In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• First Lieutenant Aldo “The Apache” Raine: Brad Pitt
• Shosanna Dreyfus / Emmanuelle Mimieux: Mélanie Laurent
• SS Colonel Hans “The Jew Hunter” Landa: Christoph Waltz
• Staff Sergeant Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz: Eli Roth
• Lieutenant Archie Hicox: Michael Fassbender
• Bridget von Hammersmark: Diane Kruger
• Private First Class Fredrick Zoller: Daniel Brühl
• Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz: Til Schweiger
• Corporal Wilhelm Wicki: Gedeon Burkhard
• Marcel: Jacky Ido
• Private First Class Smithson “The Little Man” Utivich: B.J. Novak
• Private First Class Omar Ulmer: Omar Doom
• Major Dieter Hellstrom: August Diehl
• Perrier LaPadite: Denis Ménochet
• Joseph Goebbels: Sylvester Groth
• Adolf Hitler: Martin Wuttke
• General Ed Fenech: Mike Myers
• Francesca Mondino: Julie Dreyfus
• Charlotte LaPadite: Léa Seydoux
• Sergeant Werner Rachtman: Richard Sammel
• Staff Sergeant Wilhelm / Pola Negri: Alexander Fehling
• Winston Churchill: Rod Taylor
• Private First Class Hirschberg: Samm Levine
• Private First Class Andy Kagan: Paul Rust
• Private First Class Michael Zimmerman: Michael Bacall
• German Soldier / Winnetou: Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey
• German Female Soldier / Beethoven: Petra Hartung
• German Soldier / Edgar Wallace: Volker Michalowski
• German Soldier / Mata Hari: Ken Duken
• Proprietor Eric: Christian Berkel
• Julie LaPadite: Tina Rodriguez
• Suzanne LaPadite: Lena Friedrich
• CPT. Wolfgang: Ludger Pistor
• Babette: Jana Pallaske
• Herrman #1: Wolfgang Lindner
• Herrman #3: Michael Kranz
• General Schonherr: Rainer Bock
• Old French Veterinarian: André Penvern
• Hellstrom’s Driver / Nazi Usher #1: Sebastian Hülk
• Gaspar: Buddy Joe Hooker
• Private Butz / Walter Frazer: Sönke Möhring
• PFC. Simon Sakowitz: Carlos Fidel
• Emil Jannings: Hilmar Eichhorn
• Jakob Dreyfus: Patrick Elias
• Miriam Dreyfus: Eva Löbau
• Bob Dreyfus: Salvadore Brandt
• Amos Dreyfus: Jasper Linnewedel
• German Company SGT.: Wilfried Hochholdinger
• Maxim’s Waiter: Olivier Girard
• General Frank: Michael Scheel
• Motorcycle Rider #1: Leo Plank
• Motorcycle Rider #2: Andreas Tietz
• American Colonel: Bo Svenson
• Himself: Enzo G. Castellari
• Kliest Voice (voice): Christian Brückner
• Narrator (voice) (uncredited): Samuel L. Jackson
• Usher #2 (uncredited): Bela B
• German Movie Star (uncredited): Noemi Besedes
• German Official (voice) (uncredited): Hélène Cardona
• German Soldier (uncredited): Jake Garber
• German Civilian (uncredited): Sabrina Rattey
• Military Attaché (uncredited): Alex Boden
• SS Major (uncredited): Guido Föhrweißer
• OSS Commander Who Agrees to Deal (voice) (uncredited): Harvey Keitel
• Nazi Theatre Attendee (uncredited): Andrew Napier
• Gestapo Major (uncredited): Gregory Nicotero
• First Scalped Nazi / American Soldier in ‘Pride of Nation’ (uncredited): Quentin Tarantino
• French Waiter (uncredited): Vitus Wieser
• German Female Soldier (uncredited): Bea-Marie Rück
• Cinema Guest (uncredited): Daniela Schwerdt

Film Crew:

• Writer: Quentin Tarantino
• Producer: Lawrence Bender
• Director of Photography: Robert Richardson
• Editor: Sally Menke
• Casting: Johanna Ray
• Sound Designer: Harry Cohen
• Stunts: Zoë Bell
• Executive Producer: Lloyd Phillips
• Thanks: Maggie Cheung
• Thanks: Tom Tykwer
• Executive Producer: Bob Weinstein
• Executive Producer: Harvey Weinstein
• Production Design: David Wasco
• Casting: Simone Bär
• Costume Design: Anna B. Sheppard
• Additional Editor: Joe D’Augustine
• Thanks: Cloris Leachman
• Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
• Co-Producer: Henning Molfenter
• Co-Producer: Charlie Woebcken
• Art Direction: Marco Bittner Rosser
• Supervising Art Director: Sebastian T. Krawinkel
• Art Direction: Stephan O. Gessler
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Tony Lamberti
• Associate Producer: Bruce Moriarty
• Casting: Olivier Carbone
• Executive Producer: Erica Steinberg
• Stunt Coordinator: Jeffrey J. Dashnaw
• Visual Effects Designer: John Dykstra
• Makeup Artist: Katrin Schneider
• Script Supervisor: Martin Kitrosser
• Makeup Effects: Gregory Nicotero
• Thanks: Barry Primus
• Makeup Effects: Howard Berger
• Assistant Director: Carlos Fidel
• Costume Design: Giorgio Armani
• Assistant Editor: Julie Garces
• Thanks: Gabriel Roth
• Art Direction: David Scheunemann
• Associate Producer: Pilar Savone
• Casting: Jenny Jue
• First Assistant Editor: Evan Henke
• ADR Supervisor: Gregg Baxter
• Co-Producer: Christoph Fisser
• Still Photographer: François Duhamel
• Makeup Effects: Jake Garber
• Hairstylist: Dörte Eben
• Driver: Nils Konrad
• Supervising Sound Editor: Wylie Stateman
• Steadicam Operator: Sebastian Meuschel
• Music Editor: Jim Schultz
• Additional Script Supervisor: Caroline Veyssière
• Loader: Matthias Pilz
• Makeup Department Head: Heba Thorisdottir
• Sound Designer: Ann Scibelli
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Minkler
• Post Production Supervisor: Tina Anderson
• Location Manager: Klaus Große Darrelmann
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Viktor Müller
• Unit Production Manager: Michael Scheel
• Post Production Coordinator: Sheryl Benko
• Key Hair Stylist: Emanuel Millar
• Color Timer: Yvan Lucas
• Music Supervisor: Mary Ramos
• Production Sound Mixer: Mark Ulano
• First Assistant Editor: Stephanie Johnson
• First Assistant “A” Camera: Gregor Tavenner
• First Assistant “B” Camera: Birgit Dierken
• Clapper Loader: Geraldine Brezca
• Unit Production Manager: Gregor Wilson
• Associate Producer: William Paul Clark
• Second Assistant “A” Camera: Gero Neumann
• Assistant Editor: Erin Hopkins
• Visual Effects Camera: Lester Dunton
• Post Production Supervisor: Christopher Berg
• Editorial Production Assistant: Matthew Sakata
• Second Assistant “B” Camera: Nicole Dierken

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: Refreshingly different alternative WW2 drama/adventure

  RELEASED IN 2009 and directed by Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds” takes place during the German occupation of France in WW2 and revolves around a ruthless “Jew Hunter” Nazi (Christoph Waltz), a beautiful young theater owner dripping with vengeance, a German war hero who pesters her and a brutal team of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine.

  This was my first taste of the popular director’s eccentric repertoire, although I’ve since seen all of his movies except “Death Proof” (2007). The first time I tried to watch “Basterds” I gave up around the 50-minute mark. Don’t get me wrong, the dialogue-driven opening sequence is great but the film seemed to bog down with its focus on a French theater during the German occupation and the accompanying interminable dialogue (mostly in subtitles). I just wasn’t ready for this because I was expecting a Dirty Dozen-styled WW2 film with lots of action and all that goes with it. What I got instead was a plot that focused on the aforementioned theater accompanied by long sessions of generally subtitled dialogue.

  I eventually gave it a second chance with the understanding that this wasn’t some typical war flick. Strangely, the “interminable dialogue” pulled me in and I slowly became engrossed in the story, which isn’t hard to follow. The drama is only occasionally interrupted by flashes of extreme violence. Until the end, that is, where all hell literally breaks loose.

  There ARE elements that bring to mind “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), including a group of anti-heroes intent on mercilessly obliterating as many Germans as possible and the fact that the real action doesn’t kick-in until the final act, but “Basterds” is hardly a Dirty Dozen clone. It may borrow a bit from notable films of the past but it absolutely possesses its own refreshing originality.

  All effective films have quality characters and “Basterds” has several: The stunning Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna, the cinema proprietor who quietly seethes with retribution; Christoph Waltz as SS Col. Hans Landa, an articulate and suave love-to-hate villain who mercilessly hunts down Jews; Brad Pitt as the almost-comical, but no-nonsense leader of the brutal Basterds; super-sharp Diane Kruger as a German actress & British spy; and Daniel Brühl as a genial German hero with the hots for the beautiful Shosanna.

  Like Tarantino’s other great movies (“Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “Jackie Brown”), “Basterds” pulsates with confidence, style, quirkiness and a sense of the unexpected from beginning to end, the perfect antidote to the idiotic “blockbuster” syndrome that plagues modern cinema with its predictability and overKILL action & CGI, etc. Most movies seem like they’re in a rush and shy away from extended dialogues because they fear losing the viewer’s limited attention whereas Tarantino makes them a highlight because it’s an area where he excels. Instead of pedestrian verbiage that merely advances the plot or conveys the obvious, his interchanges are rich with amusement and mindfood.

  THE FILM RUNS 153 minutes and was shot in France and Germany.

  GRADE: A-

• JPV852: Second time seeing this since it was released on Blu-ray in 2009 and still is a solid war-thriller with Tarantino’s flair with dialogue and of course, feet. But seriously, despite being 2.5 hours, the time flew by thanks to the brisk pace and great performances from all around. Not my favorite Tarantino film but it’s up there. **4.5/5**