Inglorious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s popular war drama with a touch of humor, satire and exaggeration. The film is considered one of the best in the career of an American director. He deservedly received an Oscar in his time, and Christoph Waltz won his first statuette.
Speaking about the meaning of the film, it is impossible not to mention Tarantino’s style, which in its own way speaks about the meaning of the film more strongly and more precisely than any of the most famous film critics. Tarantino is a person working in the genre of drama, but adhering to the direction of postmodernism, so he can quite easily be compared with Viktor Pelevin, Sorokin or Burroughs.
Quentin takes as the basis of the work a real story or an indirectly real story, which is somehow connected with real life and interestingly beats it, with an emphasis on satire and hyperbole. In this case, he takes World War II as the basis for the plot, telling the story of an escaped Jewish woman whom the Germans wanted to shoot.
But Tarantino would not be himself if he had not added a few more storylines to the composition: a gang led by Brad Pitt, killing the Nazis or the German General Hans, who is looking for this runaway girl. The apogee of all the madness in the picture is the assassination of Hitler. It’s funny that Quentin will repeat a similar scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The picture is heterogeneous, there is no one clear storyline, so the film constantly revolves around several characters. But a high-quality script and excellent directorial work make it possible to put all the scattered puzzles together, creating a truly cult film. If we talk about what this film is about, we can safely say that it is not about war. More precisely, not in the usual sense of the term.
We are used to the fact that war films are of two types. Russians – when our soldiers fight, die, and then heroically win. The second type is American films that are similar in structure but differ in quality and budget. Tarantino created a third type – humorous. He is not afraid to play with the established bonds, joke and introduce real absurdity into the story, which makes the film cool and memorable.
But even in Tarantino’s humor and satire, there is something sad. For example, the story of a Jewess is told very well, dramatically and qualitatively. It’s funny, but it’s at the end that Quentin finally turns to one of the types of war films – the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Hitler’s death at the end of the picture speaks, as it were, of an alternative history, they say, what would happen if … In this regard, the plot is definitely similar to the works of Stephen King.
The tape is remembered for its vivid scenes, cool script and acting. In many ways, looking for meaning in Tarantino’s films is like looking for meaning in adult films, you just have to watch and enjoy. In this case, the form, that is, the content, does not carry a high message. This is not Goethe or Dostoevsky. It’s an expensive, high-quality, really cool blockbuster built around the rules of high-quality drama.
If you want to watch Inglourious Basterds, first of all pay attention to the dialogues, they are Quentin’s calling card. They have a certain meaning, message and satire. They are the driving force behind the story. The peculiarity of Quentin’s dialogues is constant dynamics and action. Yes, in the films of Bey or Spielberg, the blockbuster is explosions and stuff like that. Tarantino is different. Dialogues are a blockbuster! At least it’s worth watching the movie for. The characters’ speeches are beautifully written and well-acted.
The film, as already mentioned, ends with the death of Hitler, which is completely at odds with the real story. Tarantino does this to show that his cinema is not completely related to something real and historical. In this case, the story concept is just the engine of the script. The film does not attempt to tell a story based on real events. He tries to surprise the viewer, joke along with him and show simply perfect suspense in the spirit of the early Kubrick.
Of course, Inglourious Basterds is a super movie that everyone should watch. Those who love Tarantino and those who have never seen his work. Believe me, you will absolutely fall in love with his characters, dialogues and style, and then watch the remaining 8-10 films. Plus, now you know what this movie is about, so I’m sure your desire to watch it has only grown.
