Inglourious Basterds Review: Tarantino Rewrites History
8.5/10 — Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Pros
- Waltz's career-making Landa
- Tense dialogue scenes
- Audacious finale
Cons
- Basterds underused
- Gleeful violence
In Nazi-occupied France, a group of Jewish-American soldiers led by Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine terrorise the Nazis, while a cinema owner plans her own revenge. Quentin Tarantino told it in chapters.
What works
Christoph Waltz is outstanding as the polite, terrifying SS officer Hans Landa, and the film’s opening scene in a farmhouse is a masterclass in tension. Mélanie Laurent is great, and the cinema climax is audacious.
Where it falters
The Basterds themselves are underused, and the film’s glee in violence won’t suit all viewers.
Verdict
A bold, tense and darkly funny revenge fantasy.
