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Once again, Tarantino presents interesting malcontents that brim with quirky danger and/or who live either willingly or unwillingly on the fringe of society. He clearly relished the casting sessions as he chose people with interesting faces, mannerisms or the ability to project some personal oddity. The standout of the cast, however, is Christopher
Waltz, who plays the fiendishly evil Col. Hanz Landa, "The Jew Hunter". Tasked with speaking seven languages in the film, Waltz dancers around the dialogue and scenes with roguish glee. Every time he appears the movie, which is enjoyable on its own, it becomes just a bit more fun.

Unfortunately, Brad Pitt who I respect for his ability (his work from 1994 and 2001 I consider very strong) doesn't come off as well. The much discussed accent is distracting and unnecessary. But to some extent it's irrelevant as his character shares more with Steven Seagal's character in Executive Decision than anything else.

The film stocks the scenes with small, memorable secondary characters like Hugo Stiglitz, (played by one of my favorite character actors, Til Schweiger), a former German soldier who killed 13 officers and has now switched sides to work with the Basterds. Eli Roth plays Sargent Danny Donowitz, "The Bear Jew", a baseball-wielding head smasher who is mythologized by the German Army as perhaps a righteously avenging golem. There is also a surprise cameo by Mike Myers as a very proper English Officer which seems oddly out of place...as though someone from one of the Austin Powers movies time traveled and landed in a Tarantino flick. There is also a representation of Hitler that is clearly inspired by previous incarnations done by Mel Brooks and Charlie Chaplin.

The movie is replete with film references both obvious and subtle. From character names to billboards and conversations that mention directors and films, the movie nearly overflows with winks and nods to the "Filmagentsia". At one point he has a character respond, "I'm French...we respect directors." It can be a bit much, nearly crossing over to Shyamalan-ian self indulgence, but it's often clever enough to work and would make an excellent drinking game...or technique in a movie review.

The movie also features a new element for a Tarantino film, a healthy dose of satire as the subject of the Nazi propaganda film is an ordinary German soldier starring in a movie about...himself as he goes to Hell and back. He also shows the Nazi crowd cheering wildly during the exploits of the film, which mostly shows the grizzly deaths of American GIs. It's odd, then, that he finishes the movie with the largest of wish fulfillments possible.

With the introduction of Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Tarantino brought a fresh appreciation of the 1970s and their films. He continued that work with 1994's Pulp Fiction and 1997's Jackie Brown. It wasn't until 2003's Kill Bill that he began to explore slightly different material for influences and prove that his ability lent itself to a prolonged career. Since that time, he has solidified a defined style which liberally but appreciatively takes from various genres and infuses his works with creative storytelling and compelling characters. His love of seldom known films and the dark corners they inhabit is obvious and it is with this in mind that he approaches most of his creations. Inglourious Basterds is another mostly amusing homage to some of those films. It continues his trend of films that should be seen by anyone who appreciates the offbeat parts of film history or simply wants to see something slightly different.

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