The Subversive Genius of QT’s Inglourious Basterds

I saw Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds for a second time recently and I feel I’m up to tackling its genius.

In the closing shot of Basterds, Tarantino places the following dialogue into Brad Pitt’s mouth to close out the film, “This might just be my masterpiece?”. Cue Kubrick style classical music. I think QT is self referencing what he thinks of his own work. So, is Inglorious Basterds a masterpiece? I would say, “Yes”, but for reasons a lot more subversive than have been quoted in most film journalism I have read on the film.

First of all the film is pro fascist. What? I hear you cry? It features a gang of Jews Killing Nazi’s… how is this pro fascist? The Jewish Death squad, what do they do? Do they murder and torture German soldiers ruthlessly? What did the Einstazgruppen do? They murdered and brought terror to all Eastern Europe? Are not the Basterds tactics merely a mirror image of Nazi ones? Is not Tarantino secretly endorsing fascist violence, as he has done throughout his career by the way, in this film? I would say so. It is a major theme of Basterds that I suggest has modern political ramifications when you be apply it to forgive and excuse Bush/Cheney tactics in the recent Iraqi war, for example. Or say Israeli violence against the Palestinians. Indeed, the whole Jewish death squad even outstrips Munich as a pro Israeli violence statement, another subversion perhaps?

Second, the film references favorably Nazi cinema. Constantly throughout Basterds Nazi cinema, the last great taboo of any cinephile, is constantly spoken of admiringly. Indeed, the Minister of Nazi Cinema Goebbels is a character in the film, espousing the merits of his Government’s national cinema, and the genius of filmmakers like Riefenstahl, Pabst and many others. Another line of dialogue has Nazi cinema compared to Jewish Hollywood cinema and no lesser person than Winston Churchill asks, “How is he doing (Goebbels)?”. To a response of, “Pretty damn good, Sir”. Indeed, the film features a fictional Nazi movie that has a German Audie Murphy type character in it who slaughters the allies ruthlessly, and even gets Hitler all teary eyed with patriotism. Its parallel’s to 80’s Hollywood anti Commie war movies is obvious. Nazi cinema is praised as a new original cinematic opening that the film, and Tarantino, admires. This mix of the fascist aesthetics and cinema informs Tarantino’s whole oeuvre when you think about it.

Thirdly, its a film that advocates and embraces Historical Revisionism. QT completely rewrites the script for WW2 and has the great hero who ends the war being none other than a genocidal Nazi “Jew Hunter” named Colonel Hans Landa. Yes, its a Nazi who ends WW2! If you can get anymore subversive than that in the cinema recently I’ll be bar mitzvahed in my birthday suit singing the “Horst Wessel” song!! Hans Landa is the archetypal Nazi polymath and villain taken to a new level. He is meticulous, polite, deadly… but very well spoken, in at least four languages. Landa is the main character of the film in many senses, and the performance Christoph Waltz has been rightly praised, awarded and lauded. A genocidal Nazi ending World War 2, I say it again, so its full resonance can stay with you. His deal with the Allies is a master stroke from QT. This making an  sort of anti hero out of a Butcher of Lyon/Klaus Barbie type character is the forth and major subversive dimension of Basterds. Sure, Waltz is a self serving nihilist and killer. But he is humanized, intelligent, charming… and even a likable rogue. And, he does end WW2 in a marvelously perverse historical revisionism, that would have even David Irving spinning in his chair.

The cast is a fifth subversion. Waltz is simply superb as mentioned. Brad Pitt is cast as a psychotic and blood lusting part Indian who collects Nazi scalps, no less. Melanie Laurent is ice cold as the avenging Jewess. Diane Kruger is foot fetish sexy as the Nazi actress spy. Sylveester Groth and Martin Wuttke are fun as the tag team of Goebbels and Hitler. Michael Fassbender is great and tres cool as a brit spy in over his head. Eli Roth is a weird choice, but also an appropriate one, given his Jewishness and penchant for extreme violence.  Other cameos and bit players all pull their weight in this broad canvas fever dream QT has laid out for us.

Inglorious Basterds subverts the defining historical events of the 20th century and reinvisages them as an ode of fascist violence and struggle for power. Goebbels and The Fuhrer himself, after getting over a few issue like losing the war and being killed in a cinema, would have loved it!

Hack is for hacks

The Triple J news and current affairs program Hack with Kate O’Toole totally gives me the shits.

Its Auntie’s (the ABC) youth propaganda half hour. The show is constantly presenting ‘youth’ perspectives on ‘hot spot’ issues like: homeless youth, leaving School early, schoolies, internet censorship, crime and punishment, drugs, indigenous rights, etc, etc. And on and on it goes. All presented with same kind of vapid moral viewpoint and sickening condescension.

For example a program a while back on leaving school early, starts with some moron going, “Yeah its fun to leave school early, you can do what you want mate”. Cut expert saying well it might seem like fun experts say people who leave school early end up losers. Cut to intelligent non school leaver saying they won’t leave school. Cut back to moron saying how he is broke and can’t get a job. Moral: Don’t leave school.

Yesterday I posted this on Facebook:

…I hate that show Hack on Triple J with a passion. Every ‘hot spot’ teen and young adult issue Auntie gets to have ‘a reasonable discussion’ on ( i.e Government propaganda), like leaving school early, etc., any PC issue you can think of really. Todays topic: warning mong proles to have kids before their biological clock expires. Hack, I’d like to do some hacking in JJJ’s programming…

Some responses:

Virginia Tachos: i was listening in on this drivel..this line particularly stunned me ” Have a child as early as you can with your boyfriend/partner” or engage in egg freezing …so many “great” options…drive time drivel by Triple J…triple jjj is not edgy , it’s packaged that way ..people who have an ounce of integrity will decipher this and today’s program was plainly offensive to anyone’s intelligence

Trevor Howis: Who’s running JJJ now? Have they cloned Goebbels?

David Jackson: Agreed. It’s a pathetic program with a boring as fuck host (like everything else on JJJ). It reminds me of the 7pm Report or whatever it’s called. Watered down news and issues with Rove-esque graphics and Garage band sounding loops. Current Affair for the new generation.

I then posted this today:

So I listened again today to Hack again (…why, oh, why?)…this time whinging about equal amounts of women in high powered board jobs, and serious talk of implementing quotas. Then New Moon, is it bad for teenage girls as it teaches masochism and violence in relationships. Question from moron host O’Toole: “This sounds serious, should we be closing cinem…as tomorrow?”. OMG!… its Auntie’s equivalent of a lefty student Rush Limbaugh show…Someone please do something to stop this shit house show!

I wait another flood of hate against this moronic news half hour. It is as bad as, if not worse than A Current Affair and Today Tonight, in its poisonous propagation of lame Left wing ideology and status quo thinking…

I hate it so much I am tempted to found a radio, or even TV show, along Transcendental Fascist lines of argument and philosophical discussion to combat its bullshit. More on this later perhaps…

Images of USA

I’ve been travelling again. That’s why not many posts. Having too much fun… as usual.

Here is a visual diary of some things I’ve been doing. I’m back in AU next week, so posts, and thoughts, to resume here soon.

Meantime, enjoy these…

The Beautiful and Damned official trailer

Here is the official trailer to my adaptation of The Beautiful and Damned. My new feature just played at The 10th F.Scott Fitzgerald Conference in Baltimore. Enjoy the trailer!

The MUFF awards on vimeo

The MUFF awards shot live by Mike Smith from Indie Film Nation! Thanks Mike!

Enjoy! See here.

For some reason I can’t embed Vimeo, when I cut and paste the code?

Bad Lit’s Beautiful and Damned review!

The first review of The Beautiful and Damned and its a goody.

From Bad Lit. See here.

“The key to Richard Wolstencroft’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s sophomore novel The Beautiful and Damned comes during one of the early, numerous party scenes. In the scene, one of the party-goers announces to Anthony Patch (Ross Ditcham) that he knows exactly what the lower classes need, a nice strong fascist hand to whip them into shape. Then he bends his head over for another snort of cocaine.

Of course, the “lower classes” don’t really show up in The Beautiful & Damned, so why they need whipping who knows. But it’s clear who really needs the sharp stick of fascism in the eye: The rich and degenerate. The idea of “transcendental fascism” is one that Wolstencroft explores much in his theoretical writing. Yet, the film clearly addresses his favored subject by making it practically completely absent from his screenplay.

The plot follows the carefree exploits of trust fund baby Anthony Patch, who gets by in life by living off of an extravagant allowance given to him by his grandfather, Adam Patch (Norman Yemm). In order to get his money, Anthony must provide weekly status updates proving that he’s a productive member of society. However, he ends up just bullshitting his way through a cockamamie plan to write a nonfiction book about the young heroes of WWII. Grandpa knows he’s being bullshitted, but he never cuts off the funnel of money, probably thinking his grandson’s wanton ways are just a youthful phase.

However, Anthony’s has much more sinister ideas. Oh, he’s too much of a coward to kill the old man and receive his inheritance. But, figuring the old dude doesn’t have much longer to live, Anthony plans to live as decadently as he wants with his slutty wife, Gloria Gilbert (Kristen Condon), and just wait until Grandpa croaks to get his mitts on the family fortune.

None of these motivations or assumptions about the characters’ behavior is ever explicitly discussed through the dialogue. Instead, the film barrels along from one debauched scene after another.  But the real genius of the film is how it’s themes and subtext pop up through the casually tossed off line or action, knitting together scenes that race from their abrupt beginnings to their equally abrupt endings. The hyper-kinetic pacing ingeniously hides the more serious contemplations of the subject matter.

Also interestingly, Wolstencroft has taken the Jazz Age setting of Fitzgerald’s novel, which also took place in NYC, and has successfully updated it to a modern day Melbourne, Australia — Wolstencroft’s hometown. This speaks to Fitzgerald’s universal truths about the upper class, but at the same time instead of making the film completely modern, through the set design and costuming, particularly of the Patches, Wolstencroft does retain a Fitzgerald sense of style. It’s clear by the Patches’ old homesteads that their money is old money and that grandpa is trying to hold his grip on the illusion that the world is still like his simpler, less morally bankrupt “good ol’ days.” If he only knew what his grandson was really up to.

Actually, eventually grandpa does find out, which instigates the most dramatic portion of the film when the young Anthony faces the possibility of being cut out of the family will. With no skills to be of any use to society, Anthony becomes a very desperate man to regain his unearned fortune.

As a main character, Anthony goes beyond being a cipher and is a bit of a bland blank. Typically, this would work as a detriment to a film, but here the characterization works in his favor because we keep wishing he will eventually grow a pair and fight for something in his pathetically tragic life. There’s a brief glimmer of Anthony having a reasonable moral center during a hilarious and frightening scene where he encounters the director and star of rape videos, played by a terrifically menacing Wolstencroft himself. A life of fun and games is perfectly fine as long as nobody gets hurt, right?

But plenty of people get hurt in The Beautiful and Damned. Yes, physically, but mostly emotionally. However, the characters’ psychic scars and open wounds run so deep, they accept them as an everyday normalcy. To Anthony, he feels his “damnation” comes when he’s forced to live like an average commoner, yet he’s completely oblivious to the hell on Earth he aimlessly wanders through and, if he used his inheritance wisely, could have easily escaped from.

Without having read the original source material, as I have not, it’s impossible to tell how much Wolstencroft has changed and updated, except for the obvious, of course. For example, I doubt Fitzgerald wrote about rape videos. Yet, using that source material for his own vision of The Beautiful and Damned, Richard Wolstencroft has crafted an originally terrifying vision of rampant amorality among the so-called “upper” class.”

The Prostitutes – A blast from the past

Here is an article sent to me by Kent Morris of the band The Prostitutes. The Prostitutes were am electronic industrial band from Melbourne in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Here is an interview I did with them when I was editor of Beat magazine back in 1990 and 1991.

An Open Letter on the State of the Australian Film Industry (preview)

The following is going into the MUFF X catalogue (with maybe minor alterations). We will then be inviting people to sign it online at: muff.com.au and then we will send it to the various Ministers and funding bodies, etc. Thoughts? Suggestions? You have to Sunday night to make them…

An Open Letter on the State of the Australian Film Industry
Drafted by Australian filmmakers, industry practitioners and cinema-lovers

August 1, 2009
As members of the Australian film industry we can no longer sit idly by and watch our nation’s cinema continue to slide into critical and commercial obscurity. The Australian Government’s bureaucratic infrastructure is failing the Australian film industry, and it is unaccountable to anyone for its failure. It invites feedback, but does not listen to it, and thereby proves itself unaccountable. Its lack of response to criticism when change is so obviously needed and should be actioned is symptomatic of this unaccountability. We need new ideas for innovation, rebirth and vitality in the Australian film industry. We need to stand together, and be counted, in support of real change in the local film industry and culture, and to bring new ideas to bear on a system that has been out of control for many years.
We demand change in the Australian film industry. The changes we suggest are canvassed below.
The current, perpetual crisis in Australian film has been well documented by the Australian media. Much coverage has been afforded to the crisis on network television and in the country’s newspapers, most notably in The Age, whose film critic, the courageous Jim Schembri, has tackled the debate head on.  The issue of industry failure has also been covered in alternative/grassroots venues and publications: the Melbourne and Sydney Underground Film Festivals, The Bazura Project on Melbourne’s Channel 31, the world-renowned cinema journal Senses of Cinema, and countless cinema blogs. Two independent documentary projects about the Australian film industry crisis are currently being produced: Into the Shadows and Nothing but the Struth. Last year, Film Victoria even held a summit on the crisis called Mindshift.
Needless to say, we have seen no actionable changes.
The industry crisis has also been the subject of much obloquy in private discussions, not only between filmmakers and industry insiders, but also among members of the general public; those people who, faced with the decision between seeing an American film at the cinema and an Australian one, will doubtless turn to their partner and say: “Better not risk it.” These people want change: they want a dynamic and exciting Australian film industry.
And we, the undersigned, think it is long overdue that we gave it to them.
Australian filmmakers, industry practitioners, cinema-goers, and the mainstream and underground media are all in agreement: there is major problem with our film industry that needs to be addressed at both state and federal levels.
The issues concerning what to do about the continuing failure of the Australian film industry have been hotly debated. From these debates a consensus for action has been forming over time, and its broad outline, and our demand that it be acknowledged and addressed, is the reason we have compiled this document.
We wish to outline twelve steps, like those of Alcoholic’s Anonymous or some other recovery program, to wean Australian filmmakers and the funding bodies off their addiction to unentertaining, uninteresting, unworthy movies.  We insist on change in the Australian film industry: even if only six of these twelve steps were to be actioned, it could well lead to a Renaissance once again in Australian cinema, and not a continued fall from grace out of the world cinema spotlight and increasingly towards critical insignificance.
We make these suggestions humbly, and with the hope that it open channels for real discussion and actioning of these matters, that can follow the tabling and publishing of this document. We wish only to encourage, foster and make possible change in the Australian film industry.
Our demanded agenda for change is as follows:
1.    Genre and Commercial Filmmaking. It is suggested that many, many more genre films be produced in this country; more, indeed, than sensitive, politically correct ‘art-house’ fare that has been force-fed to the public since the end of the 80’s. By genre we mean horror, action, sci-fi, crime, comedy and erotica. We believe that an embrace of genre filmmaking at the higher levels of film financing and government decision-making will see those who work within the Australia film industry embrace ideas of profitability and marketability, especially beyond our shores. We want a national and international cinema of genre that embraces commercial values and has distinct markets in mind for the product.
2.    Accountability. For to long in the Australian film industry the people who make the decisions for the yearly flops and failures are not in any way held accountable for their failures. There exists a professional class who somehow consider themselves beyond the failure or not of our film industry. Given that they purely exist at the behest of our national cinema, this situation should be promptly corrected. The names of board and committee members behind funding decisions should be added to the credits of government-funded films, listed there as either executive producers or, even better, precisely what they are: the persons responsible. That way, massive flops and errors can be publicly traced to their source. Similarly, ongoing reviews of the decision-making standards of the various boards and committees should be initiated. The same accountability should be applied to failed directors and producers who haven’t had a hit since the 80’s.
3.    Supporting the alternative industry. The most popular and successful Australian films are very often those that no one in Australia sees. They are privately funded and tend towards either low-budget Ozploitation filmmaking or difficult experimental, avant-garde and documentary work. These films are confronting, both locally and internationally. A new fund to support such already-established and emerging independent talent is required. It is necessary to reward that which is daring, confrontational and relevant. Rethinking and rebooting Indivision with a much more daring brief, state and federal funding bodies must combine in their efforts to establish a $5 million fund. This fund should make seven to ten $500,000-$1 million features per annum, selected by a regularly rotating board of Ozploitation, industry and genre luminaries. Australia could produce eight to ten new low-budget features yearly, with that number to expand as their commercial success becomes self-evident. The aim? To get new blood into the film industry each year. While not all of these films will work, many will. Not all will have to be Ozploitation. Indeed, some should be avant-garde works and more challenging art films than are currently produced. From The Horseman to The Ister, anything is possible. We must turn work around quickly and cheaply with an ear to being inventive and innovative.
4.    Reward talent and success. Any filmmaker who enjoys a commercial or critical hit should immediately receive funding for their next project, which is to be produced within twelve months. The budget for this second film must be significantly higher. The era of successful filmmakers languishing in development hell for a decade must end.
5.    More money invested in the promotion of Australian films. The establishment of an office within Screen Australia that will promote Australian films both locally and internationally is required.
6.    An end to political correctness and “Australian content” prerequisites and biases in both the industry and in funding bodies.
7.    A celebration of the diversity of techniques available to filmmakers. From low budget guerrilla films to large budget and special effects movies, all film forms musts be celebrated.
8.    A change in industry methodology. There needs to be a cultural shift within the funding bodies that sees them move away from their currently prescriptive role to one of discovery. Instead of imposing upon the industry their own prejudices and biases, both about cinema and otherwise, film finance bureaucrats must learn to search for new ideas, styles, marketing and distribution opportunities; learn to recognise innovation; learn to celebrate diversity by allowing for a slate of pictures than embrace all budgets, genres and approaches.
9.    Getting distributors involved in the process of selection and approval for new productions. This is key and would be greatly assisted by provisions making in necessary to devote part of a film’s budget to be spent on helping to promote Australian cinema more broadly.
Signed
Richard Wolstencroft

and…

Uncut “15 seconds” Interview from If magazine

I was interviewed by Simon De Bruyn of If Magazine for their section “15 seconds” recently. Here is the uncut text of the interview, too long, or controversial, to publish. Enjoy! Thanks to Simon for being a MUFF supporting guy at IF.

1. The biggest issue facing the Australian film industry is…
Becoming relevant, becoming more financially viable in its returns, overthrowing and replacing some of the tried and worn out people currently running it, recognising new young talent, halting giving most of the funding money to failures (some from 20 years ago), enacting a new low budget fund to make 10 to 20 new half million to a million dollar Indy features each year – selected from the best talent from all fests including MUFF, SUFF and Revelation, fostering the new wave of Ozploitation by further pursuing edgy genre filmmaking, stop making  so many political correct and mandated Aussie content movies (…that no one really wants to see anyway!) that are better suited as Sunday afternoon ABC TV movies (Black Balloon, Somersault, Esther Blue Burger, September, My Year Without Sex, etc.)…
2. Favourite film of all time:
Impossible, I love to many, it’s a religion with me…see MUFF, or my blog Idea Fix …recent recommended viewing of old and new Huston’s Wise Blood, Martyrs, Bret Ellis’ The Informers (directed by Gregor Jordan), Wings Hauser in Vice Squad, Ellie Parker with Naomi Watts, Atomised – Michel Houellebecq adaptation, Baader Meinhof Complex.
3. Classics I would like to remake:
I don’t like remakes. At a push Salo (- De Sade’s novel The 120 days of Sodom) or American Psycho, to do it properly…
4. Biggest break:
Starting MUFF and discovering so much talent we have in Australia. How did MUFF end up being the first fest in the world playing the films of James Wan, Greg McClean, The Speirig Brothers, Scott Ryan, Steven Kastrissios, Stuart Simpson, Kel Dolen, David Nerlish and Andrew Traucki? We did it by simply looking for talent regardless of budget and having a welcoming attitude to genre and daring filmmaker that sometimes included violence, sexuality and controversy.  And there are many more where those names above came from. I think this is a real achievement that MUFF has helped foster an alternative voice and vision in the Australian Film Industry, against the odds and dull mediocrity of the mainstream local Industry…
5. Biggest mistake
Some would say the David Irving attempted screening. But I’m proud to have fought for unpopular speech… and am even more proud of MUFF’s uncompromising anti-censorship platform. Censorship is a most onerous and insulting practice to any intelligent and cultured human being.
6. Worst filmmaking experience:
Seeing our film industry controlled by a group of selfish and short sighted mandarins dolling out the majority of Film Finance funding to a bunch of sycophantic and at best untalented TV directors. Being hated sometimes for simply standing up and speaking out, from a love of our film industry, about the real lack of diversity in subject matter, innovation and film style to be seen on display in our national cinema. Being sick and tired of seeing its resources and potential abused by incompetents and dilettantes…etc., I could on, and on…
7. If a film about your life were made, who would play you?
Quentin Tarantino, Charlie Brooker or Colin Firth.
8. If money were no object, what would your next film be?
A project I have had in my head since I was a kid…a kind of post apocalyptic Mad Max type of thing…that is quite different, aggressive and original I dare say …but it seems we don’t really make those kind of films anymore in this country? And you wonder, why the fuck not?
9. Unsung Aussie film hero/heroine:
Jon Hewitt, Antony I Ginnane, Frank Howson, Jamie Leonander, Mark Savage, most of the more talented MUFF discoveries.
10. If I weren’t in the film industry, I’d be:
A Dictator on a Island in the Pacific …
11. I’d spend my last $20 on:
Bullets.

MUFF X Poster

Pretty tasty don’t you think. Thoughts?