Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

by Robert von Dassanowsky (Editor)

This provocative and unique anthology analyzes Quentin Tarantino's controversial Inglourious Basterds in the contexts of cinema, cultural, gender, and historical studies. The film and its ideology is dissected by a range of scholars and writers who take on the director's manipulation of metacinema, Nazisploitation, ethnic stereotyping, gender roles, allohistoricism, geopolitics, philosophy, language, and memory.

In this collection, the eroticism of the club-swinging and avenging "Bear Jew," the dashed heroism of the "role-playing" French and German females, the patriotic fools and pawns, the amoral yokel, Lieutenant Aldo Raine, and the cosmopolitan, but psychopathic Colonel Landa, are understood for their true functions in what has become an iconoclastic pop-culture phenomenon and one of the classics of early twenty-first century American cinema. Additionally, the book examines the use of "foreign" languages (subverting English and image), the allegory of Austria's identity in the war, and the particularly French and German cinematic influences, such as R. W. Fassbinder's realignment of the German woman's film and the iconic image of the German film star in Inglourious Basterds .

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Robert von Dassanowsky was an Austrian-American academic, writer, film and cultural historian, and producer.

He is often credited simply as Robert Dassanowsky.

Reviews

[Jonfaith]

Despite its daring reinventions, Tarantino's film articulates its limits by its omissions.

When Inglorious Basterds first played in the theaters, my wife and I arrived early to view such. Apparently, too early. We walked in as the previous showing was still on the final reel. We walked in as Hitler and Goebbels were enjoying Nation's Pride. That is, we interrupted the Master Race at play, before Shosanna edited the state propaganda and showed them the face of Jewish vengeance. That is , before Donny and Omar stormed their box with machine pistols and explosives. The intrusion feels ever so appropriate now.

This is a collection of scholarly essays about this wonderful film, which I admit to having seen close to 40 times. The critical approach places Inglorious Basterds in the traditions of European Cinema as well as WWII films and then explores the minefield of Holocaust representation. Some liken Shosanna to Joan of Arc. This effort is more than worthy and should be plumbed by cinephiles.

[Peter]

Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds: A Manipulation of Meta Cinema is a collection of essays about Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. The film scholar James Cartridge defines Meta cinema as “films about films” (Cartridge 354). Cartridge writes that Meta cinema is defined as “playing around with what film is” (Cartridge 354). The book is edited by the film scholar Robert von Dassanowsky. Robert von Dassanowsky wrote the introduction essay entitled “Introduction: Locating Mr. Tarantino or, who’s afraid of meta cinema?” (Von Dassanowsky 5-27). I read the book on my Kindle. Robert von Dassanowsky writes, “Tarantino reconstructs, over codes, and subverts signifiers to shock and create the illusion of melodrama” (Von Dassanowsky 7). Robert von Dassanowsky writes that another feature of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds is that “Tarantino focuses on the female figure as the bearer of truth in his films” (Von Dassanowsky 11). Several authors write about gender in Inglourious Basterds, including film scholar Heidi Schlipphacke (Schlipphacke 169-194). One of the essays was written by film scholar Todd Herzog, who covers how the Inglorious Basterds movie was received by German audiences (Herzog 384-389). Many of the essays in the book offer different perspectives on the film Inglourious Basterds. The writers of the essays are thoughtful. The book of essays on Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds was thoughtful.
Works Cited:
Cartridge, James. 2015. Film Studies for Dummies. Chichester, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Kindle.
Herzog, Todd. 2012. ““What shall the history books read?”: The debate over Inglourious Bastards and the limits of representation” in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds: A Manipulation of Meta cinema, edited by Robert Von Dassanowsky. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. Pages 372-406. Kindle.
Schlipphacke, Heidi. 2012. “Inglourious Basterds and the gender of revenge” in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds: A Manipulation of Meta cinema, edited by Robert Von Dassanowsky. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. Pages 169-194. Kindle.
Rotten Tomatoes Trailers. “Inglourious Basterds Official Trailer #1 - Brad Pitt Movie (2009) HD.” Rotten Tomatoes Trailers. December 12, 2011. Inglourious Basterds Official Trailer #1 - Brad Pitt Movie (2009) HD
Von Dassanowsky, Robert. 2012. “Introduction: Locating Mr. Tarantino or, who’s afraid of metacinema? ” in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds: A Manipulation of Meta cinema, edited by Robert Von Dassanowsky. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. Pages 5-27. Kindle.