It was suggested that I copy this here, it was a paragraph that got away from me in a discussion over nominations for costuming in the Filmspots 2009 thread:
Watched IB again last night (3rd time! I can't remember the last time I watched a movie for a third time, let alone in the same year!) and it's fresh in my mind, and I'm thinking about how integral the costumes were to the whole thing--the perfect SS uniform on Landa, the glamorous suit and hat on Bridget von Hammersmark in the tavern scene, her red carpet outfit later, Shoshana's practical yet sexy trouser outfits, Goebbels' interpreter's grotesque cat hat, even down to the way Stieglitz in the tavern scene is wearing his Nazi uniform more sloppily, like he can't stand to have it too close to his skin. And the ridiculous outfit Hitler was wearing while having his portait painted! When I pay more attention to it (as I did this third time through) I realize how much thought went into the costuming and how much the costumes said about the characters.
Speaking of things noticed on repeat viewings, this is the first time I really caught that Landa himself plants the dynamite (confiscated from Aldo) under the seats in Hitler's box. It also really hit me that all the people working to destroy the theater understood it was a suicide mission (Marcel, Shoshana, Aldo, Donnie and the other guy, and possibly von Hammersmark as well) but no one really talks about it or acknowledges it, the closest acknowledgement is Marcel and Shoshanna saying goodbye to each other. And both plans probably would have worked alone to kill most or all of the targets, but together they were brilliant. Without ever knowing there were two plans going on.
Probably totally obvious to everyone else but the first time I was just following the basic action and not really thinking it through, the second time I was watching with Filmspots/Oscars in mind and watching the acting the most. I wish I had time to rewatch more movies, I'd probably have a lot more understanding and insights into them if I did (or realize they aren't as good as I thought).
Also, I talked Jan into trying to watch it with me (she's not a big QT fan, I'm not sure she even made it through Pulp Fiction); I had to tell her to shut her eyes on a couple of the gross things (scalping, the Jew Bear and the bat scene) but I knew she was hooked when she laughed out loud at the introduction to Hugo Stieglitz. She said that she liked it after it was over and is even considering giving PF another chance.
Jokernick, I'm not really sure why the movie doesn't catch you, you seem to have an anarchic streak in you that the movie should appeal to.
Why I think it's a great movie: It's a terrific story, it's the ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy, it is masterfully cast, with a great deal of thought put into every aspect of the design, it's horrific at times, suspenseful pretty much from start to finish, yet often hilarious too. My Jewish side LOVES seeing all the Nazi big bads mown down. The acting is top notch pretty much across the board (with maybe one notable exception but he didn't have THAT much to do) and the story subverts expectations over and over. You think eventually Shoshanna will warm up somewhat to Zoeller--he's got his puppydog moments, especially in his admission that he is uncomfortable with his own film--and a typical movie would have the heroine sympathizing with him and encouraging that better side. Instead she coldly shoots him--THEN sympathizes with him only when she sees him acting on the screen, goes to him--and he shoots her in return. She knows all the artifice of movies, working in a theater and seeing dozens of them, and yet it still sucks even her in. And then--should I feel a little sad because she dies without seeing the fulfillment of her plan? Or feel better for her because she is spared burning to death (you can see the flames rising in the projection booth fairly early on in the fire)? Speaking of subversion of expectations, all throughout the first time I saw the movie I kept waiting for the twist or the double or triple cross that would save Hitler after all--because we KNOW he didn't die that way, right? I mean, I was expecting a big reveal right up until the credits rolled the first time. And then I was laughing in disbelief that Tarantino pulled off such an audacious plot. I was so hooked into waiting for/anticipating that that it wasn't until the 2nd time I saw it that I could just enjoy the story unfolding.
Furthermore, the style of the film pays homage to a wide variety of genres (spaghetti western, the "Dirty Dozen" type of suicide mission movie, actual World War II movies) while doing something original with the mashup of styles and genres. There's a lot of talk of this being the "age of the remix" where making something new out of bits and pieces of other things is coming into its own as its own artform. If that is true, I would say that Inglourious Basterds is exhibit A for this claim. And finally, it seems like it's been a long time since a movie in serious Oscar contention has been this much damn fun. It's like a button I used to have a long time ago: "CINECAST! art, let's dance" -- except that in my opinion, when Tarantino chose to just dance wherever his vision was taking him, he created real art.