Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth in the Quentin Tarantino movie ‘Inglourious Basterds’

We head back fifteen years today for the Quentin Tarantino written and directed World War Two era movie Inglourious Basterds (2009). The movie is set in Nazi-occupied France with two worlds of opposing forces conspiring to assassinate leaders of the inhabiting regime in an alternate history coming to pass at a Paris cinema. The movie was filmed in Germany and France.

(From left, Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa, Lena Friedrich as Suzanne LaPadite and Denis Ménochet as Perrier LaPadite in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

The movie opens in 1941 with SS-Standartenführer Hans Landa of Austria interrogating farmer Perrier LaPadite of France with the suspicion of the Jewish Dreyfus family under the floorboards of LaPadite’s home. The farmer, choosing to spare his own family, acknowledges the hidden family. Landa has all but Shosanna Dreyfus shot, permitting the 18-year-old girl to run to safety. Landa, LaPadite and Dreyfus were portrayed by Christoph Waltz, Denis Ménochet and Mélanie Laurent, respectively.

(From left, Eli Roth as Sergeant Donny ‘The Bear Jew’ Donowitz and Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo Raine in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds)

Fast forward to 1944 when the movie introduces United States Army Lieutenant Aldo Raine, as portrayed by Brad Pitt, is shown recruiting Jewish–American soldiers for a special operations commando unit. The unit operates with the mission to create fear among Nazis by killing and scalping them while carving swastikas in the foreheads of permitted survivors among their audiences for the purpose of making the unit’s existence known among German armed forces functioning in France. The ‘Basterds’ unit in Inglourious Basterds included Sergeant Donny ‘The Bear Jew’ Donowitz, Private Smithson Utivich, Private Omar Ulmer, rogue German Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz and Austrian-born translator Corporal Wilhelm Wicki, portrayed respectively by Eli Roth, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, Til Schweiger and Gedeon Burkhard.

(From left, Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus and Daniel Brühl as Fredrick Zoller in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

As the above is occurring, German sniper Fredrick Zoller is set to star in a propaganda film Stolz der Nation (Nation’s Pride). Zoller, portrayed by Daniel Brühl, becomes infatuated with cinema operator Emmanuelle Mimieux, one and the same as survivor Shosanna Dreyfus from earlier in the film. Zoller convinces Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, as portrayed by Sylvester Groth, to premier the propaganda movie at the theatre of Mimieux/Dreyfus. Shosanna conspires with lover and projectionist, Marcel, to kill the German leaders in attendance at the premier. Jacky Ido portrayed Marcel.

(From left, Diane Kruger as Bridget Von Hammersmark and Michael Fassbender as Lieutenant Archie Hicox in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

Michael Fassbender portrayed British commando Lieutenant Archie Hicox. Hicox has been recruited to infiltrate the premier, though an intervening step towards that end at a French tavern goes gruesomely wrong. The Basterds come to a compromise to keep the premier in play with undercover Allied agent and German film star Bridget von Hammersmark, with von Hammersmark being portrayed by Diane Kruger. Aldo Raine and the Basterds intend to proceed with the Hicox plan in the British commando’s place, despite the blown cover of the Brits and von Hammersmark. The especially satisfying and intriguing part of the plan, as well as the simultaneous plan of Shosanna Dreyfus and Marcel, is that Hans Landa has what should be sufficient suspicion of both avenues of plot against German leadership to take effective measures against them.

(From left, Jacky Ido as Marcel and Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus in the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds).

The resolution for many of the characters come to pass in that theatre, with some exceptions coming into play based on actions negotiated at the theatre. That the larger story is one of vengeance and violence in confronting a historic grievance in large part is the point of the film. Doing this with a sense of comeuppance for a duplicitous character central to this movie is particularly appreciated. I grant the movie Inglourious Basterds as directed and written by Quentin Tarantino 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Peter Boyle in the Mel Brooks movie ‘Young Frankenstein’

Having introduced our review of the James Whale directed movie Frankenstein (1931) earlier this week on Matt Lynn Digital, we follow this closely with the Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), based on the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley book Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus and, more precisely, the  cinematic film of 43-years previous.

(From left, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher, Marty Feldman as Igor, Teri Garr as Inga and Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein).

The movie Young Frankenstein takes steps to mirror scenes along with the black-and-white presentation of the original Frankenstein movie on which this comedy is based. Some noticeable differences begin with bringing the American grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein to Transylvania in order to meet much of his supporting cast. Gene Wilder portrays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, that grandson, who we first meet as a classroom doctor seeking to distance himself from the myth of making monsters that he as grandson has inherited.

(From left, Anne Beesley as Helga and Peter Boyle as The Monster in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein).

Frederick of course is set to marry, and we are introduced to Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth in this role. A comedic theme that carries through much of the movie starts between Frederick and Elizabeth, which at first indicates distinct emotional distance between the two as they separate at the beginning of the good doctor’s journey to Transylvania. There’s comedy in that journey, as well as in meeting Frederick’s supporting cast Igor, Inga and Frau Blücher in the movie’s second country. Marty Feldman portrays Igor, Teri Garr portrays Inga and Cloris Leachman portrays Frau Blücher. The theme of a potentially loveless impending marriage brings supporting comedy among these four characters.

(From left, Peter Boyle as The Monster and Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein).

The storylines that introduced the creation and experience of The Monster, as portrayed by Peter Boyle, harken back to the original Frankenstein movie while offering new twists and, of course, variations. Anne Beesley portrays Helga, whose equivalence to Little Maria in the original movie cannot be mistaken. The notion of tremendous size is used for solid humor in addressing Helga, the angry mob that forms too in Young Frankenstein, and between Elizabeth, Frederick’s would be wife, and The Monster. The introduction of intentionally sophomoric humor in especially the relations between The Monster, Elizabeth, Frederick and Inga carries much of Young Frankenstein to resolution.

(From left, Peter Boyle as The Monster and Gene Hackman as Harold, the blind man in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein).

Additional humor and movie references brought to the forefront in Young Frankenstein were appreciated. The notion of The Monster’s fear of fire were well played in the gags with Harold, the blind man as portrayed by Gene Hackman. The scene where Frederick Frankenstein dances on stage with The Monster harkens back to the original King Kong (1933) movie scene, and more precisely the Harry Richman movie scene from Irving Berlin‘s movie Puttin’ on the Ritz (1930). Tying an affection for music into the pull between The Monster and Frederick Frankenstein was a nice touch of Young Frankenstein.

(From left, actress Madeline Kahn, director Mel Brooks and actress Teri Garr on set of the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein).

Largely, I found Young Frankenstein held much of the spirit of the original Frankenstein movie and along with the emotional notion between The Monster and the man who created him, as intended in the book. There is definitely extra humor, which of course is the point of this movie. The notion of referencing multiple movies from the past in offering both homage and poking fun makes this movie giggle worthy. The movie Young Frankenstein largely works if you take the content on the level it is offered, accepting the “what did I just see?” intention to the humor the strike a chord. I grant Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 26, 2021