Quentin Tarantino's last few films have examined, even rewritten, the darker parts of modern history. We saw him create a new and satisfying ending to World War II in "Inglorious Basterds" and then inflict revenge on those who contributed to American slavery in "Django Unchained." In his latest movie, "The Hateful Eight," Tarantino once again revisits history with his sights on the social, political, and economic hardships of post-Civil War America. To this end, he uses a simple plot device to bring together a ragtag group of symbolic characters into a cultural time bomb. Several men from different backgrounds are caught in a blizzard and must take refuge at a country inn called Minnie's Haberdashery. In such close quarters, the men slowly come to realize who their friends and enemies are, and the distinction is minimal. The impending conflict is foreshadowed by Ennio Morricone's truly amazing score, a sinister and fractious piece of music that creates an unsettling suspense.
Kurt Russell plays a bounty hunter named John Ruth who symbolizes true justice. He's known as "The Hangman" because he always delivers his bounties alive so they can be executed in the locality in which they committed the crime. Russell comes dangerously close to chewing the scenery with a John Wayne-style delivery. Interestingly, Ruth is considered the most virtuous part of the cabin despite the fact that he continually and brutally beats up his bounty, a woman named Daisy Domergue. I suppose this is Tarantino's not-so-subtle commentary on the lack of women's' rights on the frontier. While "The Hateful Eight" has the requisite amount of N-words to make it a Tarantino film, the famed director still trades many of them for "bitch," now aimed at Daisy. Samuel L. Jackson plays Major Marquis Warren, a retired union officer who became famous for two things: his cruelty towards "Johnny Reb," and his long distance correspondence with President Abraham Lincoln. In many ways, Major Warren is the most interesting character in the film, one who represents the reality of emancipated slaves after the Civil War. His obvious hatred for white people is palpable. In fact, after taking away the guns of everyone in the cabin, he proudly states, "Only time when black folks are safe is when white folks is disarmed." Later, we find out that Warren's alleged Lincoln letter is a forgery designed to endear himself to white folks by taking advantage of their admiration of the slain president. Indeed, it is telling that Warren had to forge a letter from Lincoln congratulating him on his courage in the war.
The cabin also hosts Sheriff Chris Mannix, a semi-famous figure because of his father, who headed a post-war rebel army of Confederates who just didn't think surrendering was an option. He speaks of earning "dignity in defeat" and professes the self-serving beliefs that Confederate revisionists would savor for a century: that the war was about honor and state rights. Mannix is in good company with General Sandy Smithers, a famous Confederate general played by Bruce Dern who's living out his days in a world that no longer makes sense to him without slavery. Tim Roth plays Oswaldo Mobray, an English immigrant who serves as the actual hangman for a nearby town. With Tarantino swag, he talks about the difference between frontier and civilized justice, the latter being dispassionate and righteous. Roth gives one of my favorite performances of the film. Michael Madsen plays John Gage, a timid cow-puncher who made some quick money on a ranch and is now visiting his mom for Christmas. Indeed, Tarantino quickly sets the stage for what will surely be a fascinating and bloody coming to terms with America's past.
The most unexpected aspect of "The Hateful Eight" is that Tarantino totally blows it and takes the story into a silly Agatha Christie murder mystery that ends up being kind of dumb. I have the unfortunate duty of reporting that Tarantino has finally made a disappointing movie, one in which his flowery dialogue, gratuitous violence and childish revenge stories have become woeful and tiresome. He created the mortal sin of dressing up "The Hateful Eight" without anywhere to go. The film gets bogged down in a mystery about a poisoning and barely takes advantage of the cultural dynamic it created. Tarantino has been obsessed with revenge as of late, making films that seek to empower the historically downtrodden, specifically women, Jews and African Americans. Samuel L. Jackson's character has his revenge on the Confederate general but in the stupidest, most infantile way imaginable. The plot devolves into something that is well beneath Tarantino who previously made seven excellent films.
Since the release of his "Kill Bill" franchise, Quentin Tarantino has continued to make slightly different versions of his Kung-Fu revenge epic, just changing the names of the good and bad guys. It's time for him to move on and create something wholly original, a trait that made him a household name. "The Hateful Eight" is not only lesser Tarantino; it's lazy Tarantino. While watching the film, I couldn't help but think of other great filmmakers who made similarly substandard films. Many auteurs are guilty of at least one or two. A comparative film that repeatedly came to mind was the Cohen brother's remake of "The Ladykillers," a ridiculous gaff by brilliant artists. The Cohen brothers quickly recovered their reputation with one of their best films, "No Country for Old Men." One can only hope that Tarantino makes a similar recovery so he can step into the pantheon again.
Kurt Russell plays a bounty hunter named John Ruth who symbolizes true justice. He's known as "The Hangman" because he always delivers his bounties alive so they can be executed in the locality in which they committed the crime. Russell comes dangerously close to chewing the scenery with a John Wayne-style delivery. Interestingly, Ruth is considered the most virtuous part of the cabin despite the fact that he continually and brutally beats up his bounty, a woman named Daisy Domergue. I suppose this is Tarantino's not-so-subtle commentary on the lack of women's' rights on the frontier. While "The Hateful Eight" has the requisite amount of N-words to make it a Tarantino film, the famed director still trades many of them for "bitch," now aimed at Daisy. Samuel L. Jackson plays Major Marquis Warren, a retired union officer who became famous for two things: his cruelty towards "Johnny Reb," and his long distance correspondence with President Abraham Lincoln. In many ways, Major Warren is the most interesting character in the film, one who represents the reality of emancipated slaves after the Civil War. His obvious hatred for white people is palpable. In fact, after taking away the guns of everyone in the cabin, he proudly states, "Only time when black folks are safe is when white folks is disarmed." Later, we find out that Warren's alleged Lincoln letter is a forgery designed to endear himself to white folks by taking advantage of their admiration of the slain president. Indeed, it is telling that Warren had to forge a letter from Lincoln congratulating him on his courage in the war.
The cabin also hosts Sheriff Chris Mannix, a semi-famous figure because of his father, who headed a post-war rebel army of Confederates who just didn't think surrendering was an option. He speaks of earning "dignity in defeat" and professes the self-serving beliefs that Confederate revisionists would savor for a century: that the war was about honor and state rights. Mannix is in good company with General Sandy Smithers, a famous Confederate general played by Bruce Dern who's living out his days in a world that no longer makes sense to him without slavery. Tim Roth plays Oswaldo Mobray, an English immigrant who serves as the actual hangman for a nearby town. With Tarantino swag, he talks about the difference between frontier and civilized justice, the latter being dispassionate and righteous. Roth gives one of my favorite performances of the film. Michael Madsen plays John Gage, a timid cow-puncher who made some quick money on a ranch and is now visiting his mom for Christmas. Indeed, Tarantino quickly sets the stage for what will surely be a fascinating and bloody coming to terms with America's past.
The most unexpected aspect of "The Hateful Eight" is that Tarantino totally blows it and takes the story into a silly Agatha Christie murder mystery that ends up being kind of dumb. I have the unfortunate duty of reporting that Tarantino has finally made a disappointing movie, one in which his flowery dialogue, gratuitous violence and childish revenge stories have become woeful and tiresome. He created the mortal sin of dressing up "The Hateful Eight" without anywhere to go. The film gets bogged down in a mystery about a poisoning and barely takes advantage of the cultural dynamic it created. Tarantino has been obsessed with revenge as of late, making films that seek to empower the historically downtrodden, specifically women, Jews and African Americans. Samuel L. Jackson's character has his revenge on the Confederate general but in the stupidest, most infantile way imaginable. The plot devolves into something that is well beneath Tarantino who previously made seven excellent films.
Since the release of his "Kill Bill" franchise, Quentin Tarantino has continued to make slightly different versions of his Kung-Fu revenge epic, just changing the names of the good and bad guys. It's time for him to move on and create something wholly original, a trait that made him a household name. "The Hateful Eight" is not only lesser Tarantino; it's lazy Tarantino. While watching the film, I couldn't help but think of other great filmmakers who made similarly substandard films. Many auteurs are guilty of at least one or two. A comparative film that repeatedly came to mind was the Cohen brother's remake of "The Ladykillers," a ridiculous gaff by brilliant artists. The Cohen brothers quickly recovered their reputation with one of their best films, "No Country for Old Men." One can only hope that Tarantino makes a similar recovery so he can step into the pantheon again.
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