More thoughts on Inglourious Basterds

Well the first time I saw the movie - (Did I mention that I saw it again with my son yesterday!).

... I was struck by how exaggerated all the British actors were -- like stereotypes from 1930's, 40's & 50's (Mike Myers has been panned by some, but I think that the affectations were exactly what Tarantino wanted) - much better than the 'know-it-all' (Fassbender) Hickox- Film Critic. [I do remember when some British WWII films of the 1960's seemed to have a cocky "let's let the Yanks have a go - good fun" attitude in the films. ] The Hickox character was insufferable - the actor, Fassbender, probably did it right - I liked him for being so pompous.





Now - why do I have a picture of Ron Taylor - one of my childhood glamor actors up there? Because he was the one playing Churchill! (Now ... feel the irony coming Rod Taylor was opposite Yevette Mimieux in at least two movies; Time Machine and Dark of the Sun). Taylor was the star of my first favorite movie, Fate is the Hunter. He was also leading man in the Birds, and the first 101 Dalmatians --- now he is Churchill. Taylor, the old guy - done good. Tarantino was generous and honorable in casting him.


I have decided that I like this movie so much because it is challenging. (Same reason I love TVs LOST series.).


My next comments will be on the colors - renaissance colors.

*Fate is the Hunter" -Taylor played: Capt Jack Savage - he investigates the mysterious crashing of a passenger flight.... great movie. My new driver's license allowed me to go see it almost every night for a month in the summer of my freshman year in high school. I loved the logical ending to the movie -- let's say it was not "fate" that caused the crash.

BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME --

Okay so I have not been here since March -- been real busy... and had nothing to say.

But now .. ta da... Inglourious Basterds. Director Terantino is just such a genius.

I am having a hard time not being a "spoiler" but Go See The Movie.... when you do, remember this song "Cat People (putting out fire) - David Bowie" -- I can only compare the experience to a moment in 1985; I stood in the 12th century nave of Notre-Dame de Paris and thought I was the luckiest person in the world -- the light was otherworldly, the space huge (at the same time - comforting like the womb), the color breathtaking, the incense burning, my hand brushed a stone, it was cold and so smooth from others hands - the stones were soaring, my head was spinning ...... beautiful. (I imaged living in a small porrly heated home - birth, death and decay all around me - contrasted with this amazing space).... THEN, just when I thought that macimum beauty had been experienced... an organist started to play - if you can listen to the last few seconds of this organist (loud) and try to imaging what I am saying . For the only time in my life I understood religion and thought about that starstruck Saint Teresa swooning away like she had just seen the Beetles. Tears came to my eyes for the joy of the experience.

Well back to the movie..... Inglourious Bastards. This movie, this director, is right up there in art with Bernini, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Mozart, John Lennon, Van Gogh, Whistler... It is not just art, it is FINE Art... with a capital FINE.

Truthfully, I have never classified cinema as fine art... but then Grandma Moses is okay- but she is not Matisse (comparison is the tilted perspective). I am going to rethink every movie experience.

I can think of other movies that I would put in the FINE category now... but I have never seen one so perfectly fine like this.

After the show we went for desert - I asked my companions what they thought today's Germans think of this movie - we assumed that pre-war, post-war and post 90's people there had different reactions. I just found this online though

“Many are asking the question: is this allowed? Can someone portray Jews as killers who also have fun with their murderous work?”

And after this revelation, “Pope Quentin” goes on to manifest the “biggest
exorcism of all,” daily Die Welt opined.“He manages finally to send this Hitler
to the devil in a way besides suicide,” the paper said. “Historic accuracy is a
virtue, but fantasy brings liberation.”

[source: Kristen Allen in " The Local Germany's News in English"] For more about this go to German's like new Terantino Film.

This "review" has been 60+ years coming... but here it is - I am now a fanatic.