Inglourious Basterds

Two weeks ago, I had never heard of Christoph Waltz.  Then I saw Big Eyes and noticed his billing as Academy Award winner - twice!  So further investigation followed.  I watched Django Unchained.  Cousin Jon's review was on target.  Then I saw the second half of the double feature.

It is World War II.    We meet Christoph Waltz, the Jew Hunter, Col. Hans Landa of the SS.  He's the Bill of Kill Bill here.  Melanie Laurent is Shoshanna, whose parents are killed.  She escapes, to plot revenge.   She gets her opportunity by meeting a German war hero in Vichy Paris, who happens to be a film buff.  And she has a theater.

Juxtaposed is the Sgt Aldo (Brad Pitt), the noted Nazi killer.  He's billed as a mountain man and he approaches his work with a strict moral code.   He's got a commando group of Nazi killers and with the help of some inside information, they plot the biggest score of their career.

Suffice it to say the plot has a lot to it.  There are 5 separate chapters and some of it seems a bit slapstick.  When you see a head blown off, its nice to realize "its just a movie"  And a Tarantino movie at that.

I Shot Marvin in the Face
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The wartime setting and the chapters reminded me of Grand Budapest Hotel.  The Kill Bill plot is there to a T.  And the End, with the Nazis, strongly was like Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Lots of movie references by Tarantino and the different languages and actors used throughout were great.

* * * *   highest rating