The Inglorious Bastards (1978)
Well, first I watched the Tarantino Inglourious Basterds (2009) and just saw Wellman's Battleground (1949) which is another kind of rag-tag predecessor. This 1978 one fits between somehow, a rollicking, no holds barred Italian-made, low budget, WWII rebel movie. That says it all, in a way.
Or not. First, it's not a "good" movie in the usual sense. Even if you hated Tarantino's, you have to admit it had high production standards. This however does not, and that's part of what makes it interesting. The soldiers are bad the way we imagine rebels from Vietnam were "bad," and of course this is a post-Vietnam movie in many ways, with lack of real accountability and lots of senseless bloodshed. I guess the title makes this clear, but if not, be warned.
So why watch it? For it's irreverence (always healthy) and its odd mixture of period attitudes (none of that too-holy WWII cant here, even when a little might be in order, and there are some rock and rolling haircuts). You have to admit at some point this gang of males are little too male for a lot of tastes (like mine), but they hang together like miscreant frat boys on and off, and help each other survive, and so that's appealing even when it's absurd. It never gets sluggish, and you know what? They're Americans fighting Nazis. You know who to root for.
You also need to get half way to see a major (and somewhat humorous) twist that gives the whole thing life. And then it accelerates and takes on a lot of flavor, as well as genuine heroism.
Not bad at all. Give it a go, with all this in mind!
Well, first I watched the Tarantino Inglourious Basterds (2009) and just saw Wellman's Battleground (1949) which is another kind of rag-tag predecessor. This 1978 one fits between somehow, a rollicking, no holds barred Italian-made, low budget, WWII rebel movie. That says it all, in a way.
Or not. First, it's not a "good" movie in the usual sense. Even if you hated Tarantino's, you have to admit it had high production standards. This however does not, and that's part of what makes it interesting. The soldiers are bad the way we imagine rebels from Vietnam were "bad," and of course this is a post-Vietnam movie in many ways, with lack of real accountability and lots of senseless bloodshed. I guess the title makes this clear, but if not, be warned.
So why watch it? For it's irreverence (always healthy) and its odd mixture of period attitudes (none of that too-holy WWII cant here, even when a little might be in order, and there are some rock and rolling haircuts). You have to admit at some point this gang of males are little too male for a lot of tastes (like mine), but they hang together like miscreant frat boys on and off, and help each other survive, and so that's appealing even when it's absurd. It never gets sluggish, and you know what? They're Americans fighting Nazis. You know who to root for.
You also need to get half way to see a major (and somewhat humorous) twist that gives the whole thing life. And then it accelerates and takes on a lot of flavor, as well as genuine heroism.
Not bad at all. Give it a go, with all this in mind!