"Inglourious Basterds," directed by Quentin Tarantino and released in 2009, presents a different kind of World War II drama set during the German occupation of France. The story involves a relentless Nazi “Jew Hunter” portrayed by Christoph Waltz, a vengeful young woman who owns a theater, a German war hero who bothers her, and a team of Jewish-American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine. This was my introduction to Tarantino's unusual body of work, though I’ve since seen everything he’s made. My first attempt at watching "Basterds" didn't go well; I stopped around the 50-minute mark. While I thought the opening dialogue was good, the movie felt slow because it focused on a French theater and lengthy conversations—mostly with subtitles. I wasn't prepared for that; I’d been expecting something like "The Dirty Dozen," full of action. Instead, I got a story centered around the theater and extended periods of subtitled dialogue. I eventually gave it another try, knowing it wasn't your typical war movie. Surprisingly, what I initially found to be “interminable dialogue” drew me in, and I became invested in the storyline, which isn’t difficult to follow. The drama is occasionally broken up by moments of intense violence. That is, until the very end when things really explode. There are definitely similarities to "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), like a group of anti-heroes determined to kill as many Germans as possible and the fact that the real action doesn't begin until near the conclusion, but “Basterds” isn’t a copy of it. It may take inspiration from other films, but it has its own distinct originality. Good movies need memorable characters, and "Basterds" delivers: Mélanie Laurent is striking as Shosanna, the cinema owner who quietly plots revenge; Christoph Waltz is excellent as SS Col. Hans Landa, a charming yet despicable villain who hunts down Jews; Brad Pitt plays the almost-funny but serious leader of the Basterds; Diane Kruger is sharp as a German actress and British spy; and Daniel Brühl portrays a friendly German hero who's attracted to Shosanna. Like Tarantino’s other great films (“Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “Jackie Brown”), "Basterds" has confidence, style, quirkiness, and unexpected turns from start to finish—a welcome contrast to the predictable, over-the-top action and CGI that often characterize modern blockbusters. Many movies feel rushed and avoid long conversations because filmmakers worry about losing viewers’ attention, but Tarantino makes those exchanges a highlight because he's really good at them. Instead of just moving the plot along or stating the obvious, his dialogue is full of humor and interesting ideas. The film has a running time of 153 minutes and was filmed in France and Germany. GRADE: A-

Source on TMDB