Rachel Maddow- Quentin Tarantino talks Inglorious Basterds

[democracy1st]

Run time: 10:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAHx5O8NFpM   Posted on YouTube: February 12, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 13, 2010 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 1369

 
On Thursday night, Quentin Tarantino went on Rachel Maddow to discuss his Oscar nominated film Inglourious Basterds. The film takes place in Nazi-occupied France during World War II and follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers who scalp and brutally kill Nazis. As Maddow points out, the story is "not just a revenge fantasy about World War II. It's a torture and terrorism fantasy" -- really, Tarantino is writing "the modern strategic history of al-Qaeda."

TRANSCRIPT
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/rachel-maddow-on-quentin_n_460444.html

[Kokonoe]

1. I hope Quentin Tarantino's movie wins awards.

So much is happening its easy to see a parallel in al-Qaeda, or anything else.

[ScottLand]

2. It is an amazing film. I also couldn't help noticing a

pattern in the scenes about the carving of the swastikas reminiscent of the bible verse reading scenes in Pulp Fiction. He likes to have his character come back later and slowly revisit an incident from early in the film. As his Aldo Raine says, "You're going to take that Nazi suit off one day...", it's like Jules' "There's a bible verse..."

[swilton]

3. I'm not impressed with

gratuitous violence - is it just me - I don't find this enlightening at all and it is one more reason why I prefer foreign films over their American counter-parts.

[MrModerate]

7. I'm not sure that Quentin Tarentino = American film . . . although he's plenty influential.

I'm also not sure he's especially interested in enlightening his audience as much as making them feel. And he's a storyteller. That seems very important to him.

As for gratuitous violence = American film, that's a tougher charge to duck. I've seen some pretty rough films coming out of Taiwan and the UK, but because of the dominance of American film, the largest number of violence-fueled films are likely to come out of Hollywood.

As are the largest number of deep and affecting character dramas, light-hearted romances, stirring historical tales, subtle and nuanced explorations of relationsships, and buddy comedies consisting entirely of fart jokes.

In the 21st Century, with the continual mixing and borrowing among world cultures, I'd resist attributing any particular trait to any particular nation.

[swilton]

13. Thank you

I thought your explanation was helpful - I really don't watch Taiwanese films - I am referring in the generic sense to 'American' as what I see rented at Blockbuster and what is showing at the locally marketed movie theaters in the Washington DC metro area. For my tastes - I'm admittedly a baby boomer - the films are too shallow and do not deal with deep philosophical questions...the emphasis is placed upon technological gimics and violence and the plot is secondary.

I have been told that this is because the 'market' appeals to young men, the target audience - and this tells - people have short attention spans...but again this is just my taste...

I am not into gratuitous thrills and entertainment, a substitute for an amusement park - which is why I think that this genre dumbs down the public....who go to film or amusement park for escape...

My own summary neo-Marxism in overly simplified words...........Neo-Marxists in the early 30's were concerned why the social revolution begun in the east was also not experienced in the West - their conclusion was that Americans' experience in the movie theater was a way of diverting their frustrations - they were'nt in the street because they were working out their frustrations in the movies.

[MrModerate]

14. Hmmm . . . "film is the opiate of the people . . ."? Sounds reasonable to me . . .

Not to mention that the actual situation of the intelligentsia and the working poor was so different in the West compared to the East -- those who might have been expected to join a genuinely revolutionary movement (as opposed to just being pissed off) weren't nearly as alienated from the State as they were in Russia and postwar Germany.

With regard to films, demographics is a huge determinant of what gets made. With "little pictures" sometimes costing $50 million, the pressure for even non-blockbuster movies to reach mass appeal is almost irresistible, and mass appeal means males 16-25.

And your amusment park analogy is right on. Movies often deliberately and explicitly attempt to reproduce such thrills -- and it works!

[FormerDittoHead]

4. I think Rachel would be surprised how LITTLE he shows in his movies.

I know exactly what she's talking about averting her eyes.

Perhaps one of his more famous scenes is the ear amputation in Reservoir Dogs.

But if you were turn the sound down, turn up the lights and put the thing in slow motion, you'd see YOU NEVER ACTUALLY SEE IT.

THAT is a testimonial to how good a director he is.

YOU CAN TELL he is never tired of LEARNING and GROWING.

[ro1942]

5. Love his movies,thanks for posting

[bertman]

6. Inglorious Assturds was a POS. Gratuitous violence based around some fictional character

that Tarantino could use to justify some kind of "morality lesson". It's just another way to get box office numbers by slaughter and mayhem. IMO.

Reservoir Dogs, on the other hand.

[MrModerate]

8. Interesting. I found Reservoir Dogs to be unwatchable meanness. . .

and Inglorious Basterds to be a bit of a romp, in a chainsaw-in-a-china-shop kind of way.

I guess that's why they actually run the races.

[bertman]

10. Reservoir Dogs seemed more like a real-life look at a group of amoral thieves and killers.

It was definitely meanness personified.

[raouldukelives]

9. There is more violence and gruesome images

in your typical prime time TV line-up IMHO. I had to sneak into horror movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a kid and now they show worse on CSI.

[Enthusiast]

11. We enjoyed Inglorious Basterds

with reservations.

I know it was based on fiction but I can't help but feel there is enough authentic history in WWII to draw from that would make a truly exceptional movie.

WWII history consists of a million captivating stories that remain untold. I only wish some innovative movie maker would get on with it because these stories desperately need to be told before we are forced to live it over again.

[Name removed]

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