Inglourious Basterds (3 Viewers)

[Joe Bryant]

The review I posted earlier addresses this better than I can:

Americans are hillbillies. The Brits are blithe and effete and yet, somehow, tough as nails. And SS butchers are always polite, in a menacing kind of way. Tarantino gives us the stereotypes, but pumps them up so that we notice them, then finds the truth inside of them.

I can see that. J

 

[Bobcat10]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

the reason they came off as hack executioners was because they were hack executioners. They're called the Inglorious Basterds, there definitely isn't any hidden meaning about what kind of people they are.

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

 

[Ghoti]

FWIW, one of the people I saw it with is American but lives and works in Germany. He's fluent in German and he said the German dialogue was spot on. Lots of different accents from different regions and he said they nailed it. Especially Hitler who evidently had a strong accent. That's kind of cool.

Did he have anything to say about how Germans show 3 fingers? I was wondering if there was truth to that, or if it was just made up for the story.

 

[Joe Bryant]

FWIW, one of the people I saw it with is American but lives and works in Germany. He's fluent in German and he said the German dialogue was spot on. Lots of different accents from different regions and he said they nailed it. Especially Hitler who evidently had a strong accent. That's kind of cool.

Did he have anything to say about how Germans show 3 fingers? I was wondering if there was truth to that, or if it was just made up for the story.

Yes. He said the movie was exactly right on that.J

 

[Joe Bryant]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

the reason they came off as hack executioners was because they were hack executioners. They're called the Inglorious Basterds, there definitely isn't any hidden meaning about what kind of people they are.

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

As the Basterds cheered their buddy bashing the guy's head in with a baseball bat while he knelt stoic and defenseless, what was your take on the guys in that scene?J

 

[Tremendous Upside]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

the reason they came off as hack executioners was because they were hack executioners. They're called the Inglorious Basterds, there definitely isn't any hidden meaning about what kind of people they are.

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

As the Basterds cheered their buddy bashing the guy's head in with a baseball bat while he knelt stoic and defenseless, what was your take on the guys in that scene?J

I sure as hell didn't come down from the ####### Smoky Mountains, cross five thousand miles of water, fight my way through half Sicily and then jump out of a ####in' air-o-plane to teach the Nazis lessons in humanity. Nazi ain't got no humanity. They're the foot soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac and they need to be dee-stroyed. That's why every son of a ##### we find wearin' a Nazi uniform, they're gonna die. We will be cruel to the Germans and through our cruelty they will know who we are. They will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, disfigured bodies their brothers we leave behind us and the Germans will not be able to help themselves from imagining the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, at our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the Germans will be sickened by us, the Germans will talk about us and the Germans will fear us. And when the Germans close their eyes at night and their subconscious tortures them for the evil they've done, it will be with thoughts of us that it tortures them with. Sound good?

 

[bigbottom]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

the reason they came off as hack executioners was because they were hack executioners. They're called the Inglorious Basterds, there definitely isn't any hidden meaning about what kind of people they are.

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

As the Basterds cheered their buddy bashing the guy's head in with a baseball bat while he knelt stoic and defenseless, what was your take on the guys in that scene?J

These guys were brutal killers.

 

[Postradamus]

Saw it this weekend and was blown away. It's the best film I've seen since No Country for Old Men.

 

[[icon]]

When Shoshanna was getting ready for the premiere, why the goofy makeup stuff putting it on like warpaint so dramatically and then lowering the veil so slowly? Just seemed goofy.

Tarantino loves his stylish warrior princesses. Her putting on the makup (actaully, it's rouge and that's how you put it on, rubbing it in after application ) seemed to fit into the Apache/scalping motif. And the dramatic lowering of the veil is all Tarantino style.

Tartantino is a fetishist....

 

[Joe Bryant]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

the reason they came off as hack executioners was because they were hack executioners. They're called the Inglorious Basterds, there definitely isn't any hidden meaning about what kind of people they are.

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

As the Basterds cheered their buddy bashing the guy's head in with a baseball bat while he knelt stoic and defenseless, what was your take on the guys in that scene?J

I sure as hell didn't come down from the ####### Smoky Mountains, cross five thousand miles of water, fight my way through half Sicily and then jump out of a ####in' air-o-plane to teach the Nazis lessons in humanity. Nazi ain't got no humanity. They're the foot soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac and they need to be dee-stroyed. That's why every son of a ##### we find wearin' a Nazi uniform, they're gonna die. We will be cruel to the Germans and through our cruelty they will know who we are. They will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, disfigured bodies their brothers we leave behind us and the Germans will not be able to help themselves from imagining the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, at our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the Germans will be sickened by us, the Germans will talk about us and the Germans will fear us. And when the Germans close their eyes at night and their subconscious tortures them for the evil they've done, it will be with thoughts of us that it tortures them with. Sound good?

That's a great point there, TU. After the speech, it was easy to like them. You were cheering for them as that speech had a fun / adventurous vibe to it (even though the words weren't) I'm sure others had a different take but after the bat scene when you saw them really do the things he was talking about in the speech, the vibe was different. You know what I mean?J

 

[Tremendous Upside]

When the Bear Jew kills the Nazi with the bat, the Nazi came off by far as the best guy in the scene. He showed incredible bravery accepting his fate. Donowitz came off poorly as just a hack executioner and then looked stupid with the "went yaahd" dance after. I wonder what Tarantino was trying to do there?

This, and they wanted to get the other Nazi to talk. The Basterds don't care that some Nazi died for his country. He died so the Basterds could get what they wanted. I definitely didn't come out of that part thinking "that Nazi was the best guy in the scene".

As the Basterds cheered their buddy bashing the guy's head in with a baseball bat while he knelt stoic and defenseless, what was your take on the guys in that scene?J

I sure as hell didn't come down from the ####### Smoky Mountains, cross five thousand miles of water, fight my way through half Sicily and then jump out of a ####in' air-o-plane to teach the Nazis lessons in humanity. Nazi ain't got no humanity. They're the foot soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac and they need to be dee-stroyed. That's why every son of a ##### we find wearin' a Nazi uniform, they're gonna die. We will be cruel to the Germans and through our cruelty they will know who we are. They will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, disfigured bodies their brothers we leave behind us and the Germans will not be able to help themselves from imagining the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, at our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the Germans will be sickened by us, the Germans will talk about us and the Germans will fear us. And when the Germans close their eyes at night and their subconscious tortures them for the evil they've done, it will be with thoughts of us that it tortures them with. Sound good?

That's a great point there, TU. After the speech, it was easy to like them. You were cheering for them as that speech had a fun / adventurous vibe to it (even though the words weren't) I'm sure others had a different take but after the bat scene when you saw them really do the things he was talking about in the speech, the vibe was different. You know what I mean?J

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

That's why I gave a to Letters from Iwo Jima.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

 

[Andy Dufresne]

In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Nah. He just came off as fanatical, which is often misinterpreted as noble.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Certainly. Although the brilliant film Downfall does present a very evenhanded look at the last days of Hitler. And while I'd never use the word "sympathy" to describe how I felt about some of those people, I don't believe that every person in the Nazi party was 100% evil and without a shred of humanity.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

That's why I gave a to Letters from Iwo Jima.

Do you think Clint Eastwood has sympathy for the Japanese in WW2? I don't. What would you prefer? 2.5 hours of violent, sociopathic, inhuman behavior by the Japanese? I can't believe for a second that the entire Japanese army was evil.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.

J

Yes, that was the point. Remember that the Basterds were created to strike fear in the hearts of Nazi soldiers. Proper decorum and civil treatment of soldiers wouldn't exactly achieve that.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

That's why I gave a to Letters from Iwo Jima.

Do you think Clint Eastwood has sympathy for the Japanese in WW2? I don't. What would you prefer? 2.5 hours of violent, sociopathic, inhuman behavior by the Japanese? I can't believe for a second that the entire Japanese army was evil.

The army as a whole certainly was. I'm sure there were individuals within that would have preferred not to be there. Ultimately I judged the movie as saying that we should view our enemy as a whole with sympathy. Maybe I reached the wrong conclusion.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Oh, I don't think there's much of an argument to be made that the Basterds aren't cruel and brutalTarantino is riffing on violence and war and the brutality of it all and the nature of heroism

Even though they are the "good guys," the Basterds aren't good people

And I think Tarantino wants you o think about the fact that despite this, you are cheering for them as they scalp and kill Nazis

Part of the reason I liked it as much as I did was that it has these layers to it

It succeeds on many different levels

 

[Bobcat10]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Cruel? I dunno, if not in those circumstances of course. Bloodthirsty? OK I give you that one for sure. I guess I just don't see your point. That's what they were (savage and brutal) and that's what QT showed us. And still, sort of what you eluded to in another post, they were thought of by most of us as the "good guys", even after that point of the movie.

Since it's not about the Nazi's, I won't ask how the Nazi that gave info come off to you.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

That's why I gave a to Letters from Iwo Jima.

Do you think Clint Eastwood has sympathy for the Japanese in WW2? I don't. What would you prefer? 2.5 hours of violent, sociopathic, inhuman behavior by the Japanese? I can't believe for a second that the entire Japanese army was evil.

The army as a whole certainly was. I'm sure there were individuals within that would have preferred not to be there. Ultimately I judged the movie as saying that we should view our enemy as a whole with sympathy. Maybe I reached the wrong conclusion.

Well, I think that soldiers have to depersonalize the enemy. That's a matter of survival and a coping skill. But you and I do not. We have the luxury of pondering war as an ethical plight.

 

[Joe Bryant]

In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Nah. He just came off as fanatical, which is often misinterpreted as noble.

How so, GB?J

 

[Joe Bryant]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Oh, I don't think there's much of an argument to be made that the Basterds aren't cruel and brutalTarantino is riffing on violence and war and the brutality of it all and the nature of heroism

Even though they are the "good guys," the Basterds aren't good people

And I think Tarantino wants you o think about the fact that despite this, you are cheering for them as they scalp and kill Nazis

Part of the reason I liked it as much as I did was that it has these layers to it

It succeeds on many different levels

I can see that.J

 

[Joe Bryant]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Cruel? I dunno, if not in those circumstances of course. Bloodthirsty? OK I give you that one for sure. I guess I just don't see your point. That's what they were (savage and brutal) and that's what QT showed us. And still, sort of what you eluded to in another post, they were thought of by most of us as the "good guys", even after that point of the movie.

Since it's not about the Nazi's, I won't ask how the Nazi that gave info come off to you.

My point is pretty much what TU said. Tarantino was able to portray the Basterds as cruel and bloodthirsty laughing (like entertainment at the movies) as their buddy bashed a defenseless soldier's head in while he knelt. AND he could make you still see the Basterds as the good guys. That's what seemed weird. J

 

[Crimson Hawk]

FWIW, one of the people I saw it with is American but lives and works in Germany. He's fluent in German and he said the German dialogue was spot on. Lots of different accents from different regions and he said they nailed it. Especially Hitler who evidently had a strong accent. That's kind of cool.

Did he have anything to say about how Germans show 3 fingers? I was wondering if there was truth to that, or if it was just made up for the story.

Having lived in Europe for two years I noticed that right off. I was like "HE BLEW IT!"

 

[Andy Dufresne]

In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Nah. He just came off as fanatical, which is often misinterpreted as noble.

How so, GB?J

I dunno if I can explain it. The Nazis (both in real life footage and as portrayed in film) always seem to come off as believing themselves to be the cultured ones rather than the barbarians they really were. Although their agressive war was causing the lives of millions upon millions, they still seemed to come off as believing they were playing by the rules - that they were the noble ones. In this case, and also at the end, both captured soldiers believed that they should be treated humanely because "those are the rules". Well Aldo Raine didn't buy their b.s. and neither, IMO, should we. There was nothing noble about them in battle or surrender and their actions deservedly brought down the Raine thunder (ba-dump-bump ).

 

[wadegarrett]

Diane Kruger

 

[Joe Bryant]

In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Nah. He just came off as fanatical, which is often misinterpreted as noble.

How so, GB?J

I dunno if I can explain it. The Nazis (both in real life footage and as portrayed in film) always seem to come off as believing themselves to be the cultured ones rather than the barbarians they really were. Although their agressive war was causing the lives of millions upon millions, they still seemed to come off as believing they were playing by the rules - that they were the noble ones. In this case, and also at the end, both captured soldiers believed that they should be treated humanely because "those are the rules". Well Aldo Raine didn't buy their b.s. and neither, IMO, should we. There was nothing noble about them in battle or surrender and their actions deservedly brought down the Raine thunder (ba-dump-bump ).

Interesting. I didn't get that at all from the film. I saw a guy that knew he was going to be beaten to death with a bat and stared it down without flinching going out with a FU to Pitt. Maybe it was because I was able to separate him from any of the Nazi horrifics in that scene. But as far as character given what Tarantino showed us in that scene, I thought he came off the best by far.J

 

[Andy Dufresne]

In that scene, seeing what Tarantino showed us, the Nazi came off as stoic and brave while the Basterds were portrayed as cruel and bloodthirsty. Just seemed weird.

J

Nah. He just came off as fanatical, which is often misinterpreted as noble.

How so, GB?J

I dunno if I can explain it. The Nazis (both in real life footage and as portrayed in film) always seem to come off as believing themselves to be the cultured ones rather than the barbarians they really were. Although their agressive war was causing the lives of millions upon millions, they still seemed to come off as believing they were playing by the rules - that they were the noble ones. In this case, and also at the end, both captured soldiers believed that they should be treated humanely because "those are the rules". Well Aldo Raine didn't buy their b.s. and neither, IMO, should we. There was nothing noble about them in battle or surrender and their actions deservedly brought down the Raine thunder (ba-dump-bump ).

Interesting. I didn't get that at all from the film. I saw a guy that knew he was going to be beaten to death with a bat and stared it down without flinching going out with a FU to Pitt. Maybe it was because I was able to separate him from any of the Nazi horrifics in that scene. But as far as character given what Tarantino showed us in that scene, I thought he came off the best by far.J

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

 

[Gator Shawn]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

 

[bigbottom]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.

Right. And while the baseball bat scene may have been the most brutal depiction of violence in the movie, how about the Basterds machine gunning down a theater full of civilians, including women in ball gowns? The Basters were indeed savage and brutal. That was the point.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

Mea culpa.Doesn't change my argument much though.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have a hard time feeling sorry for Nazis in film and literature, even the ones who are depicted bravely, conflicted, etc etc

Agreed. But that's not what I'm saying at all. Nothing to do with feeling sorry for Nazis. This is about the Basterds. I guess what I'm saying is that just from what Tarantino shows us, the Basterds came off as savage and brutal. Almost repulsive. Now maybe that was the point. I dunno.

Right. And while the baseball bat scene may have been the most brutal depiction of violence in the movie, how about the Basterds machine gunning down a theater full of civilians, including women in ball gowns? The Basters were indeed savage and brutal. That was the point.

Yup...in-glo-ri-ous [in-glawr-ee-uhs, -glohr-] –adjective 1. shameful; disgraceful: inglorious retreat. 2. not famous or honored. Synonyms:1. dishonorable, ignominous.

 

[Crimson Hawk]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

He probably was an honorable guy fighting for his country, doing his duty. I always wondered how much regular Germans really knew about what was going on in their own country. I know they don't like to talk about it today (for good reason).

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

He probably was an honorable guy fighting for his country, doing his duty. I always wondered how much regular Germans really knew about what was going on in their own country. I know they don't like to talk about it today (for good reason).

So you think the Nuremburg Defense holds water? I'm not sure how I feel about it.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

He probably was an honorable guy fighting for his country, doing his duty. I always wondered how much regular Germans really knew about what was going on in their own country. I know they don't like to talk about it today (for good reason).

Really? There was honor in gunning down Jewish civilians? Not starting a fight here, but your statement begs that question.

 

[Crimson Hawk]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

He probably was an honorable guy fighting for his country, doing his duty. I always wondered how much regular Germans really knew about what was going on in their own country. I know they don't like to talk about it today (for good reason).

So you think the Nuremburg Defense holds water? I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Not really but it would be really hard to avoid going against the grain in that situation (noing what could happen to you/your family). I have heard stories regarding suicides of SS officers who were in the know and could not live with the knowledge of what was going on. I guess they may have felt like there was no way out of that situation and nothing they could do to stop it.The rank and file soldier probably didn't know a lot but I bet there were rumors.

 

[Harry Manback]

I think the guy was a colonel. You don't get there by being Mr. Nice Guy. I guess his nastiness was implied.

The guy they beat to death was a Sergeant.

He probably was an honorable guy fighting for his country, doing his duty. I always wondered how much regular Germans really knew about what was going on in their own country. I know they don't like to talk about it today (for good reason).

So you think the Nuremburg Defense holds water? I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Not really but it would be really hard to avoid going against the grain in that situation (noing what could happen to you/your family). I have heard stories regarding suicides of SS officers who were in the know and could not live with the knowledge of what was going on. I guess they may have felt like there was no way out of that situation and nothing they could do to stop it.The rank and file soldier probably didn't know a lot but I bet there were rumors.

There is NO EFFING WAY they all knew, and there is 0% the entire army was comprised of evil sociopaths.Most of them were good 'ol boys fighting for their country, and avenging their loss in WWI.You'd be surprised what unreal things people will do when pressured by athourity.The Milgram Experiment is a perfect example, in fact, it was designed specifically because of what happened in WWII, and this very discussion you're having.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

For a good german officer perspective regarding the above, read "Under the Crooked Cross" by Gerherd Hennes. Highly recommended.

 

[timschochet]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

1. Jews were not being hunted and forced to hide in France in 1941. They were forced to wear yellow stars, but for the most part were safe from further persecution, so long as they were French citizens. The main deportations in France did not begin until around 1943-1944. These were also considered menial tasks and a high level Nazi like the one portrayed would not have wasted his time with such a matter.

2. Following the invasion of Normandy, there is no way that any of the German high command show up anywhere near Paris. Not Goebbels, not Goering, and certainly not Hitler who from the summer of 1944 on was constantly in seclusion.

But these are pretty minor. I thought it was a spectacular film.

 

[Disco Stu]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

 

[jdoggydogg]

Regarding the moral dilemma of working for the Nazi party, I recommend The Reader. Kate Winslet is excellent in the movie, and it partially deals with the people that worked for the Nazis because they just needed a job.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

 

[Shtaym Syek]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

 

[PatsWillWin]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

 

[RudiStein]

Thanks for straightening us out, Laurence Rees.

 

[shut it down]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:

 

[No. 16]

As much as I loved the movie, a couple of historical flaws:1. Jews were not being hunted and forced to hide in France in 1941. They were forced to wear yellow stars, but for the most part were safe from further persecution, so long as they were French citizens. The main deportations in France did not begin until around 1943-1944. These were also considered menial tasks and a high level Nazi like the one portrayed would not have wasted his time with such a matter. 2. Following the invasion of Normandy, there is no way that any of the German high command show up anywhere near Paris. Not Goebbels, not Goering, and certainly not Hitler who from the summer of 1944 on was constantly in seclusion.But these are pretty minor. I thought it was a spectacular film.

So Hitler really did die in a fire?

 

[timschochet]

Yes, I get the point. I was listing minor historical flaws, not the obvious major historical flaw that we all know about and that I didn't want to mention. That one was obviously deliberate; I have a feeling that the others were errors.

 

[Statorama]

Saw it this afternoon and thoroughly loved it. I'm a fan (loved everything but Death Proof) and biased, but to me, IB felt like the least schticky of QT's movies, without sacrificing his trademarks and stylization. The dialog and the intensity in which it was delivered was absolutely fantastic. The German actor playing Landa gave the best performance I've seen out of anyone in a long, long time. Ever scene he was in was uncomfortably brilliant. Similarly, the woman playing Shosanna absolutely owned her scenes. Pitt, though over-the-top, was great and clearly having a good time with his role. Whenever I saw him on the screen, I knew I was likely about to laugh. Can't wait to see it again.

I agree with all of this. Great movie that seemed less "Tarantinoish" than his previous efforts. Maybe it was the Pitt character but at times it felt like a Coen brothers' movie to me.BTW, did his accent and style of speaking remind anyone else of Wooderson in Dazed and Confused?

The style and manner reminded me a bit of Warren Oates in "Stripes"