Inglourious Basterds is a World War 2 film. There were many successful WW2 films and there are too many to cite here. To me, the best thing about Inglorious Basterds and what make it a must see film, is its fresh storyline. It tells a story of a kebetulan when 2 parties accidentally planned 2 assassination attempts to a common enemy. In this film, the 2 parties in the kebetulan were; No 1, a set of American soldiers, who are all of Jewish descendents. And no 2 is a lone Jewish woman who wants to revenge the killing of her family earlier on. Obviously the common enemy is the Nazis.
A worthy mentioned in the film is the portrayal of the Nazi’s attitude towards Jews. Quentin Torentino, the film’s writer and director portrays the exact attitude with a scene of rats’ hunting. The message was clear, to the Nazis the Jews were nothing more than the rats – they are fit to be exterminated.
Coming across this film triggers my curiosity on the real reason why the Nazis hate the Jews so much? The film itself does not provide any clue. The popular off-conversation with many was 2 reasons; religion as well as economics. I like to believe that it is about religion, but I cannot find any difference between the German’s Christian and say the French or the American’s Christian. I do not think it is economics as well because, the fact is that the Jews were not the only peoples targeted by the Nazis. The Poles, the Gypsies even the handicapped, homosexuals and some Germans themselves who harbours the Jews were killed. My biggest question is why the Germans distracted themselves with the Holocaust when the War was still on.
Anyway, the biggest star of the film was Christoph Waltz, playing the role of the German’s SS officer. Before this movie, Christoph’s portfolio was a string of supporting acts and tv dramas. Inglourious Basterds won him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best Supporting Actor award at the Hollywood Film Festival. Quentin Torentino was quoted as saying that the Christoph’s character was the best of his creation.
Brad Pit plays the character of the Basterds’ chief, the said American Special Forces who are of Jewish descendents. Brad started his film career with Thelma & Louise (1991). Then he did Kalifornia (1993). His Interview with a Vampire (1994) won him a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actor. He collaborated with Morgan Freemen is Seven (1995), did Troy (2004) and Babel (2006). His last outstanding film was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). The Curious Case won Brad 8 nominations altogether is several awards.
Mélanie Laurent plays the character of the Jewish lady, who wants to avenge her family’s killings earlier. In real life Mélanie achieved a lot. She acts, writes and even directs films in French.
Diane Kruger is also French. She plays the character of a double agent and she had acted alongside Brad Pitt once in Troy (2004).
Back to the Jews side story I digressed earlier. If you look at the Brad Pitt’s poster, see the mark on his neck. The reason for the mark was not explained in the film but I suspected Quentin Torentino may have wanted to balance out the Jews hater perspective in the film. The American is not that holy when it comes into White supremacy attitude. Remember Klu Klax Klan. So it was reported that Quentin Torentino had wanted to provide a balance view and Brand Pitt’s character was supposedly to tell that he carried the mark of a lynched done in America