Inglorious Basterds (2009)

It's the 40s - World War II to be precise - and Nazi Germany are spreading their fascist views as far across the globe as possible, including France. Cities are infiltrated and countryside havens are terrorized by the Anti-Semites. Hitler is also unaware that his about to get his ass handed to him on a plate in the slightly fictional 'Inglorious Basterds'. Brad Pitt heads the cast as a violent, 100% American leader of the cleverly named gang of 'justice seekers'. With the talented Christopher Waltz featuring as the infamous Colonel Hans Landa otherwise known as the 'Jew-Hunter'.

The film begins with the Colonel perfecting his skills as a Jew Hunter, tracking down a sympathizer living in the countryside. The Milk Man is reported to be hiding a Jewish family on his land somewhere, as this is unacceptable behavior he begins to apply pressure. Eventually he cracks, and all hell breaks loose; but in the midst of madness a young girl fights for her freedom, fleeing from the scene of her family's brutal murder.

Years down the line the 'Inglorious Basterds' form and become a intimidating militia, instilling fear in Nazi's the world over. The eight man team have one goal - to kill as many Nazi's as possible and to retrieve 100 scalps each - Apache style. The means of going about this are ruthless, no restrictions apply. The more they suffer the better - Tarantino's version of retribution for the six millions Jewish lives lost over the WWII period. 

Cut to the young girl Shosanna, who escaped death years ago and has now grown up to become Emmanuelle Mimieux - owner of a cinema in Paris and a 'secret' Jew. We know not of how she manages to survive and make a life for herself but remain safe in the knowledge that she is constantly suspicious and stays isolated with her partner; a black man - never one to stray from the 'controversial'. No longer able to stay inconspicuous due to a famous Nazi solider taking interest in her and her cinema for the premier of his film. She has to fraternize with the enemy; one of the enemy's being the Jew Hunter from years before. Tensions are about to hit boiling point. 

What follows is a fast paced, quirky and witty plot that swiftly sees the various different lives come crashing together in Paris. Although farfetched and highly believable, Tarantino provides entertainment in his usual unusual fashion. Relatives of those affected by the Holocaust or Hitler's reign during WWII, or simply those that take offense easily should not be. True, he trivializes many aspects of the devastating war and suggests that it could have been easier to stop if someone had taken action like these characters but it wasn't, and it was horrific. What needs to be pointed out though is that this film is fictional.

If only we could all live in a world like Quentin Tarantino's...