“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) is a war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film presents an alternate history where two powerful plotters of Nazi Germany converge. The first plot involves a group of Jewish American soldiers known as “The Basterds”, led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt). Their mission was to instill fear in the German energy by brutally killing and disfiguring Nazis.
In parallel, the story follows Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Mélanie Laurent), a young Jewish woman who narrowly escapes a massacre commanded by SS Colonel Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz). Landa, known for his brutality and cruelty, was assigned to hunt down Jews in his care in France. Shosanna, living under a false identity and running a cinema in Paris, plans to take advantage of the premiere of a Nazi film at her cinema as an opportunity to take revenge on the German high command.
The film is known for its main cast, rosy dialogue, and mixture of genres, combining elements of battle drama, dark comedy, and suspense. Christoph Waltz’s performance as Hans Landa earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.