Inglorious Basterds
Table Talk: The chatter doesn't matter in Tarantino's latest.
By Scott Renshaw @scottrenshaw
Say what you will about the cinematic lightning-rod that is Inglorious Basterds’ writer/director Quentin Tarantino, but no other director has ever made sitting around a table so engrossing.
Though violence and profanity dominate public perception of the filmmaker, consider the on-screen conversations that have allowed Tarantino to build character and tension. Too bad the stuff following the talk in Inglorious Basterds proves less interesting than what you think could have happened.
Tarantino spins an alternate World War II-era reality about a take-no-Nazi-prisoners team of Jewish-American soldiers known as the Basterds—under Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt)—operating in occupied France. They’re exactly the men to get involved when the premiere of a new propaganda film promises to gather the Third Reich’s top officials in one place—but the owner (Melanie Laurent) of the theater chosen for the premiere has her own plans.
A 1941-set prologue provides the first lengthy table talk, between a French farmer and Nazi Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Waltz builds the foundation for what becomes a terrific performance as he establishes his power with well-chosen words (and pulling out a bigger pipe). Waiting for the other jackboot to drop becomes a typically Tarantino-esque bit of anxious delight.
But, even when such conversations erupt into gunfire, Basterds doesn’t pack an emotional wallop. What’s missing is a protagonist whose fate will hook an audience, and not even the theater’s vengeance-driven owner fills that role. The Basterds are largely an anonymous amalgamation of parts—and Pitt’s jut-jawed performance seems like a better fit for the Coen brothers.
Indeed, the hugest disappointment of Basterds is that Tarantino occasionally seems tone deaf, whether it’s indulging performances or penning dialogue that lacks his typical crackle. We’re always willing to listen to his characters talk, provided we ultimately realize that the chatter matters. In Inglorious Basterds, it’s often just background noise.
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
Brad Pit, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent
Rated R
Speaking of Sideshow, ,
-
Walk of Shame, The Lego Movie
New DVD/VOD Tuesday, June 17
- Jun 16, 2014
-
Drinking-Class Zero
Following a night of drinking, Wendy Simpson, 25, walked to a McDonald’s restaurant in West Yorkshire, England, where she was told that the counter was closed and only the drive-through was open but that she couldn’t be served
- Jun 16, 2014
-
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Dragon 2 shows DreamWorks is still willing to be daring
- Jun 13, 2014
- More »
More by Scott Renshaw
-
Faces of Salt Lake County book and portrait reception
Images and personal stories in a new book reveal local demographic diversity
- Apr 17, 2024
-
Feature film review: THE BEAST
A filmmaker's compelling ideas get a bit tangled in references to his creative influences.
- Apr 17, 2024
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 12
Civil War, Escape from Germany, Coup de Chance, Hundreds of Beavers, La Chimera, Sting
- Apr 11, 2024
- More »
Latest in Film Reviews
Readers also liked…
-
Power Plays
Two satirical comedies explore manipulations and self-delusions by those with power.
- Aug 31, 2022
