Okay, I've been pondering and reading about and discussing IB all day. I've read about a third of the thirty five pages here, as well as some of the reviews linked. I'm tired, and so I'm going to summarize my conclusions for the day's hard work:
1. I hate revenge fantasies. They disgust me. That was my first reaction to IB.
See:
http://stevekimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-i-absolutely-despise-inglorious.html2. I'm not sure that IB is a revenge fantasy. It takes on the semblance of one, certainly, but I am unsure that the revenge is the point. So I don't know how I feel about it.
3. Most people see this film as a revenge fantasy. So I find that Tarantino's release of this movie to be immoral. Because getting emotionally enthused by violence only breeds more violence-- not necessarily by those who were enthused, but by those being encouraged by those enthused, e.g. sons being encouraged to go to war.
4. I think that Tarantino finds our enthusiasm for revenge fantasies to be hypocritical. The Nazis can enjoy watching Americans being slaughtered, and we are disgusted, but when we see Nazis being slaughtered, we are cheering. This is morally weak and so those who cheer deserve swastikas carved on their heads.
5. I really tried to put this movie aside today. I watched other things, spent time with my family... but I kept coming back to IB. Now, a movie that I openly declared that I absolutely hated... I want to see again. To see what else I missed. I don't know what's wrong with me.
6. I do know that Tarantino is a great director, though. And Waltz really was fantastic.