Comments on: Film review: Inglourious Basterds

By: Penny

Penny — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:22:06 +0000

thank you for the review. Mr. Tarrantino is noted for his violent longish movies here in US. when he wrote a 2 part episode for a series about Nevada CSI workers, it was the most violent of the series and one of the lead actors was buried underground.
as for Brad Pitt, once I saw the ads with him speaking, i wondered what accent he was doing, didnt’ sound like any German accent i have ever heard and now you say he is supposedly from Tennesse. well that’s not their accent either. actually he is better at producing than acting. he is not even eye candy.
i look forward to your review of the Reader and of course more artwork from 18th century.
Merci Madame Catherine

By: Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:59:55 +0000

Certainly, Cheryl, the world is a dark and frightening place today, but no darker, more frightening or more violent than in the past. I found the violence in this film disturbing, and still more disturbing the reaction of the audience. Yet this seems to be a great commercial success in spite of everything…

By: Cheryl S

Cheryl S — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:29:33 +0000

That Quentin Tarentino achieved this much success in life is a sad commentary on where we are as a society.
Mr. Tarentino is a dark and sinister man.
What is the excuse for his type of movie, that they mirror the world we live in? That the darker elements of man's nature need to be explored?
Excuse me but, I would rather have a peaceful mind rather than a terrorized one...thanks any Mr. T.
It is the Tarentino type film that have helped in reducing our society to new lows of indecency, vulgarity, and wretchedness.
I find nothing redeeming in watching some persons head being bashed in with a baseball bat no matter how great the acting was or, how hard they needed to rehearse! Boo Hoo.
The world celebrates Mr. Tarentino for his brilliance and talent.
Why am I always shocked at that????
He should be shunned!
I wouldn't order a hamburger from Quentin Tarentino!
That people in the theater were not shocked and horrified at the violence but giggling, is sad testament that Mr. Tarentino helped significantly in transforming our society into the dark and frightening place it is today.

By: Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:49:19 +0000

Frankly, Elisa, I can’t tell whether his accent is any good. His perforrnance was probably the weakest I have seen so far.

By: Elisa

Elisa — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:22:47 +0000

Brad Pitt gave an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning American” last month. He mentioned that he learned to do a Tennessee accent for the movie.

By: Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:33:29 +0000

Sure, Harlan, speaking of noir, I was reminded of Kiss of the Spider Woman, though that one was more compelling. Thanks for directing me to the Charlie Rose interview!

Here’s the link to it:
http://charlierose.http.internapcdn.net/charlierose/082109CRS.wmv

By: Harlan Lewin

Harlan Lewin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:58:27 +0000

Catherine,
I am fascinated by the giggling in the audience. Something’s up. I haven’t seen the movie but I saw Charlie Rose interview Tarentino who kept saying the movie wasn’t historical or a comment on the Holocaust, just a story, which would fit with the spaghetti western formula. Rather than a spaghetti western it sounds like an imitation or unintentional send-up of noir movies about WWII. I don’t intend to see it. Even The Producers, whose satire is sympathetic gave me the creeps. I’ll spend the time re-watching The Last Metro. I’ll stick to Eastwood for my spaghetti.

By: Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:18:54 +0000

Thanks, Arnie! I believe Tarentino was quite serious about the spaghetti western reference. I believe he even tried to hire Ennio Morricone to score the film.

As for The Reader, I found it very disturbing in that it failed to deal honestly with the Holocaust. I will publish my review next week, and we will compare notes...

By: Arnie Perlstein

Arnie Perlstein — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:49:54 +0000

Catherine,

I have not seen Tarantino's film, but I found your review interesting nonetheless, and have a few quick reactions:

1. Without knowing Tarantino's politics (but guessing he was not a supporter of George W. Bush), or whether his statement about the film being a modern kind of spaghetti western was tongue in cheek, I find exceedingly likely your suggestion that this film is, or maybe became, a not so covert commentary on the American jingoism in the Iraq War.

2. I am curious to read your review of The Reader, which I thought was a great film, which dealt with complex moral issues in a complex way, but I gather you did not.