“Inglourious Basterds” Hits France

May 21, 12:04 PMLA Indie Movie ExaminerJeffrey King

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No, the headline isn’t wrong.

It’s actually spelled that way.

Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated WWII film, “Inglourious Basterds” opened at the Cannes Film Festival this week, drawing huge crowds and lots of buzz. It’s Tarantino’s first solo feature since 2005’s hit “Kill Bill Volume II,” and will be released by The Weinstein Company on August 21st of this year.

The film stars Brad Pitt as ‘Lt. Aldo Rain,’ the leader of an undercover battalion of American soldiers who call themselves The Basterds. The troops wander the German countryside in plainclothes, torturing and killing Nazi soldiers. Through a series of strange occurrences, they become embroiled in a plot to kill Hitler and must help if it hopes to succeed.

As with every Tarantino film, the script is often brutal. The Basterds make a name for themselves by carving swastikas into the foreheads of their prey with hunting knives, and a character called “The Bear Jew” carries a Louisville Slugger baseball bat with him.

It’s not too hard to guess what he uses it for.

While Tarantino’s work is often controversial, “Inglourious Basterds’” depiction of a vengeful team of Jewish marauders may ruffle more than a few feathers. It is also far from historically accurate, which will no doubt draw criticism from history buffs.

All that being said, moviegoers can expect typical Tarantino fare from his latest effort. The film is fast, furious, and fun, complete with the tradition rapid-fire banter that fans have come to expect from the Pulp Fiction director. Brad Pitt is solid as the lieutenant, but it’s perhaps the supporting cast that steals the show.

BJ Novak (The Office), Mike Myers (Austen Powers), and Eli Roth (the director of Hostel) all help to fill out a dynamic and interesting cast. National Treasure’s Diane Kruger shines as the young German starlet Bridget von Hammersmark.

Whether or not Inglourious Basterds sees the same kind of box office success that many of Tarantino’s earlier films have enjoyed remains to be seen, but it will certainly be a film that generates a lot of conversation.

And if nothing else, lots of things will blow up.

See the trailer here.