tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post1133690283668163423..comments2023-10-24T01:19:24.492-04:00Comments on Little Worlds : Eloquent Talk at Tables – Inglourious BasterdsRichard Bellamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-14196994693071717502009-09-04T21:24:10.362-04:002009-09-04T21:24:10.362-04:00Ben - I'm impressed your girlfriend had seen i...Ben - I'm impressed your girlfriend had seen it three times. I would love to know what she specifically enjoyed about it. <br /><br />Yes, I love the discussion too. I have always loved movies. If movie blogs had existed when I was little, I would have been a very busy boy.<br /><br />Craig - That display was really exciting. I saw it before the movie started. I saw the shoe, and I thought, "Oh, a shoe. Big deal." Then, during the movie, I thought, "That shoe!"<br /><br />I just bought the soundtrack. The piece you're referring to is called "Un Amico" by Ennio Morricone. Yes, it is an almost ridiculously emotional piece, but it's haunting under the context: the tragedy that these two people might have genuinely fallen in love under other circumstances.<br /><br />A Brian De Palma fan! <i>Body Double</i> is pretty outrageous!Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-81085861450793468432009-09-04T20:05:41.876-04:002009-09-04T20:05:41.876-04:00No thank you, I love these discussions/reviews and...No thank you, I love these discussions/reviews and should try to keep up with them more often than I do.<br /><br />She didn't mention it specifically to me, but I'm sure she did notice and love that quality or this movie. Our discussion about it was interesting, because when I came out of the theatre I wasn't sure of my feelings about what I had just seen. This frusterated her a little as she had seen it 3 times and thought that I was over analyzing some things. After a few days of thinking about I've realized just how good <i> Inglourious </i> was. You're very right, he did deserve that last line, and I think he knew it...Ben Havenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02327677493134830351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-50823744946813915572009-09-04T19:45:24.886-04:002009-09-04T19:45:24.886-04:00I've got to get the soundtrack. At the Arcligh...<i>I've got to get the soundtrack. At the Arclight, they had a display of costumes and props from the movie - the gun with "inglourious basterds" carved into it; Pitt's U.S. and partisan costumes; the shoe; Stolz der Nation posters. They also had a wonderful old-fashioned LP version of the soundtrack - I guess, a nostalgic allusion to the kinds of LPs they had for films like The Great Escape.</i><br /><br />That sounds like some wonderful ambiance. Regarding the soundtrack, I think my favorite piece of music is the Morricone bit after a key character is shot in the projection booth. It's so floridly emotional it comes close to being ridiculous, but it choked me up. It's a very De Palma-esque moment. In fact, <i>Inglourious Basterds</i> often strikes me as the kind of movie I've always wished De Palma would make.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-58699861964506718282009-09-04T14:12:35.892-04:002009-09-04T14:12:35.892-04:00Ben - Thanks for coming back. I'm glad your gi...Ben - Thanks for coming back. I'm glad your girlfriend liked it. Over the years, Tarantino has improved his female characters - and here he has some great ones - though I'm not suggesting that's the only factor that appealed to your girlfriend. <br /><br />A big factor that appealed to me is ALL the characters. They are Tarantino's best, and their dialogue is their own, as your girlfriend observed. And the second time I saw the movie, I really heard Tarantino speaking through the final line - and he deserved that one.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-64917532222164828512009-09-04T12:01:56.427-04:002009-09-04T12:01:56.427-04:00Sorry about that paragraph I didn't notice tha...Sorry about that paragraph I didn't notice that.<br /><br />I certainly don't feel discomfort in watching this film either. As you quite simply put it, war does suck. <i> Inglourious </i> got away with some extremes without loosing respectability. When I think of the hype for this movie, I think of somthing similar to <i> Tropic Thunder </i> only taking place in the real world World War 2. <i> Inglourious Basterds </i> was somthing entirley different, in a completley different league than the ads and trailers suggest.<br /><br />I saw this film with my girlfriend (it was the third time she had seen it). She said somthing very clever about the end that I think you may appreciate. The dialogue, as you have said, sounds like it really does come from the characters, not Tarantino. But the last line may well have been from Tarantino. "...this might just be my masterpiece." says Aldo as he examines his handywork on Landa's forehead. Though I'm sure Tarantino will continue film making for years to come, this line suggested to her and myself that he was indeed proud of <i> Inglourious Basterds </i>. Who wouldn't be?Ben Havenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02327677493134830351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-20285395213132656412009-09-04T09:48:12.399-04:002009-09-04T09:48:12.399-04:00Thanks, Ben. Yes, it's great having that glowi...Thanks, Ben. Yes, it's great having that glowing feeling of having seen a great film and being able to see it again before it leaves the big screen, which happens too quickly and is very sad to me. Then we can look forward to the DVD - but it's not the same thing.<br /><br />Part of your second paragraph got cut off - but I think I understand your discomfort factor. Some of the negative responses to this film seem to express that WWII was such a shocking event that we need to approach it with reverence - as Spielberg and Eastwood have done in their WWII movies. I grew up through two periods of WWII films. In the 60s, WWII films were entertainments or straightforward historical epics. In the 70s, WWII films were nihilistic and graphically violent. I have no problem with the latter. <br /><br />Frankly, I prefer an irreverent take on any war, because war sucks. As for the portrayal of smart and noble Germans in <i>Basterds</i>, well, I know there were definitely smart and noble Germans in WWII - and it's smarter storytelling to present them as such - but I don't think that excuses or ignores the Holocaust. I'm not sure I've answered your question, but I don't feel the slightest bit of discomfort watching this movie.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-55639673918018644022009-09-03T23:43:12.508-04:002009-09-03T23:43:12.508-04:00Great review. I loved the subtle simplicity Tarant...Great review. I loved the subtle simplicity Tarantino used in both cinematography, accompanying the dialogue (as you mentioned with in the title). I adored the acting. The action had me flickering between amazed and disgusted (in a positive way).<br /><br />However, when I thought about the movie as a whole though, it confused me, and still does. Perhaps I thought too much about it. But I see the reflections of the holocaust in burning of the cinema clearly. The depiction of Nazis we could understand and sympathize with did not directly add power to this scene, but provided a bit of c<br /><br />I have tremendous respect for <i> Inglorious Basterds </i> (despite the slight embaressment it causes me) and it really did quite a job at making me think about film again. This review also showed me just how much I have to learn before I can fully appreciate all of the allusions Tarantino gave us. Thanks for the great review, it was quite helpful. I too need to see this film again. It's great to have the feeling of wanting to go see a movie again.Ben Havenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02327677493134830351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-7995552051412548152009-09-03T20:33:54.525-04:002009-09-03T20:33:54.525-04:00Craig - thanks for the comments and the appreciati...Craig - thanks for the comments and the appreciation. Yes, I think this is Tarantino's best writing. And you're right - most of the main characters get great lines. First time around I wasn't that impressed with Kruger as Hammersmark, but on second viewing, I think she's brilliant - when she cynically responds in accented English to Raine's plan about the cast and the climbing excuse - when Landa slips the shoe on and she knows she's been had. She does a great job with a nicely written role.<br /><br />Interesting thing about your Coen brothers comment: I was on vacation in California last weekend and I took my 17-year-old son and his friend to see the move at the Arclight. My son and his friend were disappointed. They had expected a straight World War II action movie. (My son loves <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>.) As we drove back to Santa Monica, I tried to explain to him my feeling about the brilliance of the dialogue and how it builds up suspense. Then he said, "Oh, I get it. It's kind of like <i>Burn After Reading</i>. It's like that clever Coen dialogue." Of course, it's more than that - but the dialogues are crucial to the effect of this film.<br /><br />I guess there are no great zingers in the dialogue, but there are some subtle zingers. "Wait for the cream." And I simply love every word that Brad Pitt says. "...till he come over here to give you what fer."<br /><br />You're right. I've got to get the soundtrack. At the Arclight, they had a display of costumes and props from the movie - the gun with "inglourious basterds" carved into it; Pitt's U.S. and partisan costumes; the shoe; <i>Stolz der Nation</i> posters. They also had a wonderful old-fashioned LP version of the soundtrack - I guess, a nostalgic allusion to the kinds of LPs they had for films like <i>The Great Escape</i>.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-38703080206874143772009-09-03T20:09:57.863-04:002009-09-03T20:09:57.863-04:00Ah, I'd been waiting for this one. Terrific pi...Ah, I'd been waiting for this one. Terrific piece, with the best title of all the essays I've read on this movie. "Eloquent talk at tables" indeed: in a weird way, QT has made a Coen brothers movie with the difference being most of the characters are smart. (Only Aldo would fit in the Coens' universe.) They're smart, but they screw up anyway. Even Landa isn't infallible.<br /><br />The dialogue isn't peppered with zingers, but to my ears it's a completely persuasive depiction of how people talked back then. QT spreads the wealth around and gives great lines to everyone while making all the voices sound distinctive (e.g. von Hammersmark's "I'm not going to fall into your honeypot"). I think it's the best screenwriting, the best dialogue of his career so far.<br /><br />Finally, you're more up on the music than I am. I catch some of the Sergio Leone stuff (or rather, I know it's from a Leone movie without knowing necessarily which one), but a lot of it goes right past me. You might enjoy the soundtrack. After several listenings, I realized a lyric from the Bowie song that refers to "a thousand years" echoes Major Dieter's toast to "A Thousand Year Reich" right before the shooting starts in the tavern.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-24264620187240499442009-09-03T12:06:32.752-04:002009-09-03T12:06:32.752-04:00FilmDr - Another thought in response to your comme...FilmDr - Another thought in response to your comment about using <i>Pulp Fiction</i> as a filmmaking teaching tool. I would have to rewatch that film to see how I would do that. As for <i>Inglourious Basterds</i>, I would say, here, watch this scene. Now, get two actors and a table, write some dialogue, make a movie. I love that simplicity about Tarantino's recent film.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-22742208522436832042009-09-03T11:05:55.122-04:002009-09-03T11:05:55.122-04:00Thanks, Jason. I saw Basterds again last night, co...Thanks, Jason. I saw <i>Basterds</i> again last night, corrected an on screen mistake I had made in my post, and posted a comment listing favorite little elements that I love in this film on your and Ed's Conversations post. I really enjoyed it again - the second time, it seemed to go so fast; the dialogues almost felt short.<br /><br />I totally agree with your comment about how the allusions work here. Across the board, I haven't felt that about his previous films.<br /><br />Regarding <i>Ryan</i>, I also noticed last night that some of the sniper hits spurt out puffs of smoke - which Spielberg exaggerates ridiculously.<br /><br />Yes, I probably need to revisit some of Tarantino's other films. Right now, I'm enjoying so much how everything, including T's particular style and tricks, works so well in <i>Inglourious Basterds</i>.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-16229952015479075162009-09-03T07:58:22.848-04:002009-09-03T07:58:22.848-04:00So much to say about this film. I wanted to read y...So much to say about this film. I wanted to read your review twice before I commented.<br /><br />* I think Tarantino is at his best when he makes allusions through action instead of dialogue. For example, by using music from <i>Zulu Dawn</i> or <i>The Alamo</i>, or borrowing a doorway shot from <i>The Searchers</i>, one takes away that Tarantino loves those films, but sharing that love isn't the sole purpose for his sampling. He uses those pieces because they work. They are techniques that he is applying, and if he does so correctly there's an effect even if we can't trace or spot the allusion. In contrast, when Tarantino has his characters ramble on about things that Tarantino admires, it can get pretty boring pretty quickly.<br /><br />* Great reference to the standoff in <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>.<br /><br />* As for his other films: If you haven't in a while, watch the <i>Kill Bill</i> movies again. I much prefer <i>Vol 2</i> to <i>Vol 1</i>, but <i>Vol 2</i>'s power is enhanced by <i>Vol 1</i>. Though I'm pretty much over watching <i>Reservoir Dogs</i> or <i>Pulp Fiction</i>, his other films are in the stage where I find a little more in them with each viewing. My gripes don't go away, but my enjoyment of those things I appreciate grows. With Tarantino, one viewing isn't really enough, most of the time. You need to see a film once just to understand the ground rules.<br /><br /><i>Inglourious Basterds</i> was great on first viewing, but it was better on second viewing. And over the long weekend I'm hoping to get out there for viewing No. 3.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-84877132332151114182009-09-02T23:50:34.154-04:002009-09-02T23:50:34.154-04:00FilmDr, thanks. Partly it's the genre that att...FilmDr, thanks. Partly it's the genre that attracts me with this film, but mostly its the more controlled, more effective construction of the scenes. I found the lengthy but tense scenes to be thrilling experiences - and I never felt that in Tarantino's previous films. <br /><br />I think he's become a better filmmaker - for this film, hopefully for his future films as well. Even though <i>Basterds</i> has its outrageous moments, I think Tarantino restrained himself - and the result is a better film. With scenes like the opening one in the farmhouse, you can almost imagine him saying to himself, "I'm going to be as lovingly careful with this scene as possible and make it as effective as it can be." <br /><br />You can see similar effort in some of his previous films - like the final confrontation between Bill and the Bride at the end of <i>Kill Bill, II</i>. But even though that film and his other films may have effective scenes, I've never been struck by them as being effective wholes. I feel the same way about <i>Pulp Fiction</i>. I like elements of it - not the whole thing. And when I say effective wholes - I mean scene for scene, acting, writing, cinematography, art direction, music. All those elements click in <i>Inglourious Basterds</i>.<br /><br />Yes, enthusiastic film students love <i>Pulp Fiction</i> and I've had some of my students make films that pay tribute to that film. They think it's really cool. I find much of it to be blah - or as I watch the film, I can almost feel Tarantino trying to be cool. With <i>Basterds</i> I can feel him trying to tell a great story in an artful and inventive but effective manner.<br /><br />Yes, here the dialogue is very effective and, I feel, more effective than in his previous films because I feel the dialogue is coming more from the characters than from Tarantino.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-29469586571045214962009-09-02T19:30:56.219-04:002009-09-02T19:30:56.219-04:00Excellent review. I guess that you are admitting ...Excellent review. I guess that you are admitting that Tarantino's work is getting better in your estimation, or do you think you prefer this film because it suits your taste in genres? I'm surprised that you don't like <i>Pulp Fiction</i> more than you do. I often teach that film to enthusiastic students, and I wonder how much of the success of both <i>Pulp Fiction</i> and <i>Basterds</i> may be due to the way they wittily synthesize so many influences from one genre. Tarantino often seems to me to make his best work when the film relies heavily on dialogue. When he focuses more on action, as in the <i>Kill Bill</i> series, the movies suffer.The Film Doctor https://www.blogger.com/profile/03073505923746994988noreply@blogger.com