again why I almost never go to the cinema.

 

I really did not like this movie. Was there even one character is this film who was not driven by hate or just creepy in general. I like war movies where the characters struggle with their morals or conscience. Brad Pitt played his part very well though.

 

Same here with regards to movies (probably why I won't be seeing this film - I did say 'probably') and I, too, think Brad Pitt is a fine actor.

Tarantino is a weak director who goes under the guise of artistic whilst making light of human suffering. Not saying he's not an intelligent and creative guy but I have hated every film of his that I've given a chance. No more!

 

This was not ment to be a realistic war movie. Brad Pitt's character did already made that pretty clear. If you don't like vengeance or hate in a movieplot and you know Tarantino's style (which consists of much more than making light of human suffering of course) and don't like it this movie is obviously not for you.

 

A weak director? Are you kidding?

I don't think he ever 'makes light of 'human suffering'-- he creates characters which are intentionally artificial, and his films are meant to be regarded as postmodern pastiche, not taken literally. His characters are meant to be enjoyed, not identified with.

One cue to how his films should be taken is that his characters often love film-- it doesn't always come off as a coherent attempt at a meta-narrative device, but it does suggest that he firmly believes that movies are one thing and reality is something else, and he knows that people who watch movies want to watch a movie, not watch reality... which is a lot more honest than watching something that tries for reality-- because those kinds of movies always fail.

Tarantino does strike me as someone who loves to hear himself talk, but he does have interesting things to say and there's no doubt in my mind that he loves movies-- and while his films don't necessarily lead to profound revelations about the human condition, they are often passionate, vivid and establish deeper bonds with their participants than say 'How To Lose a Guy In 10 days', or some other dumb film that basically tells the same joke over and over, or shows a lot of things blowing up.

To portray him as a pure sensationalist is definitely selling him short. He's obviously a gifted auteur... but obviously, whether or not you personally enjoy his films is still up to you.

I also think that this was in many ways a lot more realistic and a lot less barbaric than a war movie that shows characters going through 'conflicts of conscience and morality'. Come on guys, it's a WAR. Anyone who has been involved in some dumb argument with someone over the Internet must know just how severely your own consciousness can twist up when you're presented with total anonymity and a climate of hate and violence. People are expected to kill during war, especially in the military-- and the killing only makes other people kill, etc. etc. I've never been in a war, but picture something like 9/11 happening around you EVERY SINGLE DAY and you'll probably get a good sense on what war is like for the countries most involved. I can remember how people felt right after that-- sort of like the people in this film, actually... and I live in Canada!!!!

 

Excellent post heywood, except I think a movie that tries to be realistic can succeed as well. Yes, it's hard to not romanticize anything at all but it can be a great result to keep it more realistic for sure. Anyway, Tarantino tries to entertain and he does it very well. And as disturbing as it may be for some people, this is very very true and so at least as righteous to portray as an unrealistic moral hero:

 

I believe you can portray the negative side of humanity in a 'sympathetic' way, in a meaningful way. I think what Tarantino does is simply glorify it. The people who seem to enjoy his films get a kick out of the gratuitous violence (as you can see from this thread) and getting some sort of excuse to behave dismissively (maybe not demonstrated on this thread but certainly what I've observed). Not everyone has to be peppy in a film to make it good and important. It doesn't even have to be comfortable to be quality but the only realism I see in films like this is obnoxious realism.

But! Thank you for respecting my right not to like them. To each his or her own.

 

It's true he likes to glorify the violence and doubtful behaviour of humans at times, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I enjoy it. Perhaps if I thought it has a big impact on the average persons behaviour as well I would think otherwise too but I don't think that's the case. As long as people don't let little kids see it I don't see anything wrong with a piece of cinema that glorifies these elements of reality and even take it out of proportion. It's all about how it serves the story or movie and how it's done. I can fully understand not everyone likes it though.

 

Macca,

I hear what you're saying, but I think you're missing the whole point of his films. I don't know why some people nowadays seem so hung up on a film being 'realistic'... if I wanted reality, I would go for a walk, not go to a movie.

I don't think he does portray 'human' suffering, because his characters aren't supposed to be humans, they're supposed to be characters. In fact, in many cases, he seems to go out of his way NOT to make them realistic. The mise-en-scene of practically every film he has done evokes cinema itself, not reality. This is why he's more honest-to-god filmmaker than all of those other 'realistic' directors, and also why his films so often manage to please crowds as well as critics.

Not sure if you've seen IB, but the way it ends is a good indication as to how realistic it is supposed to be. Sort of like the briefcase, or when the 'Twilight Zone' theme plays in Pulp Fiction, or the vampires in Dusk Til Dawn, or almost everything in Kill Bill. The playful touches are there to remind us what we're watching is a movie, and that no one is really getting hurt, or getting their heads chopped off, etc., etc.

On the other hand, I found that a lot of the violence in IB had the opposite effect-- it didn't energize the audience at all. In many ways, IB revealed that the violence was often perpetuated by the stupid, or the selfish, or the dishonorable-- it didn't seem to matter if they were Nazis or Nazi-killers-- everyone had their own sadism, and it wasn't at all glorified, or played for laughs, or seen as anything but barbaric.

My previous argument wasn't to say that IB is a realistic film, but instead to argue that the whole 'moralistic war film' with conscience and 'losing one's innocence' is overly optimistic and glossed-over-- and that, like most films that aim to 'capture reality itself', once again more reflects what we wish we were like instead of how we really are.

 

I thought it was great. And I must admit I love Brad Pitt in this one (I never thought I'd say that, hehehe).

 

i have also tried 2 down load this movie 2 no avail

 

This is still one of my Favorite movies this year, nothing has topped it for me!

 

i thought like all tarontino movies since pulp fiction that this movie was incredibly over rated and boring

 

I think his movies are generally overrated as well, but still fun and even good though. I don't see how they're boring.

 

well tarintino loves the dialog, and although it is well written it bogs down the pace of the movie. I dunno i would have liked to see the inglorious bastards kick a little bit more ass than they actually did. For how intense this movie was geared up to be it just turned into a talk fest like death proof and even kill bill. I think a better mix of action and dialog would have done these movies a lot of good

 

Well, I think if the dialog is entertaining and/or adds to the suspension, humor or story of the movie it doesn't makes it boring per definition. It's a pleasant change compared to other action or cult movies that have to be full with action in order to keep it not boring. Rather boring to me, a movie that has to lean on the action. As for Kill Bill, that was a really good example of a good mix of action and dialog.

 

I guess a good example of the type of movie I like that has a good mix of dialog and action would be sin city, the watchmen, or even pulp fiction. That is my idea of an intellectual thriller that prides itself on gore like inglorious bastards does. I think the biggest problem with inglorious bastards is that it was just marketed as a ridiculous action movie and it just wasnt.

I do think i would have liked it better if i hadnt heard any of the hype and didnt know what to expect. From the commercials I expected a rated R Indiana Jones almost. Action, adventure, and comedy with extra violence thrown in. instead it just felt bogged down. I do admit that i laughed and didnt hate this movie though, it just didnt meet my expectations. I didnt expect a mindless action movie, I just expected more from a movie about jewish guys getting bloody revenge on the nazis

 

This is one of the more overrated ones, one of the most boring torentino movies i have seen but i still loved it.