Inglourious Basterds (2009) – Nostalgia Central

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, this alternate-history war film – one of his most critically acclaimed and enduring cinematic masterpieces –  is set in German-occupied France during World War II and follows the operations of ‘The Basterds’, a rogue unit of Jewish-American soldiers led by the fiercely eccentric First Lieutenant Aldo “The Apache” Raine (Brad Pitt).

Operating behind enemy lines, their sole mission is to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by brutally killing and scalping Nazis. Tennessee-born Raine demands “one hundred Nazi scalps” from each of his men.

Meanwhile, Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) – a young French-Jewish woman who escapes the massacre of her family by the SS – assumes a new identity as a Parisian cinema owner.

When her theatre is selected to host the high-profile premiere of Nation’s Pride, a Nazi propaganda film produced by Hitler’s #2 man, Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth), she plans to burn the building down with the entire Nazi elite trapped inside.

The story weaves together two parallel, converging assassination plots against the Nazi high command.

Austrian-born Christoph Waltz co-stars as SS Colonel Hans Landa (pictured above). Nicknamed “The Jew Hunter,” Landa is a ruthlessly brilliant yet charming, engaging, multilingual villain.

Landa’s cold-blooded cabin monologue to French dairy farmer La Pedite (Denis Ménochet), whom he suspects of sheltering Jews, is a sinister mix of slippery charm, high intellect and outright villainy. As is he.

Waltz’s performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and launched his Hollywood career.

There are standout performances from Michael Fassbender as British Lieutenant Archie Hicox, Diane Kruger as German film star and double agent Bridget von Hammersmark, and Eli Roth as the baseball-bat-wielding Sgt. Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz.

The title is deliberately misspelt as a nod to Enzo G. Castellari’s 1978 Italian war movie The Inglorious Bastards.

Lt. Aldo “The Apache” Raine
Brad Pitt
Shosanna Dreyfus
Mélanie Laurent
Col. Hans Landa
Christoph Waltz
Sgt. Donny “Bear Jew” Donowitz
Eli Roth
Lt. Archie Hicox
Michael Fassbender
Bridget von Hammersmark
Diane Kruger
Fredrick Zoller
Daniel Brühl
Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Til Schweiger
Cpl. Wilhelm Wicki
Gedeon Burkhard
Marcel
Jacky Ido
Pfc. Smithson Utivich
B.J. Novak
Pfc. Omar Ulmer
Omar Doom
Major Hellstrom
August Diehl
Perrier LaPadite
Denis Ménochet
Joseph Goebbels
Sylvester Groth
Adolf Hitler
Martin Wuttke
General Ed Fenech
Mike Myers
Francesca Mondino
Julie Dreyfus
Sgt. Rachtman
Richard Sammel
Master Sgt. Wilhelm/Pola Negri
Alexander Fehling
Winston Churchill
Rod Taylor
Pvt. Butz/Walter Frazer
Sönke Möhring
Pfc. Hirschberg
Samm Levine
Pfc. Andy Kagan
Paul Rust
Pfc. Michael Zimmerman
Michael Bacall
Eric
Christian Berkel
Mathilda
Anne-Sophie Franck
Charlotte LaPadite
Léa Seydoux
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
Sebastian Hülk
Benno Kraehahn
Gaspar
Buddy Joe Hooker
Pfc. Simon Sakowitz
Carlos Fidel
Kliest Voice
Christian Brückner
Emil Jannings
Hilmar Eichhorn
Jakob Dreyfus
Patrick Elias
Miriam Dreyfus
Eva Löbau
Bob Dreyfus
Salvadore Brandt
Amos Dreyfus
Jasper Linnewedel

Director
Quentin Tarantino