Only Quentin Tarantino would have the audacity to make a film called "Inglourious Basterds" that's a boldly revisionist look at World War II ... one that wildly turns historic fact on it's ear. 

    However, few directors, if any - other than Tarantino could take such an outrageous concept of literally changing the outcome of the war... and make it entertaining, exciting... and cinematically nuanced and riveting without becoming laughably ludicrous.  

    "Inglourious Basterds" is an incredibly unique film filled with Tarantino's superbly distinct, multi layered dialogue, wonderful cinematography... and yes, an effective but - in comparison to his other films - a more subdued helping of Tarantino's outrageous action.  

    In typical Tarantino style, "Inglourious Basterds" is divided into separate chapters to tell the story.  However, the film is primarily a tale of two compelling plot lines filled with interesting characters who will ultimately cross paths for a spectacular, "over the top" climax.

    The first 20 minutes of "Inglourious Basterds" features a wonderfully suspenseful and tense encounter that is one of the best film face-offs I've seen in years.

    In this opening sequence, the audience is introduced to Nazi Colonel Hans Landa, played to astounding star-making perfection by newcomer, Christoph Waltz.  

    Colonel Landa is a cunning, soft spoken pit viper Nazi... known to all as "The Jew Hunter" for his merciless and effectively meticulous fashion of successfully roaming the French countryside... ferreting out terrified Jews hiding from their murderous Nazi persecutors.

    In the film's riveting opening sequence, Colonel Landa arrives at a small French cottage where a dairy farmer lives with his three daughters.

    Landa suspects the farmer of hiding Jews and the manner in which he coerces the farmer to reveal that secret is a stunning piece of wonderfully crafted dialogue... delivered masterfully by Landa.

    Waltz’ Col. Landa is a smug, smiling demon hidden behind a thin, deceptive veneer of civility... all the while creating a sense of dread, malevolence and simmering evil that builds to a slow suspenseful boil.   The scene is basically only two men talking in calm measured tones. 

   However, the audience... and perhaps Landa knows beneath the floorboards of the tabletop conversation... is a family of Jews cowering in fear of being discovered.  The tension-filled power of this scene and the actors keeps you on the edge of your seat as effectively as any full out action sequence.

   The result of this face off culminates in a brutal and deadly assault... that results in the escape of one young member of the now murdered Jewish family named Shoshanna, later played by Melanie Laurent.

    Tarantino then shifts the film’s focus to the second half of his double edged plotline... the "Basterds" themselves. 

    In this scene, we're introduced to a group of Jewish soldiers semi-reminscent of "The Dirty Dozen" ...without the prison records.  

    The mission of this group is simple... to kill Nazis.  The commanding officer of this elite group of soldiers is Lt. Aldo Raine, played with entertaining good ol' boy bravado by Brad Pitt... isn't content to just "kill" Nazis. 

    His squad's mission is to instill fear and terror within the German ranks by butchering every Nazi they come across in a literal "take no prisoners" mission objective. 

    Raine is a mountain boy nicknamed "The Apache" for his alleged Native American heritage.... and, as such Raine calls upon that lineage to demand "each and every one" of his squad of Jewish soldiers to deliver 100 Nazi scalps... or die trying. 

    These men are the "Inglourious Basterds" of the film's title... and they indeed are ruthless.   The effectiveness of their methods are shown in one scene where they try to get information from a group of captured Nazi soldiers.

    When the Nazi commanding officer refuses to divulge any information... Raine unleashes one of his most feared members of the group dubbed fearfully by the Nazis as "The Jew Bear", played by horror film director, Eli Roth.

    Roth's character has developed a reputation among the Germans for his favored penchant of bashing Nazi heads to a pulp with a baseball bat... while extolling the virtues of the Red Sox and Fenway Park in a thick South Boston accent.

    However, Lt. Raine isn’t completely without pity.   Occasionally, he will allow a rare captured Nazi to go free.  But, only after Raine himself has deeply carved a Nazi swastika into their forehead.... as a warning to the prisoner’s fellow Nazis.

    Once these two elements of "Inglourious Basterds" are introduced... the film moves quickly to tie the dual threads together.  We fast forward three years to see Shoshanna, the young Jewish girl who escaped Landa at the film's beginning.   She now is hiding in plain sight in Paris as owner of a small quaint cinema showing German films.

     The cinema, and more significantly, Shoshanna catches the eye of a young Nazi war hero... who's heroics are the subject of a German propaganda film championed by Hitler's second in command, Joseph Goebbels.  The war hero is smitten with Shoshanna and convinces Goebbels to premiere the film for the German High Command, the SS... and even Hitler himself at her small theater.

    In a moment of divine coincidence, the killer of Shoshanna's family, Colonel Landa will be providing security for the event.  With this development, Shoshanna, along with her lover, sees an incredible opportunity to exact supreme and ultimate vengeance on those who were responsible for her family's death.

    Meanwhile, the "Basterds" are enlisted by the British to assist in a similar operation.  The Allies are aware of the same screening... and see a chance to infiltrate the theater event with explosives... and wipe out the entire German command including Hitler in one fell swoop... effectively ending the war.

    What follows next are two dual but separately planned plots with a single purpose to kill Hitler.   Along the way,  the "Basterds" and their British ally ( Michael Fassbender ) are assisted by a famous German film star and double agent wonderfully played by Diane Kruger.  

    The ensuing scenes are ones filled with tension, suspense, violent gunplay... and Tarantino's patented gallows humor that is often hysterically inappropriate, yet at the same time, hysterically funny.

    As with every Tarantino film, "Inglourious Basterds" is rich with film homages, as well as subtle and obvious cinematic references and unexpected actor cameos.  Mike Myers turns up as a British officer in a scene that also features veteran film actor Rod Taylor ( The Time Machine ) heavily made up to portray Winston Churchill.   For those with a sharp ear, you'll hear off screen voice overs featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel. 

     Tarantino as director loves to inject flavorings from other films and cinema genres into his creations to create an odd theatrical gumbo that works for some.. not so much for others... but, there's no denying it's a distinct and, perhaps, acquired taste.  However, it's certainly no accident the plot line of "Inglourious Basterds" is literally a film... set within a film... about the love of film and cinema.

     The opening face off between the dairy farmer and Landa is accompanied by music reminiscent of the old 70's Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns that made Clint Eastwood a superstar. 

    Later, Tarantino digs up a song featuring David Bowie from the otherwise forgettable 1982 film, "Cat People" to set the tone for Shoshanna preparing for her fiery revenge against the core of the Third Reich.

    The acting overall is first rate especially among the three main characters. 

    Christoph Waltz is a revelation that must be recognized for a Best Supporting actor nomination come Oscar time.  His Colonel Landa is a multi-layered, nuanced snake who evokes chills with his charming malevolence.  

    Melanie Laurent is also winning in her portrayal of the cool, calculating Shoshanna whom fate hands the opportunity for the ultimate revenge.   Both Waltz and Laurent are the ones who steal this film... despite a run for their money by fellow cast members, Fassbender and Kruger.

    Finally, Brad Pitt takes an over the top role as the scenery chomping Lt. Raine and makes it fun without being ridiculous. 

    Pitt makes Raine's good ol' boy demeanor a joy to watch.... and funny as well, in the best way.  When Pitt says he wants his "100 Nazi scalps"... it's reluctantly a line that elicits - at least in this reviewer's mind - a catchphrase that merits repeating.

    And that beings us to the final point about "Inglourious Basterds".   It is a pure, fictionally wild fantasy based in real life characters and world events.

     In the wake of this year's earlier fact-based Tom Cruise film, "Valkyrie" about the real life unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's demonic, hateful life... one was left after that film with the question of ..."What if ?"

... what if history could have been changed and millions saved by Hitler's early demise ?

     The real life attempt to accomplish that failed... denying us, millions of innocent dead, and history... a tidy, satisfying Hollywood... and, perhaps, morally acceptable happy ending.

    Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" is certainly an audacious fiction

    ... but, at least in this fictional world, the "good" guys win in the end

   ... and the bad guy gets his.