Inglourious Basterds (2009)

August 2, 2009 (DE) • Drama, Thriller, War • 153m

Overview

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Writer

Quentin Tarantino

Top Billed

Brad Pitt

Keywords

guerrilla warfare paris, france self sacrifice world war ii jew persecution german occupation of france resistance fighter nazism anti-fascism amused derisive

Where to watch

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Brad Pitt

LT. Aldo Raine

Mélanie Laurent

Shosanna

Christoph Waltz

COL. Hans Landa

Eli Roth

SGT. Donny Donowitz

Michael Fassbender

LT. Archie Hicox

Diane Kruger

Bridget von Hammersmark

Daniel Brühl

Fredrick Zoller

Til Schweiger

SGT. Hugo Stiglitz

Gedeon Burkhard

CPL. Wilhelm Wicki

Jacky Ido

Marcel

B.J. Novak

PFC. Smithson Utivich

Omar Doom

PFC. Omar Ulmer

August Diehl

Major Hellstrom

Denis Ménochet

Perrier LaPadite

Sylvester Groth

Joseph Goebbels

Martin Wuttke

Hitler

Mike Myers

General Ed Fenech

Julie Dreyfus

Francesca Mondino

Richard Sammel

SGT. Rachtman

Alexander Fehling

Master SGT. Wilhelm / Pola Negri

Rod Taylor

Winston Churchill

Sönke Möhring

PVT. Butz / Walter Frazer

Samm Levine

PFC. Hirschberg

Paul Rust

PFC. Andy Kagan

Michael Bacall

PFC. Michael Zimmerman

Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey

German Soldier / Winnetou

Petra Hartung

German Female Soldier / Beethoven

Volker Michalowski

German Soldier / Edgar Wallace

Ken Duken

German Soldier / Mata Hari

Christian Berkel

Proprietor Eric

Anne-Sophie Franck

Mathilda

Léa Seydoux

Charlotte LaPadite

Tina Rodriguez

Julie LaPadite

Lena Friedrich

Suzanne LaPadite

Ludger Pistor

CPT. Wolfgang

Jana Pallaske

Babette

Wolfgang Lindner

Herrman #1

Michael Kranz

Herrman #3

Rainer Bock

General Schonherr

André Penvern

Old French Veterinarian

Sebastian Hülk

Hellstrom's Driver / Nazi Usher #1

Buddy Joe Hooker

Gaspar

Carlos Fidel

PFC. Simon Sakowitz

Christian Brückner

Kliest Voice (voice)

Hilmar Eichhorn

Emil Jannings

Patrick Elias

Jakob Dreyfus

Eva Löbau

Miriam Dreyfus

Salvadore Brandt

Bob Dreyfus

Jasper Linnewedel

Amos Dreyfus

Wilfried Hochholdinger

German Company SGT.

Olivier Girard

Maxim's Waiter

Michael Scheel

General Frank

Leo Plank

Motorcycle Rider #1

Andreas Tietz

Motorcycle Rider #2

Bo Svenson

American Colonel

Enzo G. Castellari

Samuel L. Jackson

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Bela B.

Usher #2 (uncredited)

Noemi Besedes

German Movie Star (uncredited)

Hélène Cardona

German Official (voice) (uncredited)

Jake Garber

German Soldier (uncredited)

Sabrina Rattey

German Civilian (uncredited)

Alex Boden

Military Attaché (uncredited)

Guido Föhrweißer

SS Major (uncredited)

Harvey Keitel

OSS Commander Who Agrees to Deal (voice) (uncredited)

Andrew Napier

Nazi Theatre Attendee (uncredited)

Greg Nicotero

Gestapo Major (uncredited)

Quentin Tarantino

First Scalped Nazi / American Soldier in 'Pride of Nation' (uncredited)

Vitus Wieser

French Waiter (uncredited)

Bea-Marie Rück

German Female Soldier (uncredited)

Daniela Schwerdt

Cinema Guest (uncredited)

Niko Novick

Nazi Soldier (uncredited)

Frederik Klaus

Soldier (uncredited)

Crew

Lloyd Phillips

Executive Producer

Bob Weinstein

Executive Producer

Robert Richardson

Director of Photography

David Wasco

Production Design

Quentin Tarantino

Writer

Harvey Weinstein

Executive Producer

Lawrence Bender

Producer

Sally Menke

Editor

Erica Steinberg

Executive Producer

Tim Trella

Utility Stunts

Kristin Haberland

Stunt Double

Antje Rau

Stunt Coordinator

Danny Bortfeld

Stunts

Sascha Girndt

Stunts

Alexandra Nazahn

Stunt Double

Sönke Korries

Stunt Double

Bud Davis

Stunt Coordinator

Michael Duessel

Stunts

Dennis Grzesczak

Stunts

Sebastiano Cartier

Stunts

Zoë Bell

Stunt Double

Viktor Müller

Visual Effects Supervisor

Heba Thorisdottir

Makeup Department Head

Johanna Ray

Casting

Anna B. Sheppard

Costume Design

Jenny Jue

Casting

Simone Bär

Casting

Olivier Carbone

Casting

Eli Roth

Thanks

Giorgio Armani

Costume Design

Henning Molfenter

Co-Producer

Jake Garber

Makeup Effects

Greg Nicotero

Makeup Effects

Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Set Decoration

Cloris Leachman

Thanks

Carlos Fidel

Assistant Director

Katrin Schneider

Makeup Artist

Marco Bittner Rosser

Art Direction

Jeff Dashnaw

Stunt Coordinator

Gabriel Roth

Thanks

Stephan O. Gessler

Art Direction

Jim Schultz

Music Editor

Sebastian T. Krawinkel

Supervising Art Director

David Scheunemann

Art Direction

Dörte Eben

Hairstylist

Mary Ramos

Music Supervisor

Maggie Cheung

Thanks

Barry Primus

Thanks

Tom Tykwer

Thanks

Klaus Große Darrelmann

Location Manager

Julie Garcés

Assistant Editor

François Duhamel

Still Photographer

Yvan Lucas

Color Timer

Emanuel Millar

Key Hair Stylist

Nils Konrad

Driver

Zoë Bell

Stunts

Wylie Stateman

Supervising Sound Editor

Tony Lamberti

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Mark Ulano

Production Sound Mixer

Michael Minkler

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Lester Dunton

Visual Effects Camera

Howard Berger

Makeup Effects

Michael Scheel

Unit Production Manager

Caroline Veyssière

Additional Script Supervisor

Birgit Dierken

First Assistant "B" Camera

Christoph Fisser

Co-Producer

Bruce Moriarty

Associate Producer

Nicole Dierken

Second Assistant "B" Camera

John Dykstra

Visual Effects Designer

Tina Anderson

Post Production Supervisor

Matthias Pilz

Loader

Pilar Savone

Associate Producer

Gregor Tavenner

First Assistant "A" Camera

Gero Neumann

Second Assistant "A" Camera

Gregor Wilson

Unit Production Manager

Martin Kitrosser

Script Supervisor

William Paul Clark

Associate Producer

Sebastian Meuschel

Steadicam Operator

Geraldine Brezca

Clapper Loader

Joe D'Augustine

Additional Editor

Carl Woebcken

Co-Producer

Erin Hopkins

Assistant Editor

Sheryl Benko

Post Production Coordinator

Matthew Sakata

Editorial Production Assistant

Gregg Baxter

ADR Supervisor

Stephanie Johnson

First Assistant Editor

Christopher Berg

Post Production Supervisor

Harry Cohen

Sound Designer

Ann Scibelli

Sound Designer

Evan Henke

First Assistant Editor

Quentin Tarantino

Director

Tommy Simpson

Set Production Assistant

Ian Kincaid

Gaffer

Steven Summersgill

Art Direction

Sarah Blaßkiewitz

Stunt Coordinator

Reviews

Wuchak

⭐ 8/10

July 26, 2018

**_Refreshingly different alternative WW2 drama/adventure_**

RELEASED IN 2009 and directed by Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds" takes place during the German occupation of France in WW2 and revolves around a ruthless “Jew Hunter” Nazi (Christoph Waltz), a beautiful young theater owner dripping with vengeance, a German war hero who pesters her and a brutal team of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine.

This was my first taste of the popular director's eccentric repertoire, although I've since seen all of his movies. The first time I tried to watch "Basterds" I gave up around the 50-minute mark. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue-driven opening sequence is great but the film seemed to bog down with its focus on a French theater during the German occupation and the accompanying interminable dialogue (mostly in subtitles). I just wasn't ready for this because I was expecting a Dirty Dozen-styled WW2 film with lots of action and all that goes with it. What I got instead was a plot that focused on the aforementioned theater accompanied by long sessions of generally subtitled dialogue.

I eventually gave it a second chance with the understanding that this wasn't some typical war flick. Strangely, the "interminable dialogue" pulled me in and I slowly became engrossed in the story, which isn't hard to follow. The drama is only occasionally interrupted by flashes of extreme violence. Until the end, that is, where all hell literally breaks loose.

There ARE elements that bring to mind "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), including a group of anti-heroes intent on mercilessly obliterating as many Germans as possible and the fact that the real action doesn't kick-in until the final act, but "Basterds" is hardly a Dirty Dozen clone. It may borrow a bit from notable films of the past but it absolutely possesses its own refreshing originality.

All effective films have quality characters and "Basterds" has several: The stunning Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna, the cinema proprietor who quietly seethes with retribution; Christoph Waltz as SS Col. Hans Landa, an articulate and suave love-to-hate villain who mercilessly hunts down Jews; Brad Pitt as the almost-comical, but no-nonsense leader of the brutal Basterds; super-sharp Diane Kruger as a German actress & British spy; and Daniel Brühl as a genial German hero with the hots for the beautiful Shosanna.

Like Tarantino’s other great movies (“Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “Jackie Brown”), "Basterds" pulsates with confidence, style, quirkiness and a sense of the unexpected from beginning to end, the perfect antidote to the idiotic "blockbuster" syndrome that plagues modern cinema with its predictability and overKILL action & CGI, etc. Most movies seem like they’re in a rush and shy away from extended dialogues because they fear losing the viewer’s limited attention whereas Tarantino makes them a highlight because it’s an area where he excels. Instead of pedestrian verbiage that merely advances the plot or conveys the obvious, his interchanges are rich with amusement and mindfood.

THE FILM RUNS 153 minutes and was shot in France and Germany.

GRADE: A-

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JPV852

⭐ 9/10

September 30, 2021

Second time seeing this since it was released on Blu-ray in 2009 and still is a solid war-thriller with Tarantino's flair with dialogue and of course, feet. But seriously, despite being 2.5 hours, the time flew by thanks to the brisk pace and great performances from all around. Not my favorite Tarantino film but it's up there. **4.5/5**

AstroNoud

⭐ 8/10

February 26, 2022

It's obviously Tarantino, creating tension with long dialogues and containing short bursts of violence, although some scenes could have been shortened or omitted. Great to see the lineup of French and German actors, where the terrific Waltz takes the cake.

8/10

rsanek

⭐ 9/10

April 23, 2024

Another banger from Tarantino. Christoph Waltz is such an amazing actor in this one.

certifiedcritic

⭐ 8/10

April 7, 2026

This is a very good historical movie renacting ww2 when germans occupied europe.

The comedic moments were a bit drawn out, I guess it was funny during the times of production, and the scalping was unnecessary and adds no relevance

Other than that, excellent movie