Be Reel Blog- Inglorious Bastards

Quentin Tarantino has, due to his critically acclaimed films such as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, quickly become a household name. In 2009, Tarantino wrote what would become a must watch, Inglorious Bastards. The film is an alternate reality of World War 2, where a group of Jewish American Soldiers are tasked with the assassination of Hitler. The group, well known by the Nazis as brutal killers, are lead by Brad Pitt, a Tennessee native named Lt. Aldo Raine. His thick southern accent, highlighted by his speech here, is meant to provide some comedic relief. The film proceeds to contrast serious scenes such as the opening by the comedic scenes with the lovable characters in the basterds. The film's cinematography is also extremely on point. the wide angle shots showing the lush french countryside contrasted by the tight shots of the horrified jews under the floorboards show an extremely perilous situation for the jews hidden under the facade of a quaint french farm. Objectively, this film is extremely well made, with the lighthearted tone winning in the end and giving the audience a sense of satisfaction.

This film, however, did not become so popular due to its cinematography. It won due to its lovable, hilarious characters. Brad Pitt's speech in the second scene immediately grasps the audience attentions and makes for unforgettable quotes such as "you each owe a debt. A debt of 100 Nazi scalps." The seemingly bleak, serious plot line is completely inverted by its bright, unforgettable characters and the sense of ease they bring to each scene. Even a scene of Hitler screaming at a henchman is flipped into comedy, with Hitler seemingly red in the face and the henchman nervously telling him that the basterds have killed more Nazis. With these critiques in mind, Inglorious Basterds receives a Good-Good, with the objective slightly past the line and the subjective at the top.