Film #1: Inglourious Basterds

What's going down?
The film begins in the earlier days of the German occupation of France with the slaughter of a hiding Jewish family. The only survivor is the daughter, Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent). Several years later, America has entered the war and a Nazi-hunting unit nicknamed the Inglorious Basterds is terrorizing the occupying forces, always leaving one survivor with a swastika carved into their skull. Shoshanna now owns a theater in Paris and attracts the attention of Nazi war hero Frederick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl), the subject of a propaganda film set to premiere before an audience of high-ranking Nazis. Zoller moves the premiere to Shoshanna's theater, and she conspires to burn it down, killing the Nazi high command. The Basterds also plan to attack the theater with the aid of actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), but things go south when Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) arrives and abducts Basterd leader Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). Waltz and Raine strike a deal as the theater is simultaneously burned down and shot up by Basterds. At the film's conclusion, Raine turns on Landa and carves a swastika into his skull so he will always be identified as a Nazi.

Who's in it?
Brad Pitt takes the lead as southern-accented Lieutenant Aldo Raine, and adapts to the part quite well. Eli Roth is Donnie "Bear Jew" Donowitz, the most memorable and violent of the Basterds (he executes his prisoners with a baseball bat). Christoph Waltz gives a tightly controlled (and completely natural) performance as the manipulative, intelligent villain Colonel Hans Landa (his close-up shots in the opening scene display a mastery of subtle facial expression). Melanie Laurent is the avenging Jew Shoshanna, plotting the destruction of the Nazi high command. Diane Kruger is Bridget von Hammersmark, conspiring with the Basterds in their own plans. Daniel Bruhl is war hero and womanizer Frederick Zoller, who persistently pursues Shoshanna and provides a near-foil for her plans.

How's the production?
For this film, dialogue takes precedence over violence, with long periods of conversation setting up moments of action. This works quite effectively - the pacing is much slower than most modern films, but it's a refreshing change, and it makes the moments of Tarantino's trademark violence all the more effective. There's surprisingly little English dialogue, with French and German being spoken most of the time - and odd choice for a Hollywood film, but one that definitely works as an artistic element. Tarantino knows how to shoot even a twenty-minute dialogue sequence so that the audience never loses interest.

The greatest scene:
A group of Basterds rendezvous with von Hammersmark in a tavern full of Nazi soldiers. When an officer takes interest and becomes suspicious, they skillfully try to talk their way around him, slowly building the tension until everyone finally bursts. Only one person will walk away from the tavern.

Personal Impressions:
 The first thing I noticed about Inglorious Basterds is the infrequency of English dialogue, as previously stated. The second is that, while Tarantino is notorious for his films' violence, he's also one of the best writers around. The pacing of the film echoes older movies rather than the modern balls-out school of action films. Christoph Waltz's facial control in his close-up shots makes me realize how subtle and complex great acting is. Lastly, historical accuracy is thrown out the window, as most of the Nazi high command, Hitler included, is killed in the film's climax.