Inglorious Bastards

The original but not the best, Inglorious Bastards which was very loosely remade by Quentin Tarantino in 2009 as Inglourious Basterds) will appeal to aficionados of B-grade exploitation films but few others. A spaghetti war film about a bunch of American soldier-prisoners in France who are being taken to prison when they are attacked by Germans, it follows their adventures as initially they try to escape to Switzerland, then, after an identity mix-up, end up undertaking an important mission for the Allied cause.

Exploitation stars Bo Svenson (who appeared in Tarantino’s Kill Bill 2) and Fred “the Hammer” Williamson bring a certain rough-hewn charm to the proceedings (the film was later re-packaged for the Afro-American market as G.I.Bro with Williamson given top billing) but in general it has all the hallmarks of the spaghetti film  - a formulaic story, unconvincingly-dubbed dialogue, lousy acting, lame stunts (bar a rather good train wreck at the film’s finish) and a complete absence of any dramatic substance. In other words, if exploitation films are not your bag, you can spend your time more constructively. If they are, go nuts.

 

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