Link to Inglourious Basterds Trailer
When I first saw the teaser for Inglourious Basterds – you know, Brad Pitt harping on the methodical killing of Natzees as he paces – my heart sank a little with the thought that QT might have finally lost me given the context of the modern debate on torture and the great reverential preciousness with which one is expected to handle the subject of World War II. What the hell was he doing? It didn’t even seem accurate. The greatest generation was going to have him ceremoniously flailed for this, I thought. And then this trailer surfaced and it finally clicked … I think. It reminded me of the brief exploration in The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay of the works, comic books in this case, relishing in fantastical, surreal ways the demise of Hitler and/or his SS, whether thinly disguised or not so much. That seems to be just what IB is. If it is outlandish enough to remove it from reality – therefore avoiding any need for precious handling or historical accuracy or a moral compass – can we then skip the flailing, enjoy the ride, and perhaps even find a suitable repository for our rage against the injustices in the world past and present? I don’t know. I might have it all wrong. But for now … I’m totally in.