Inglourious Basterds is a standout film amongst the other greats from Quentin Tarantino with sharp dialogue and incredible performances, especially from Chrisoph Waltz.
Inglourious Basterds
(2009)
Genre(s): War, Adventure, Drama
Universal Pictures | R – 153 min. – $29.98 | October 12, 2021
Date Published: 10/03/2021 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 4½/5 |
| Plot Synopsis: It is the first year of Germany’s occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine (BRAD PITT) assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts of retribution against the Nazis, including the taking of their scalps. He and his men join forces with Bridget von Hammersmark (DIANE KRUGER), a German actress and undercover agent, to bring down the leaders of the Third Reich. Their fates converge with theater owner Shosanna Dreyfus (MELANIE LAURENT), who seeks to avenge the Nazis’ execution of her family at the hands of brutal SS Officer Hans Landa (CHRISTOPH WALTZ).
Quick Hit Review: Inglourious Basterds isn’t on my list of favorite Tarantino movies with Pulp Fiction and even Jackie Brown being at the top (the latter of course an adaptation of a Elmore Leonard novel), but after seeing Basterds for only the second time (the first I believe was in theaters in 2009), this one still holds up so well. It’s just an all around brutal yet entertaining war-thriller featuring excellent performances, but none more so than Chrisoph Waltz who took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also worth mentioning is Brad Pitt who is charming as ever along with Mélanie Laurent providing the more emotional center. While I don’t quite think this is a masterpiece from Quentin Tarantino, it’s still one hell of a ride from beginning to end and never once feels its 2.5 hour running time. Given it had been 12 years since I last watched this, the replay value is right up there with a Pulp Fiction. His direction is solid but better yet, his screenplay is taut and damn near perfect with dialogue that never felt forced. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2/5 |
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This release comes with a slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy along with the original Blu-ray disc. This includes the QT interview with the Best Buy exclusive bonus disc. Extended/Alternate Scenes (11:31) — Two extended and one alternate scene here, just a bit more dialogue but nothing substantial. Roundtable Discussion (30:45) is with Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt, hosted by Elvis Mitchell. The New York Times Talks (1:08:07) is an interview, in front of an audience, with Tarantino. Nation’s Pride Full Feature (6:10) is the film within a film which was directed by Eli Roth. The Making of Nation’s Pride (4:00) is a mock behind-the-scenes featurette. The Original Inglorious Bastards (7:38) is an appreciation for the 1971 original that was an inspiration for this film. A Conversation with Rod Taylor (6:43) and Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter (3:19) are interviews with the actor, who passed away in 2015, who portrayed by Winston Churchill. Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel (2”41) — Short gag reel-esque with slate operator Geraldine Brezca. Hi Sallys (2:09) — This is some behind-the-scenes footage with actors saying “Hi Sally”, reference to editor Sally Menke, who has worked with on all of Tarantino’s films. Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell (10:59) looking at the poster artwork featured in the film. Last up is an Image Gallery and four Trailers. |
VIDEO – 5/5, AUDIO – 4½/5 |
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Universal releases Inglourious Basterds onto 4K Ultra HD and is presented in the original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p high-definition transfer. The picture here looks brilliant, detail incredibly sharp throughout with the original film grain and noise still ever evident giving it a very theatrical look. Even though the movie is dark in tone with the World War II setting, and savagery shown on the screen, colors are still vivid and bright. I did not see any evident flaws so this does appear to be a clean transfer on the whole. The disc includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which I’m guessing is the similar or the same as the initial Blu-ray release. Whatever the case, though, this is a strong lossless track, dialogue comes across with nice clarity and there is some good depth with some of the more suspense-thriller sequences with an underlying bass courtesy of the LFE channel. |
OVERALL – 4½/5 |
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Overall, Inglourious Basterds is a standout film amongst the other greats from Quentin Tarantino with sharp dialogue and incredible performances, especially from Chrisoph Waltz. The 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray combo pack offers up excellent video and audio to go along with a good selection of bonus features. |