Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) all but burst onto the Hollywood scene in 1992 with his hit, Reservoir Dogs, and made a name for himself as a filmmaker who tends to pepper his movies with plenty of blood and violence and embellishes his scripts with an overabundance of curse words. He has written twenty feature films and directed fourteen. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards and has won two (both for writing). In 2009 he decided to put his spin on the Nazis and World War II. Inglourious Basterds premiered worldwide in August to critical acclaim and box office success. A dozen years later, it has finally been released in 4K UHD.
In 1941, during the German occupation of France, SS Officer Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz; No Time To Die) was tasked with locating Jews in the region and exterminating them. On a visit to the dairy farm owned by Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menóchet; Assassin's Creed), Landa inquires about a Jewish family in the area who have disappeared. Knowing he had been caught, LaPadite gives up the family who are hiding under the floorboards. During the massacre, the teenage daughter, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent; Now You See Me) escapes.
Years later, Shosanna, living under an assumed name, owns a theater house in France. When Nazi soldier and actor Frederick Zoller (Daniel Brühl; Captain America: Civil War) becomes smitten with Shosanna, he suggests she hosts his movie, Nation's Pride. Eventually agreeing, Shosanna plots a plan to set the theater on fire, killing all the upper-level Nazis Officers attending the movie premiere. At the same time a group of American soldiers, nicknamed Inglourious Basterds, elude authorities while killing and scalping Nazi soldiers and also plotting the demise of Hitler and his officers.
While we have seen other World War II films, both under the dramatic and comedic genres, any Tarantino film is unique, so it stands out "in the crowd". His storytelling style draws the audience in and keeps their attention through his often bloody and excessive cursing can be over the top.
Inglourious Basterds has been released in other formats before, but this is the first time it has been given the 4K treatment and the results are impressive. Details are incredibly sharp from the fabric on the uniforms to Shosanna's hair as she stands outside talking to Frederick. Colors, like the red lipstick on Allied Force sympathizer, actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger; National Treasure), pop with depth and richness. The 2160p video quality enhances the viewing experience tenfold.
Equally as impressive is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Even though this is the same track from the 2009 Blu-ray release, it still holds up twelve years later. Dialogue is crisp and ambient noise clean. Gunshots make use of the surround speakers and offer a layered and complex experience.
The combo pack extras include a digital download, a Blu-ray disc, and several informative featurettes including:
Extended & Alternate Scenes, Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times Talks, Nation's Pride: Full Feature, The Making of Nation's Pride, The Original Inglorious Bastards, A Conversation with Rod Taylor, Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel, Hi Sallys, Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell, Inglorious Basterds Poster Gallery, and Trailers. Most extras are previously released with a few new ones and others that were omitted this time.
Inglourious Basterds is considered by many to be Tarantino's best film ever, though others would argue Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction deserve that honor. Regardless, the movie is quintessentially Tarantino and a masterpiece that will be considered a classic fifty years from now. Whether or not you are a fan of the writer/director, you can't argue his immense talent.
Grade: A
