The long anticipated film Inglourious Basterds was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.  The film truly has Tarantino’s unique touch.  Some have even described Inglourious Basterds as a mix of the Dirty Dozen, a spaghetti western (notably The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) ¸ and Reservoir Dogs. Once you have made the connection between the preceding films and styles there is yet another detail that complicates the storyline.  All the way through Inglourious Basterds there are actually two separate plots that unfold simultaneously.

The first that the audience is introduced to is actually the story of Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), a young Jewish/French girl.  More importantly within the first act the character of Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) is developed before the viewer.  It is the Colonel that ties the two plots together in somewhat of a loose fashion.

Finally, the audience is introduced to the Basterds.  This group of soldiers is comprised of Jewish/Americans who roam through France ahead of the Allied lines causing havoc within the German army.  The film follows the exploits and situations that the group faces during their time behind enemy lines.

Without giving out any spoilers, it is important to note that this film is VERY graphic.  However, Tarantino did not only focus on action and violence to hold up the movie.  Inglourious Basterds possesses a fabulous dialog that easily rivals anything else produced this year.  Inglourious Basterds is not simply a World War II film with blood, and guts, and big guns.  There seems to be an artistic feel to the movie.  Between the camera filters, angles, and the fabulous soundtrack that support the scenes it is truly a work of art.

Random trivia fact taken from IMDB.com:

Eli Roth and Omar Doom were nearly incinerated filming the fire sequence in the theater. During tests the flame temperatures reached 400 degrees centigrade, and during the take the set burned out of control and the temperature of the ceiling above them reached 1,200 degrees centigrade (2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.) Quentin Tarantino was seated on a crane operating the camera in a fireproof suit, and none of them wanted to back down and ruin the shot. Fire marshals said that another fifteen seconds of filming and the steel structure would have collapsed, incinerating the actors. Roth and Doom were treated for minor burns.

Quentin Tarantino interviewed by Eli Roth

Runtime:  153 min

Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.