Beware, this may contain SPOILERS.
The action takes place in France during the Second World War... or so it seems. And I have to say that, at first, I was reluctant to see this movie as it appeared to me a way for Americans to "enter" the Resistance and fight the Nazis from the inside, as we europeans did (as some of us did at some point. A bit more from 1944 and on. See the beginning of this movie and you'll have an idea why). Plus, I really hate Nazis. The mere idea makes me sick. So I wasn't really keen on seing a movie about Americans scalping Nazis for fun -or un-glory, as they put it.
First of all, don't look the trailers. Beautiful trailers, sharp, neat, empty. They're USA shit, to say the least. Their goal is to sell: gore, violence and superheroes fighting Nazis, that's what they sell. But for once, the movie deserved more.
Even if it's not as rich a movie as a book could be for instance, this is an interesting movie indeed. The OST is great. The actors speak a very bearable french (don't fool yourselves, State Guys. Your french sucks almost as much as our english does). The plot is not that US infected as it could be -it's a Tarantino, full of surprises and twists (I love twist. Twist and Shout). Brad Pitt is a good actor even if he'd been better (I've always been reluctant about considering Brad Pitt a good actor, as everyone was fangiggling about him around me. But then I saw his movies, and man, he's a good actor).
I don't really like the fact that it's tainted with a kind of comix like heroes, though (you know, the Hollywood superheroe who's never afraid and always cocky even when his cock's sake is at stake?) but that's very personnal. "But how the hell did she come to like it?" you may ask (yes, yes, you may).
But this movie is about more than that. Sure, it includes USA guys making their way into the European side of WWII (scalping people, for God' sake!). However, this is not an American / USA movie, it's a Tarantino movie. And yes, that makes a difference as this film carries its own, personnal message.
Chapter 1- In lots of words, I liked it.
First of all, don't look the trailers. Beautiful trailers, sharp, neat, empty. They're USA shit, to say the least. Their goal is to sell: gore, violence and superheroes fighting Nazis, that's what they sell. But for once, the movie deserved more.
Even if it's not as rich a movie as a book could be for instance, this is an interesting movie indeed. The OST is great. The actors speak a very bearable french (don't fool yourselves, State Guys. Your french sucks almost as much as our english does). The plot is not that US infected as it could be -it's a Tarantino, full of surprises and twists (I love twist. Twist and Shout). Brad Pitt is a good actor even if he'd been better (I've always been reluctant about considering Brad Pitt a good actor, as everyone was fangiggling about him around me. But then I saw his movies, and man, he's a good actor).
I don't really like the fact that it's tainted with a kind of comix like heroes, though (you know, the Hollywood superheroe who's never afraid and always cocky even when his cock's sake is at stake?) but that's very personnal. "But how the hell did she come to like it?" you may ask (yes, yes, you may).
Chapter 2 - An American action movie about WWII, pulling out gold out of our pile of suffering and shame? Ah ah, no no, I wasn't ready for it.
But this movie is about more than that. Sure, it includes USA guys making their way into the European side of WWII (scalping people, for God' sake!). However, this is not an American / USA movie, it's a Tarantino movie. And yes, that makes a difference as this film carries its own, personnal message.
First of all, it showns itself as a fictionnal:
-the film has a sharp narrative structure, which is also divided in chapters; (as in many Tarantino movies) even the flashbacks have titles...
-the story is very neat, with one main storyline (let's blow them up!) once divided (two "let's blow them up!" teams unaware of each other) and once rejoined (BOOM!). I think that might symbolise the union of both European and American -or Tarantino's- wills to blow up the Nazis, the Nazis meaning both the nazi ideology and their part in WWII history.
-most of the characters are very defined and usually bipolar (the cultivated, polite and extremely accute despicable vilain, the charming yet brutal war heroe, the strong yet defenseless actress...). Plus, some of the characters seem to be chosen symbolicaly: the young Jew Shosanna and her Black lover are the perfect cocktail molotov to boom! bads off. Bads being Nazis (who did not fancy Jews) and racists of all kinds (the Black lover could have been a gipsie one, or a gay friend, or another of those whom were persecuted by the Nazis. However, a Black person symbolises discriminated people, all the more in the USA were there is such an history of Black segregation. We're not that racist in Europe. We never used Black men as slaves. We merely sold them to you degenerate States men). I suppose there are more elements of the movie that point the movie as a fiction. But I'm lazy so I won't pick them all... But for the end, of course, the end which is... well, unfortunately, a fiction.
-the story is very neat, with one main storyline (let's blow them up!) once divided (two "let's blow them up!" teams unaware of each other) and once rejoined (BOOM!). I think that might symbolise the union of both European and American -or Tarantino's- wills to blow up the Nazis, the Nazis meaning both the nazi ideology and their part in WWII history.
-most of the characters are very defined and usually bipolar (the cultivated, polite and extremely accute despicable vilain, the charming yet brutal war heroe, the strong yet defenseless actress...). Plus, some of the characters seem to be chosen symbolicaly: the young Jew Shosanna and her Black lover are the perfect cocktail molotov to boom! bads off. Bads being Nazis (who did not fancy Jews) and racists of all kinds (the Black lover could have been a gipsie one, or a gay friend, or another of those whom were persecuted by the Nazis. However, a Black person symbolises discriminated people, all the more in the USA were there is such an history of Black segregation. We're not that racist in Europe. We never used Black men as slaves. We merely sold them to you degenerate States men). I suppose there are more elements of the movie that point the movie as a fiction. But I'm lazy so I won't pick them all... But for the end, of course, the end which is... well, unfortunately, a fiction.
Chapter 3 - I like fiction, but I like messages more.
Justice.
The Unglorious Basterds are a kind of Robin Hood (the fictional one). They make their own justice by killing Nazis. They may symbolise a thirst for action, for revenge, for "justice" (and I put this into brackets as we all know that some Nazis were just a bunch of German folks a bit unaware of / not happy about WTH was going on). Because, let's face it, we are not over it. We Europeans are not over WWII. We still feel it in our guts, and fear it, or it's baby sister, WWIII (everything is WWIII for us. Terrorism for instance. Or USA sly Mc Donalds & Coca Cola lifestyle invasion. And Junk Food.) Or at least, I'm not over it.
But, well, in this movie, the ones who get killed are real Nazis. The very stereotype. The bad ones. So we don't think (not to much) about they wifes and sisters and brothers and mothers and friends and hobbies and lifes out in Germany. We feel kinda happy those Naziland guys get shot. Or scalped. However, that's not what seems "fair" in the film. What makes us think of justice is the svastika symbol the UB carve into... well, I won't do spoilers. That's a very strong message from Tarantino (or from whom the hell go the idea into him): you might get rid of your Nazis / Bad Bad Guy uniform, but you'll always be one of them, and we'll know.
Which of course is idealistic and a bit silly (yes, people can change... I don't say that they want to, but it sometimes happens...). I suppose that seing the svastika (the inverted svastika, for those who don't know it) carved for life in... there makes us feel a bit better... if we have even the slightest notion of divine justice. Let's face it, God did not punish that oppenly those bad Nazis guys (but let's not resent him for that: he doesn't exist, so neither does divine punishment). But it feels good to see that they were indeed punished, even if that's only on screen. Human nature...
Which brings me to the concept of catharsis.
Catharsis means purified by fire in greek, and is the spine of antique tragedy. Greek folks went to see tragedies partly to feel terrified and horrified, in order to cry, faint and miscarry (well, maybe not in order to miscarry, but it happened).
I saw UB and felt so happy that... well, you know who, died in the end. (No, not Voldemort, damnit! Harry Potter soiled our beautiful culture). I really was glad to see his scapegoat image torn appart. I felt like maybe the nightmare was over, maybe it had only been a nightmare.
Well, it had not, but that's the point of dreams: to make reality feel more bearable. And movies are dreams to.
So thanks for the dream, Mr 'tino! But please don't scalp anymore people, that's disgusting.
PS: There is certainly more to say about this movie, but it's late, I'm tired, I'm lazy and I've got class tomorrow. Goodnight, and good luck.
The Unglorious Basterds are a kind of Robin Hood (the fictional one). They make their own justice by killing Nazis. They may symbolise a thirst for action, for revenge, for "justice" (and I put this into brackets as we all know that some Nazis were just a bunch of German folks a bit unaware of / not happy about WTH was going on). Because, let's face it, we are not over it. We Europeans are not over WWII. We still feel it in our guts, and fear it, or it's baby sister, WWIII (everything is WWIII for us. Terrorism for instance. Or USA sly Mc Donalds & Coca Cola lifestyle invasion. And Junk Food.) Or at least, I'm not over it.
But, well, in this movie, the ones who get killed are real Nazis. The very stereotype. The bad ones. So we don't think (not to much) about they wifes and sisters and brothers and mothers and friends and hobbies and lifes out in Germany. We feel kinda happy those Naziland guys get shot. Or scalped. However, that's not what seems "fair" in the film. What makes us think of justice is the svastika symbol the UB carve into... well, I won't do spoilers. That's a very strong message from Tarantino (or from whom the hell go the idea into him): you might get rid of your Nazis / Bad Bad Guy uniform, but you'll always be one of them, and we'll know.
Which of course is idealistic and a bit silly (yes, people can change... I don't say that they want to, but it sometimes happens...). I suppose that seing the svastika (the inverted svastika, for those who don't know it) carved for life in... there makes us feel a bit better... if we have even the slightest notion of divine justice. Let's face it, God did not punish that oppenly those bad Nazis guys (but let's not resent him for that: he doesn't exist, so neither does divine punishment). But it feels good to see that they were indeed punished, even if that's only on screen. Human nature...
Which brings me to the concept of catharsis.
Catharsis means purified by fire in greek, and is the spine of antique tragedy. Greek folks went to see tragedies partly to feel terrified and horrified, in order to cry, faint and miscarry (well, maybe not in order to miscarry, but it happened).
I saw UB and felt so happy that... well, you know who, died in the end. (No, not Voldemort, damnit! Harry Potter soiled our beautiful culture). I really was glad to see his scapegoat image torn appart. I felt like maybe the nightmare was over, maybe it had only been a nightmare.
Well, it had not, but that's the point of dreams: to make reality feel more bearable. And movies are dreams to.
So thanks for the dream, Mr 'tino! But please don't scalp anymore people, that's disgusting.
PS: There is certainly more to say about this movie, but it's late, I'm tired, I'm lazy and I've got class tomorrow. Goodnight, and good luck.
One last thing... don't watch it if you've got heart issues.
It will increase your tension A LOT!
It will increase your tension A LOT!
Here's a little bonus, Nation's Pride, the movie within the movie...
And an other bonus... for us to die laughing! (or in despair, as you wish):
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