Everyone involved knew exactly what they were doing when they made Inglourious Basterds the last summer blockbuster of 2009. Before I even get into the specifics I have to say that I did not see this coming. I’ve always enjoyed World War II films but Basterds takes the best aspects of that genre and turns them on their heads. So, let’s start with Brad Pitt who put on the best performance of his career. His ridiculous accent worked perfectly for the over the top Lt. Aldo Raine. Beside Pitt there was a truly unique and awesome cast. They definitely deserve individual shout outs, but I’ll skip that for brevity’s sake. Nonetheless everyone from Christoph Waltz to BJ Novak was terrifying, hysterical and convincing throughout.
Can you believe someone as crazy as Quentin Tarantino actually functions in society? Well he does and he has made the best film of 2009. All of his influences ran so thick throughout the entire storyline it was a film lovers dream. From the spaghetti western opening credits and musical themes through the propaganda story arch I was unable to predict anything that was coming. If you have seen Basterds you know that the plot doesn’t exactly mirror the true events of WWII but I found that this put some freedom to a frequently visited period in history. Every scene was a uniquely shot success and every chapter was a flawless short film. There were even a handful of scenes that sent chills down my spine both the first and second times I saw the film, it was that good.
I can’t guarantee that everyone who sees Inglourious Basterds will like it. Nor can I be sure they’ll find the dark humor as funny. And I’ve already been told that the graphic violence isn’t as acceptable to some other viewers. But I thought everything was near flawless. Maybe if one of the few awkwardly drawn out scenes was cut down I could give the mark but either way this movie deserves some trophies come winter. (9.5 out of 10)
