Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds
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Name	Inglourious Basterds
Director	Quentin Tarantino
Producer	Lawrence Bender
Writer	Quentin Tarantino
Starring	Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender
Music	Mary Ramos
Cinematography	Robert Richardson
Editing	Sally Menke
Studio	A Band Apart, Studio Babelsberg
Released	May 20, 2009
Runtime	153 minutes
Country	United States, Germany
Language	English, German, French, Italian
Budget	$70 million
Gross	$321.5 million

Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, and Michael Fassbender. The film is set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II and features a ensemble cast, including Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, and Til Schweiger. The movie premiered at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival and received critical acclaim, with Christoph Waltz winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa.

Plot

The film's plot is divided into five chapters, each featuring a different storyline that eventually intersects. The story begins with Perrier LaPadite, a French dairy farmer, being interrogated by Colonel Hans Landa, a notorious Nazi officer, at his farm in La Petite Pierre. Meanwhile, Shosanna Dreyfus, a young Jewish woman, escapes from the Nazi massacre of her family and flees to Paris, where she assumes a new identity as Emmanuelle Mimieux. The story also follows Lieutenant Aldo Raine, a Tennessee-born United States Army officer, who assembles a team of Jewish-American soldiers, known as the Basterds, to conduct a guerrilla war against the Nazi regime in Occupied France. The team includes Sergeant Donnie Donowitz, Sergeant Omar Ulmer, and Private First Class Smithson Utivich, among others. As the story unfolds, the Basterds embark on a mission to take down the Nazi high command, including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Hermann Göring, at a Paris cinema, where Shosanna Dreyfus is planning to exact her revenge.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo Raine, Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, Christoph Waltz as Colonel Hans Landa, Eli Roth as Sergeant Donnie Donowitz, and Michael Fassbender as Lieutenant Archie Hicox. The cast also includes Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark, a German actress and Allied spy, Daniel Brühl as Fredrick Zoller, a Nazi war hero, and Til Schweiger as Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz, a Nazi officer turned Basterd. Other notable cast members include Gedeon Burkhard as Corporal Wilhelm Wicki, Jacky Ido as Marcel, and Omar Doom as Private First Class Omar Ulmer. The film's cast is rounded out by August Diehl as Major Dieter Hellstrom, Denis Menochet as Perrier LaPadite, and Sylvester Groth as Joseph Goebbels.

Production

The film was produced by Lawrence Bender and Quentin Tarantino, with Harvey Weinstein and Boba Weinstein serving as executive producers. The movie was shot on location in Germany and France, with Studio Babelsberg providing production services. The film's cinematography was handled by Robert Richardson, who worked closely with Quentin Tarantino to create a unique visual style. The movie's score was composed by Mary Ramos, with David Bowie's song "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" featured prominently in the film. The production design was handled by David Wasco, with Sandy Reynolds-Wasco serving as the set decorator. The film's editing was handled by Sally Menke, who worked with Quentin Tarantino to create a non-linear narrative structure.

Themes and analysis

The film explores several themes, including revenge, violence, and morality. The movie's portrayal of Nazi atrocities and the Holocaust has been praised for its historical accuracy and sensitivity. The film's use of violence and gore has been criticized by some, but Quentin Tarantino has defended the film's graphic content as necessary to convey the brutality of World War II. The movie's characters, including Shosanna Dreyfus and Lieutenant Aldo Raine, have been praised for their complexity and depth. The film's exploration of Jewish identity and anti-Semitism has been praised by Elie Wiesel and other Holocaust survivors. The movie's historical accuracy has been praised by Historian Saul Friedländer and other World War II historians.

Release and reception

The film was released on August 21, 2009, in the United States and Canada, and on August 19, 2009, in France and Germany. The movie received widespread critical acclaim, with Christoph Waltz winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the 82nd Academy Awards. The movie grossed over 321 million dollars at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2009. The film has been praised by Roger Ebert, Peter Travers, and other film critics, with many considering it one of the best films of the 2000s. The movie has also been recognized by the American Film Institute, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Category:War films