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” And once we’re in enemy territory, as a bushwhackin’ guerrilla army, we’re gonna be doin’ one thing and one thing only… killin’ Nazis.” – Lieutenant. Aldo Raine, Inglourious Basterds

Image credits: IMDb

It’s 2013 – the first time I watched this film, the first Quentin Tarantino film I watched, the first historical film I experienced.

Spoiler warning: many spoilers ahead. Please watch the film first; I highly recommend it!

From the first notes of the film, a chilling and eerie tone to Beethoven’s Fur Elise, to the final lines of this masterpiece, Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds is a thrilling work of historical fiction. Set in the 1940s in Nazi-occupied France, it follows the tale of two parallel stories – Shoshanna Dreyfus, a French-Jewish lady and the sole survivor of a Nazi massacre of her family; and Lieutenant Aldo Raine, an American chief-in-commander and the leader of a motley band of American-Jewish mates known as the Basterds. Each combats the Nazis in their own way.

A key turning point of the film is the honour bestowed on Shosanna by Standartenführer (“Colonel”) Hans Landa to host the premiere of the Nazi regime’s hottest summer blockbuster, Stolz der Nation (“Nation’s Pride”) at her cinema. Unbeknownst to him, she was a victim of his numerous Jew-hunting exploits and has assumed a new identity as Emmanuelle Mimieux.

Shosanna repeatedly rejects the advances of the boyish, smug Private Fredrick Zolle, the star of Stolz der Nation, whose military feats as a sniper, propelled him into the public eye and captured the hearts of Nazi propagandists including Joseph Goebbels himself. She works tirelessly before and during the film premiere, to exact her revenge on the Nazi elite, including Fuhrer Adolf Hitler himself.

Lt. Aldo Raine, on the other hand, strikes fear in the hearts of Nazis as he works with his band of soldiers behind the scenes in a campaign to capture them. His infamous mates include Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz, known for taking out thirteen Nazi officers while still a recruit in the German army, and Sergeant Donny Donowitz, known for his interrogation techniques used on captured Nazis.

The film’s climax occurs when Shosanna, with the help of her lover and confidante Marcel, set the cinema ablaze following a twist in the film’s premiere, much to the Nazis’ shock. The Basterds, also in the audience, execute their final mission simultaneously, adding to the chaos and destruction.

The film does not shy away from the grim reality of the suffering of the Jews, particularly in the harrowing depiction of Shosanna’s family massacre. Yet, the film portrays the unbreakable and indomitable spirit of Shosanna and many who resisted the Nazis. She emerges as a symbol of defiance and strength, unfazed by the Nazi officers’ attempts to cow her into submission, and ultimately turns the tables on them in a moment of poetic justice.

With the help of resistance fighters from Britain, Germany and France, the Basterds, also, execute their plans, despite the horrendous mishap at the underground pub where British commando and former film critic Lieutenant Archie Hicox blows their cover in front of Sturmbannführer (“Major”) Dieter Hellstrom. The Basterds‘ mission, though chaotic and bloody, also represents the relentless pursuit of justice.

The cinematography is dominated by a warm colour palette, particularly red, orange and blue. Natural lighting fills many scenes, such as the opening at the farmhouse. Together, they create a visually striking atmosphere, immersing the viewer in its richly detailed world.

Ennio Morricone’s colourful and diverse soundtrack includes genres such as Spaghetti Western and R&B. David Bowie’s Cat People (Putting Out Fire) plays as Shosanna transforms into a warrior – red lipstick, red blusher and a red dress – ready to unleash her revenge on the unsuspecting Nazis at her cinema.

To say this film defined my budding interest in film as an adolescent is an understatement. It sparked my fascination with dark comedies and cinema as a whole, leading my foray into the world of film. Its blend of Tarantino’s signature action, drama and humour, enhanced by a rousing setlist by the great Ennio Morricone, makes it a standout film and a winning combination. Admittedly, this might just be Tarantino’s masterpiece.