The relentlessly funny, thrilling and smart World War II revenge fantasy drama, Inglorious Basterds, became a surprise hit this summer, grossing about $320 million worldwide. Though occasionally the film limps and has plenty of its lines in languages other than English (no subtitles either), it is a high octane experience. Those who like black humour will adore it.
During its first few days of release some moviegoers complained that the film was too violent and cartoonish but in the long run, the admirers won.
Its success was partly due to the very nature of the film in which a group of American Jews -- nicknamed The Basterds -- give hell to Hitler's henchmen.
It was also due to director Quentin Tarantino's audacious vision that combined choppy and slow scenes of interrogation and high speed thrills. And to a great deal the success was the result of the film's high voltage entertainment and excellent reviews. The film, which cost about $70 million, became one of the more profitable ventures of the year.
And now just as the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film, featuring an excellent cast led by Brad Pitt, has started climbing to the top of the sales and rental charts, comes further good news.
The film has been nominated for Golden Globes in major categories including the best picture, best screenplay (Tarantino) and best director. The complex Nazi colonel Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz, was a highlight of the film and he has been nominated in the supporting actor category.
Among the film's most ardent admirers USA Today's Claudia Puig gave the film three and half stars out of four. 'Within the first frames of writer/director Quentin Tarantino's audacious dismantling of history, you may feel as if you took a hit of pure oxygen,' she wrote. 'His tall tale, with its tense and jangly pacing, is immediately riveting.'
Loosely based on Enzo Castellari's 1978 film, Basterds, Puig declared, 'is brash, nimbly acted and, and not surprisingly for a Tarantino movie, incessantly violent. But with its wartime setting, what bloody mayhem there is feels integral and, for the most part, appropriate.'
Those who are looking for extra goodies in the package will know that it is one of the best loaded of DVD/Blu-ray versions of a Hollywood hit in recent months. You will know a lot more about Tarantino's mindset, his inspirations, and his working method from the extras that come with the two versions.
In the film, there is a brief discussion about a Nazi propaganda film called Nation's Pride. The DVD and Blu-ray versions have a short film and a mock documentary on that.
Actor Eric Roth discussed with The Wall Street Journal how the featurette came about. He said while Inglorious Basterds was shot, there were times he was idle in between the shots, and he suggested to Tarantino that the latter could shoot some extra scenes with him (Roth) for promotional efforts. Tarantino thought something more exciting: a little film called Nation's Pride to be used in the DVD and Blu-ray versions.
'In the script, there are three lines of dialogue from [Nation's Pride],' Roth recalled. Quentin Tarantino said he would shoot a short film around it. Tarantino was amused, Roth recalled, that a Jewish guy (Roth) was making the Nazi propaganda movie.
Roth, who plays a Nazi director in Nation's Pride, added: 'Yeah, it was a lot of fun to get in costume. And I don't smoke, but I decided that if I'm going to smoke one cigarette in my life, it will be for this character for this movie.'
Extras: Bonus features in the two-disc DVD special include an illuminating roundtable discussion with Tarantino and Pitt moderated by the former New York Times reviewer Elvis Mitchell who is also a well-known film scholar. Look out for Nation's Pride, 'the film within the film,' and the concomitant discussion on it. And of course, you can transfer the digital file to I-pod or Mac or a PC.
