Inglourious Basterds (DVD) [New]

As any Tarantino fan should well know, he never tells a story in any predictable or cliched fashion. Inglourious Basterds is no exception to his "usual" formula - the tale is broken up into various chapters; events and characters in each chapter will eventually come together and criss cross through each other's paths; there are the prolonged dialogue-heavy scenes; and as always, you can never be sure who's going to live or die.

This time, Tarantino has fashioned a World War II tale set in Nazi-occupied France. Strangely enough though, the "Basterds" aren't actually the focus of the movie, they come across as more of an after-thought, albeit a vital one to the plot. The dramatic substance of the film is carried by Shoshanna, who as a young girl witnessed her family getting killed by the dastardly Colonel Landa and his troops. Both these characters play pivotal roles in the film, and they're the ones whose destinies and outcomes most intrigue us as the viewer.

The performances are all quite good, with Christoph Waltz (in an Oscar-winning performance), pulling off the best role as the cunning yet devious Colonel Landa. He plays his character as someone so friendly one minute, and deadly serious the next as he's threatening to kill you, even though he is still smiling at you. Pitt displays his usual goofy charm as the leader of the Basterds, and Melanie Laurent also shines as Shoshanna, a young girl with only one thing on her mind - revenge!

While a definite change of pace for Tarantino, compared to his usual modern-day crime sagas, this film offers a different and welcome take on the war genre, (including a brilliant opening scene that will keep you on the edge of your seat). It's exciting, original and very smart at times. One of Tarantino's best, right up there with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

It should be noted though, that at least 85% of this movie contains French and German dialogue, which of course means susbtitles for the viewer. This merely adds to the authenticity of the film, but it does at times prove to be a distraction, especially when one has to read the subtitles and also keep an eye on what's happening on the rest of the screen. Still, on the whole, it fully deserves it's 8 Academy Award nominations. Gripping! (4 out of 5, by Carlisle Johnson).