Inglourious Basterds
Yes, I know this isn't a book but I'm using the excuse that the story was set up in book format (chapters and all) plus the amount of narrative has many complaining 1) that it's too much like reading a book and 2) Tarantino makes the frequent writing mistake of "telling, not showing". I hate that last bit of popular writing gospel and, as someone pointed out, Jane Austen would have been very surprised to hear that "telling, not showing" was a bad thing.
In any case, I'm surprised that anyone could have made a comedy about WWII, even Tarantino. Don't bring up Hogan's Heroes -- I grew up watching that and I loved it, but it achieved its comedy by ignoring the violence and horror of the war, whereas Inglourious Basterds, makes that violence and horror the source of the comedy. And I say "bravo", it's a perfect revenge fantasy.
Below is one of my favorite scenes, where 3 Americans try to pass as Italians at a Nazi-filled film premier. The very idea of Pitt's character, the Smoky Mountains-accented Aldo Raines, trying to speak Italian believably to anyone's ears is hysterical. Even funnier is watching the scene with the reactions of an Italian audience:
I love the audience's little "ohhhh" when SS officer Landa starts speaking fluent Italian. Oh, yeah, they're screwed. The German actor playing Landa, Christoph Waltz, won an award at Cannes for his performance, and he deserved more. Man damn near stole the movie.
In any case, I'm surprised that anyone could have made a comedy about WWII, even Tarantino. Don't bring up Hogan's Heroes -- I grew up watching that and I loved it, but it achieved its comedy by ignoring the violence and horror of the war, whereas Inglourious Basterds, makes that violence and horror the source of the comedy. And I say "bravo", it's a perfect revenge fantasy.
Below is one of my favorite scenes, where 3 Americans try to pass as Italians at a Nazi-filled film premier. The very idea of Pitt's character, the Smoky Mountains-accented Aldo Raines, trying to speak Italian believably to anyone's ears is hysterical. Even funnier is watching the scene with the reactions of an Italian audience:
Click to viewI love the audience's little "ohhhh" when SS officer Landa starts speaking fluent Italian. Oh, yeah, they're screwed. The German actor playing Landa, Christoph Waltz, won an award at Cannes for his performance, and he deserved more. Man damn near stole the movie.