THE ORIGINAL BASTARDS(pardon my language)
August 2009 marked the release of Quentin Tarantino’s recent movie “The Inglorious Basterds” (pardon my language). This is a movie that makes use of Nazi-occupied Europe during World War Two as a backdrop. Well before its release, the movie drew fire and controversy. Aside from examining this movie, I will also examine certain other war movies and the actual war itself. I will try to compare the aforementioned to the movie itself.
Long before Quentin Tarantino made that sorry excuse of a war movie, there was the original 1978 movie -The Inglorious Bastards (pardon my language).
This was a low budget war movie made by the Italian film industry. Italy’s film industry had been known to try to emulate American movies such as cowboy movies -hence the term spaghetti westerns. Their biggest draw at the box-office was Clint Eastwood. The industry also made low budget war movies. Part of the reason I say this is because they make use of the hardware, props, and vehicles (jeeps, tanks, etc.) left over from previous war movies like Battle of the Bulge, Anzio, Von Ryan’s Express, and Patton. Most of those movies were filmed in Spain and the hardware may have likely been shipped to Italy for the 1978 movie.
Two of the major stars of the movie were American actors Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson. Bo Svenson formerly served in the U.S. Marines; Fred Williamson was a former football player. The movie was about a handful of American soldier, led by Svenson and Williamson, being taken to the brig for numerous breaches of military conduct in France, following the D-Day Landings. En route, the truck they were in was attacked by German aircraft. Amidst the confusion, they overpower (but not kill) the MPs and steal the truck to make their way to Switzerland and hopefully freedom. Unfortunately for them, they have to fight their way through the German lines to get to Switzerland.
Along the way, they end up helping the French resistance and an O.S.S. field officer ambush a German armored train, in order to steal a guidance system for a V-2 rocket. In short, they reluctantly become heroes against Nazi oppression.
In many ways, this movie paid homage to the previous war movies of the past. I recall how the movie posters tried to promote the movie by saying that it had everything from the past war movies. They were as follows:
· A castle like Where Eagles Dare.
· A train like Von Ryan’s Express.
· The humor of Kelly’s Heroes.
· Hard action like The Dirty Dozen.
Despite being a war movie on the cheap, it did develop a cult following of sorts. People actually do watch low budget Italian movies (sometimes referred to as spaghetti movies) just to laugh at the cheap special effects and the cardboard acting. Still, The Inglorious Bastards was an enjoyable war movie that was elevated to cult status. Quentin Tarantino claimed that the 1978 movie inspired him to make the 2009 movie The Inglorious Basterds. This 2009 abomination is NOT a remake of the 1978 war movie, nor could it hold a candle to it.
Footnote: The original 1978 movie is now available on DVD. It is more worthwhile to watch than that 2009 abomination.
The original -and reluctant- heroes.
Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson
Now availble on DVD.