When Brad Pitt stars in a movie, I definitely and always watch it. This is something I probably share with most female movie fans. So there is no discussion about watching „Inglourious Basterds“. At the same time, the marketing, the fabulous critics, awarded actors and personal recommendations make me watch it.
I do so in Munich (Germany) some days ago, and since it is a movie from the US, I watch the original English version with subtitles. This is what I think, at least.
Let‘s start at the beginning: The movie title is irritating only first due to the purposely wrong spelling. Quickly, one understands that this could be a hint on the plot. Or maybe not. Quentin Tarantino, the director, when asked, regularly comments on this very vaguely.
In the cinema, there is French people sitting on my right, Americans in the row behind me and the guy on my left looks English. Some Germans are also present.
The movie begins and is based, as commonly known, in “Nazi occupied France“. The first scene is situated within a beautiful landscape; language: French with English subtitles. Just as the atmosphere changes more than once, the actors change the language they talk in including accent.
An outstanding Christoph Waltz as Austrian Oberst Hans Landa speaks French and English fluently, depending on who is listening, friend or enemy. Later, one will hear him talking German with an Austrian colouring (his mother tongue actually).
It is a real pleasure to the ears to listen, and reading the subtitles can easily be forgotten, since despite being out of practice, I even understand the French. And what the story is about is obvious anyway in a movie that is set during World War 2.
The second plot starts in America, and finally Brad Pitt, including moustache, appears. As Lt. Aldo Raine he is doing a speech in front of the “Basterds“ with an extreme southern accent, and now I wish there were English subtitles. However, this is another reason to watch the movie in English, because how would they interpret this in the dubbed German version? And Tarantino was not Tarantino if all this was not important for the story.
I am not going to tell you the tale in detail, as I assume that some of you still want to watch the movie. I may say, however, that both main characters have different goals.
In between, there is scenes in the Führer‘s head quarter where, of course, they speak German, with English subtitles. The same applies for the American side where some people, such as the “German Brad Pitt“ Til Schweiger, speak German.
The various language skills of the involved are being used with no shame in order to irritate or bewitch the enemy. Throughout the movie there are repeating hints on language issues such as a (wrong or missing) accent, the permanent talking in German to French citizens or the insulting of German soldiers in their mother tongue. The author not even stops from making his fellow citizens look silly. This starts with the question from Diane Kruger: “I know this is a silly question before I ask it, but can you Americans speak any other language than English?“
The European language with the most beautiful sound, Italian, must not be missed of course, even if it is spoken with various strange accents. By the way, it would be interesting to know if there are Italians present in the cinema.
In several scenes, missing or wrong language skills cost people‘s life. Even gestures are not being mistaken. It would be a delight to watch and use the movie as an authentic language course, if, well, if there wasn‘t the war, which can only be won if the enemy loses. Hence, there is fights, blood and many casuals.
Tarantino‘s movie is a masterpiece and very worth watching! It is entertaining, funny, full of hints, and, as mentioned, a lingual trip through Europe.
In order to top this experience, I am going to watch the movie again here in Dubai - with Arabic subtitles!
And this is what we can learn from it:
In emergencies, language skills can safe your life.
Foreign gestures also need to be studied if one wants to be authentic.
Some more language experiences:
Posts
COINCIDENCE!! I watched it last nite!! Tarantino is really master class!! But even I wished there were subtitles when Brad Pitt was speaking! I specially liked the 'BEAR JEW'!!
ReplyDeleteRemember the scene at the end, The Apache crafting the 'Swastika' in Jew Hunter's head? Tranatino all over!!
There is no such thing as coincidences...
ReplyDelete